From Wyndham Square to Novorossiysk Road, Plymouth is full of place names different people you meet will pronounce in a completely different way.

Sometimes people will just not know how a word is said at all - other times the opposing pronunciations will go back centuries.

And in some circumstances strange spellings often have little to do with the word's actual delivery.

Most locals will know the pronunciation of an area or street name, but in the hands of tourists or visitors to Plymouth, anything could happen. 

Here are some Plymouth place names you've probably been mispronouncing your entire life.

*Disclaimer - this has already started a debate in the office. Good luck.

Wyndham Square

Ah, the age old question. Do you pronounce it 'Wine' or 'Win'? Even the locals can't agree!

Wyndham Square is the only remaining Georgian Square in the city and was designed that way by esteemed Plymouth architect John Foulston.

The former Non-Conformist Chapel, which was built in the mid-19th century was previously known as Wyndham Hall and many of the houses in the square are listed for their special architectural and historical interest.

Wyndham Square was part of John Foulston’s extensive development between Plymouth and Stonehouse. His neo-classical architecture helped to shape much of Regency Plymouth, and Historic England says Wyndham Square is a fine example of his work.

But how do you pronounce it?

Well, who knows? Most people living there pronounce it 'Wine' but Father Sam Philpott, formerly of St Peter and the Holy Apostles, admits he goes against the grain and pronounces it 'Win'.

Wyndham Square is said to be named after John Foulston's son. And that confuses the matter even more.

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According to PronounceNames.com you pronounce the name Wyndham as Win-dum or Win-daam.

But local resident Matt Pontin says everyone pronounces it 'wine' - else the postman will get confused.

I guess we'll have to go with that, then?

Lympne Avenue

Named after a place in Kent, many people living in and around Lympne Avenue in Ernesettle pronounce the 'p'. This is wrong, unfortunately!

Lympne is a tiny place in Kent with a safari park, and everyone there knows you pronounce it 'Lym'. The P is silent.

Plymouth

Many people think there is something very wrong with the pronunciation of Plymouth itself.

Dartmouth = mouth of the river Dart.

Exmouth = mouth of the river Ex

Yarmouth = mouth of the river Yar

So is Plymouth the mouth of the river Ply or the river Plym? And is it Ply-Mouth or P-limb-Mouth?

That's what many American tourists ask.

The River Plym at Plym Bridge
The River Plym at Plym Bridge

The modern name has two parts - Plym and mouth. Most people know the 'Plym' element is taken from the River Plym, which runs from Dartmoor towards Plymouth Sound.

By the early 13th century, the river was being called the Plym (Plyme, in 1238), according to Wikipedia. The earliest records of the name Plymouth date from around this time (as Plymmue in 1230, Plimmuth in 1234).

Thanks to the Pilgrims, there are now 52 Plymouth's around the world (mostly in America) and at least one Plimouth in the United States.

Novorossiysk Road

A road name that can stump even the brightest of motorists. Novorossiysk.

And when you're in a rush, saying it quickly all manner of nonsense can come out of your mouth.

Did you know Plymouth is actually twinned with Novorossiysk in Russia, as of 1990? That's along with Brest in France, Gdynia in Poland, San Sebastian in Spain and Plymouth in the United States.

Forder Valley Road to Novorossiysk Road from Plymbridge Road position
Forder Valley Road to Novorossiysk Road from Plymbridge Road position

Novorossiysk is a port city on the Black Sea in southern Russia and has had informal links with our city since the late 1940s before its formal twinning.

In Russia, the word Novorossiysk is pronounced 'Nov-or-esseeske'. So we're all saying it wrong.

Oreston

'Oroston' or 'Orehston'? The area was once called Horestone on the 1591 Spry Map of 'Plimmouth', and by that logic, it should be the latter.

Pasley Street

This is a good one. People either pronounce this word 'pahsley' or 'paisley'. It is unclear where the origins of Pasley come from, but the latter pronunciation is correct here too.

Paisley is both a twisted teardrop pattern of Persian origin, or a town in West Scotland.

St Budeaux

Ask a Sat Nav to say St Budeaux, or for that matter, anybody from outside Plymouth, and you'll be in laughing fits.

Of course we all know it's St Budo (said in the most Janner accent possible), but it's not that clear to outsiders. Why is there a plural X? Should it not be St Budeau?

Budoc is thought to have founded a settlement and built a small church where St Budeaux now lies
Budoc is thought to have founded a settlement and built a small church where St Budeaux now lies

The area is named after Saint Budoc the Bishop of Dol (Brittany). Budoc is thought to have founded a settlement and built a small church where St Budeaux now lies. The church eventually gave way to a permanent stone one, dedicated to Saint Budoc, which was erected shortly before the Norman conquest of England in the 11th Century.

The modern name, St Budeaux, is a Frenchified 'elegant' form of the name.

In the 1890s, the parish became a self-contained village with significant development in Lower St Budeaux. The village was already growing due to the construction of the Royal Albert Bridge over the Tamar and the improvement of area roads, as well as a new railway station, St Budeaux Victoria Road.

Cecil Street

Not too far from Wyndham Square, Cecil Street is pronounced either 'Cee-cil' or 'Cescil' by locals living there.

Cecil is a usually male given name of Welsh origin. The name was associated with Monmouthshire and derives from the Old Welsh personal name Seisyllt.

The correct pronunciation is 'Ces-cil'.

Trevithick Road

Most people take one look at this word and don't even bother. But it's sort of like if Jonathan Ross was trying to say terrific after a few pints.

You'll be interested to know Trevithick is actually a Cornish name and one notable Cornishman was Richard Trevithick, an inventor and mining engineer.

Could this be who the road is named after? Get in touch if you know.

It's pronounced 'Tre-veh-thick'.

Gdynia Way

Gdynia Way West taken on 14 March 1975
Gdynia Way West taken on 14 March 1975

 

Just like Novorossiysk in Russia, Plymouth is also twinned with Gdynia in Poland. We even have a fountain named after the famous maritime city.

Plymouth and Gdynia became twinned in 1976 following a suggestion by the Plymouth Anglo-Polish Cultural Society. The partnership was one of the first between Britain and Poland.

Plymouth and Gdynia each promised to strengthen the ties between the two countries which were forged during the Second World War. The fountain in Plymouth city centre was built 10 years later to commemorate the partnership.

But what is the correct pronunciation?

This woman's got it...

Arundel Crescent

Not like Tarka Dal, Arundel is pronounced more like 'Arundull'.

Arundel is a market town in West Sussex and is made up of two words from Old English: harhune 'horehound' (a plant) + dell 'valley'.

And last but not least...

Bere Alston

A Wetherspoon barman pouring a pint

 

Not a grizzly bear guys! Pronounced like a nice, cold pint.

Can you think of any more? Email sarah.waddington@reachplc.com.