List of names in English with counterintuitive pronunciations

This is a set of lists of English personal and place names whose pronunciations are counterintuitive to their spelling, because the pronunciation does not correspond to the spelling, or because a better known namesake has a markedly different pronunciation. The latter are known as heterophonic names (the opposite of homophones, which are written differently but pronounced the same).

Excluded are the numerous spellings which fail to make the pronunciation obvious without actually being at odds with it: for example, the pronunciation /skəˈnɛktədi/ of Schenectady is not immediately obvious, but neither is it counterintuitive.

See Help:IPA for English for guides to the IPA symbols used, and variations depending on dialect.

See List of places in the United Kingdom and Ireland with counterintuitive pronunciations, and:

See:

Emboldened names are traditional so while not intuitive, are among the most well-used.

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