Alnwick is one of the UK's most mispronounced names but there are plenty more towns and villages in the North East that can catch you out.

Whether you've just moved to the North East or are a born and bred Geordie, Northumbrian or Mackem, chances are you won't know how Ulgham or Cambois are pronounced until you hear them in general conversation. And even then, you may not connect them with the spelling!

Even TV presenters have been caught out with unusual pronunciations, as Come Dine With Me narrator Dave Lamb proved last year when he repeatedly stumbled over the name of a well-known Northumberland town. Here are twenty places in the North East whose pronunciation is not what it seems, along with some help to hopefully clear up any confusion.

Read more: I visited the Northumberland seaside village with a name that hardly anyone can pronounce

Alnwick - There are two silent letters in Alnwick, the L and the W, and it's a short a sound, so it's pronounced like An-nick. There is also a town near Hexham called Anick, pronounced ay-nick.

Alnmouth - Now you can say Alnwick, you'd think Alnmouth would follow the same pattern, right? However, the L is voiced, making the actual pronunciation - aln-muth. The River Aln, which both Alnwick and Alnmouth stand on, is pronounced with the L.

The coastal village of Alnmouth
The coastal village of Alnmouth

Bellingham - England fans may think saying Bellingham is a breeze, but the pronunciation of this Northumberland village isn't the same as the surname of the Three Lions midfielder. The village uses a soft g, so is pronounced Bellin-jum.

Berwick - Much like Alnwick, the W in England's most northerly town is silent. Assume that W is an R (Berrick) and the pronunciation is phonetic.

Cambois - One of the most confusing place names in Northumberland, the seaside village south of Ashington could be confused for Cam-boys or with a little French flair, Cam-bwar. However, neither are correct and the BO is silent, so the pronunciation is Cam-iss.

Coquet (river) - Another that could be confused for French, especially with its similarity to the lawn game croquet, but the Coquet is refreshingly northern. Pronounce it coke-utt.

View of Warkworth Castle from the path along the River Coquet
View of Warkworth Castle from the path along the River Coquet

Cowpen - This one should be easy, since it resembles an enclosure for cows. Not this time though, with the name coming from Old Norse and pronounced coop'n.

Elswick - The wick pronunciation is probably obvious by now, with this suburb in the west end of Newcastle following the same pattern as the Northumberland towns listed above. Pronounce it Elz-ick.

Houghton-le-Spring - How-ton? Hoff-ton? It's neither of those. This town near Sunderland is pronounced Hoe-ton Lee-Spring.

Jarrow - Athlete Steve Cram was nicknamed the Jarrow Arrow, but said in RP English that sounds unbelievably posh. Pronounce the South Tyneside town as Jarra.

Penshaw - Famed for its ancient Greek style monument standing atop a 70 foot hill, you may be tempted to pronounce the town as Pen-shore. There's no shore in sight though, as it's quite a few miles inland, so pronounce it Pen-sher instead.

Penshaw Monument.
Penshaw Monument.

Ponteland - This Northumberland village is sometimes given a Welsh lilt when incorrectly pronounced as Ponty-land. It stands on the River Pont, and should be pronounced Pont-eel'nd.

Prudhoe - Come Dine with me narrator Dave Lamb caused a stir among Geordie viewers by repeatedly referring to the town as Prood-hoe in July 2022. Anyone from the area will tell you that it's closer to Prudd-er.

Redheugh - One of several bridges connecting Newcastle and Gateshead, this one is much trickier to pronounce than Swing, Tyne or High Level. Pronounce it red-yuff.

Seaton Sluice - The most southerly town on the Northumberland coast is one of the less tricky on the list, especially if you have any knowledge of canals and sluice gates. But if you're not familiar with the slightly niche subject, it's pronounced Seaton Sloose.

Ulgham - Known as the village of the owls, this small settlement near Morpeth is pronounced nothing like it appears. The LGH makes an FF sound, with the pronunciation Uff-am.

A sign for the village of Ulgham
A sign for the village of Ulgham

Ushaw Moor - Though it looks like you-shore at first glance, think of noughties American rapper Usher and you're more in line with the pronunciation of this County Durham pit village.

Winlaton - The Gateshead village near the Derwent Walk confuses a few when they arrive in or visit the North East, mostly due to its middle syllable. LAT is pronounced as late, meaning the village is pronounced Win-late-on.

Witton Gilbert - Remember Arsenal's invincible Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva? Perhaps not, but if you do, it will give you a clue how to pronounce this County Durham village. Witton is simple enough, but Gilbert is Jilbert, rather than the traditional English spelling.

Whittingham - Similar to Bellingham, Whittingham uses a soft g, so it's pronounced Whittin - jum.

Which places do you struggle to pronounce in the North East? Let us know!

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