Quiz: Weird English Pronunciation

Quiz time! Learning English can be pretty difficult – especially when it comes to the pronunciation. Figuring out how to pronounce British towns and counties in particular can be pretty tough, so tough that British people can even struggle with it sometimes!
It’s time to put you to the weird English pronunciation test! Take your time choosing the right answer – only 5% of people will be able to get full marks…
Berkley
Berkley is a small town in Gloucestershire.
High Wycombe
High Wycombe is an English town Northwest of London.
Bicester
Bicester is a town in Northeastern Oxfordshire, famous for its outlet shopping centre 'Bicester Village'.
Warwick
Warwick is an English university town, known for its medieval castle founded by William the Conqueror.
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city in the west of England, near the Cotswolds. It’s known for 11th-century Gloucester Cathedral, which is home to the tomb of King Edward II.
Bosham
Bosham is an English coastal village in West Sussex.
Leicester
Leicester is a city in the East Midlands of England, home to the premier league team Leicester City.
Chiswick
Chiswick is an affluent district of London, home to many celebrities including Colin Firth.
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is an English market town in Buckinghamshire, North West of London.
Southwark
Southwark is a borough of London that is home to Tower Bridge, The Shard and London Bridge to name a few.
How’d you do? Weird english pronunciation isn’t so easy. In case you’re wondering, there is some method to this madness, and weird English pronunciation can be understood as we delve into the history of the UK.
Britain has been home to many different people, and many different languages over the years. These weird place names are actually hundreds and thousands of years old. You have the Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Romans and Danes to thank for this – hopefully this helps explain why they don’t follow more traditional English pronunciation! If you want to find out more about how these places came to be, this map will explain to you the meaning of some of these weird names!
If you need any more tips on learning English, check out our partner blog at Europe Language Jobs.
Let us know in the comments your score and which answers surprised you!
See you next time