Nothing instills quite the panic like staring at a road sign and having no clue how to pronounce it. Even here in the Midlands, we have our share of linguistic landmines that trip up visitors and locals alike.
Many of these place names are riddled with silent letters, unexpected syllables, or pronunciations that defy logic. Some cause heated debates among locals, while others quietly confuse outsiders every day.
Here’s a guide to some of the biggest pronunciation puzzles across the Midlands — trust us, these are worth memorizing:
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Caldmore
Pronounced “karma.” Yes, it’s counterintuitive, but just go with it.
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Weoley Castle
Think ‘wheelie’ — like a bike stunt or bin. Don’t be fooled by the spelling.
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Wilnecote
Instead of “wiln-cut,” locals say “wincut.” A mystery still to many Tamworth residents.
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Nechells
Not “neeshells” like the Seychelles — it’s “neechuls.”
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Belvoir Road (Burton)
Definitely not “bell-vwah.” This one sounds like “beaver,” just like the animal.
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Wednesbury
Pronounce it “wens-bree,” similar to how you say Wednesday.
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Alvechurch
Short and sweet: “alv-church.” The common three syllable mistake is extra.
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Bordesley Green
Drop the middle syllable — it’s “bords-lee,” not “bor-des-lee.”
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Shrewsbury
The ultimate Midlands challenge. Both “shroos-bury” and “shrows-bury” are used — opinions vary.
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Smethwick
Skip the “w” to say “smeth-ick,” or you’ll give away you’re not local.
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Brewood
Beware the trap — it’s pronounced “brood” in South Staffordshire.
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Rowley Regis
Say “row-lee ree-juss,” where “row” rhymes with “cow.”
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Giggetty Lane (Wombourne)
Think “jig” instead of “gig.” It’s “jiggetty.”
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Tettenhall
Condensed to two syllables: “tet-nul.”
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Billesley
Skip the middle vowel: “bills-lee,” not “bill-es-lee.”
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Cradley Heath (Black Country)
Think “crayd-lee,” like a baby’s cradle.
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Great Wyrley
Say “wurl-lee” instead of the common mistake “wire-lee.”
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Halfpenny Green
Locals say “hayp-knee” or sometimes “ha’penny.”
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Rugeley
Either “rouge-lee” or “rudge-lee” depending on who you ask.
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Moseley
Pronounced “mowz-lee,” combining “mow” with a “z” sound.
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Seisdon
Think “seize-don” as in “seizing the day” — not “size-don.”
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Wightwick (Wolverhampton)
Say “wit-tik,” not “white-wick.”
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Walsall
Similar to Warsaw, but pronounced “war-sawl”—no second “l” sound.
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Hednesford
Skip the “d” sound for “hens-fud.”
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Aldridge
Not “Al” but “all-dridge.”
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Knowle
The “k” is silent: pronounced “nole.”
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Walmley (Sutton Coldfield)
Just like “warmly.”
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Styvechale/Stivichall (Coventry)
Say “sty-chel” or “sty-chal,” ignoring the rogue “v.”
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Shenstone
Soft ending: “shen-stun,” not like a rock.
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Coseley
“Cohz-lee” with a long “o” and a “z” sound.
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Patshull
Silent “h”: “pat-sull.”
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Wythall
Sounds like “with-all.”
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Gnosall
Silent “g”: “no-sawl,” not “nozzle.”
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Leominster (Herefordshire)
Easy: “lem-ster.”
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Alcester (Warwickshire)
Smooth and shortened: “ullster.”
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Worcester
Locals say “wusster.”
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Trysull (South Staffordshire)
Think “tree-sull.”
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Whoberley (Coventry)
Say “wo-ber-lee,” not “hoo-ber-lee.”
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Cheylesmore (Coventry)
Pronounced “charles-more.”
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Malvern
Acceptable: “mol-ven” or “mul-ven.” Never “mal-ven.”
Navigating these pronunciation quirks will help you blend in and avoid the embarrassment of local mispronunciations. Next time you drive through the Midlands, impress others by saying these names right — your linguistic passport to the region just got a serious upgrade.