Whether you’re travelling to different regions or countries across the globe or discussing international news with your friends from home, you’re bound to visit or talk about a place you really don’t know how to pronounce.
It's a common problem and one that's pretty prevalent when it comes to many of the Scottish place names you'll come across.
In fact, the capital Edinburgh has just been named on a map of place names that people always pronounce wrong alongside the likes of Montreal, Phuket and Dubai.
Speaking about the research by Preply, which analysed Google Search data to reveal destinations around the world people ask about “How to pronounce” most often, the team said: "Instead of waiting for the inevitable to happen, take some time to explore our list of the most mispronounced places on Earth so that you can speak confidently about the world around you (and impress some locals while you’re at it!)."
So when it comes to Edinburgh, here is what Preply say:
Correct: ED-in-bruh or ED-in-bur-uh
Incorrect: ED-in-berg or ED-in-buh-row or EED-in-berg
They said: "If Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is pronounced 'PITTS-berg', then Edinburgh, Scotland, is pronounced 'ED-in-berg', right? Wrong.
"The two most common and accepted pronunciations of Scotland’s capital city are the short 'ED-in-bruh' and the longer 'ED-in-bur-uh'.
"Scots warn that they speak fast and have a tendency to swallow unnecessary vowels, so make sure you start off strong with 'ED-in' then quickly and softly end with 'bruh' or 'bur-uh'. Keep at it, and you’ll be singing 'Flower of Scotland' with your Scottish pals in no time!"
Pro tip : Try and score a free pint at an Edinburgh pub by impressing someone with the local pronunciation “EM-bra.”
The Scottish city was named alongside Dubai (doo-BAY), Worcester in England (WUSS-tuh or WUSS-ter), Phuket (Poo-ket) and Montreal (MUN-tree-ull) on the map.
Speaking about their research, Preply writer Tom Cox said: "Perfecting your pronunciation of different places across the globe can go a long way in helping you effectively communicate about the world you live in and with those who live in it.
"But even more than that, the extra effort you make to accurately pronounce other people’s hometowns and countries demonstrates your respect for their language and culture—especially those communities that are distinct from your own. These are the kinds of intercultural bridges we need to build today to continue making our world a more peaceful and knowledgeable place."
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