Shibboleths...

[Eleuthera]

pretty much the entire dutch language, it has a pretty unique position in Europe where it has similarities to most other European languages but has its own terrifying pronunciations.

Gezzelig for instance is pronounced well, see below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV6sMd5FM6g

Your video didn't work, use [ youtube=vV6sMd5FM6g ] but without the spaces.


And yup, Dutch is impossible

 

[bananafishtoday]

"Kosciusko," bridge/train stop/street in my area named after the Polish general.

The funny thing is... non-locals invariably pronounce it "wrong" to us because we pronounce it wrong. The legit pronunciation is something like "Kuh-SHOES-ko." We all say "Kah-zee-OWZ-ko."

 

[MetalMagpie]

"Leicester Square" is a good one in London.

I have to stop myself laughing whenever a tourist asks for directions to "Lie-sess-ster Square". Despite the spelling, it's pronounced "Lester". There is no particular reason anyone from outside the UK would know this.

I hear the Scots have similar fun with tourists saying "Edinburgh" (which is pronounced "Edin-buh-ruh", not "Edin-berg").

English spelling is illogical to start with. Place names only get worse.

 

[Cartographer]

English spelling is illogical to start with. Place names only get worse.

That sir is a flagrant lie, it's perfectly logical, just very inconsistent

As a Japanese speaker, I really hate how some people seem to fit three syllables into Tokyo; it's a phonetic language ffs, how can anyone get it wrong???

 

[MetalMagpie]

English spelling is illogical to start with. Place names only get worse.

That sir is a flagrant lie, it's perfectly logical, just very inconsistent

As a Japanese speaker, I really hate how some people seem to fit three syllables into Tokyo; it's a phonetic language ffs, how can anyone get it wrong???

But if you say it with three syllables then it works as a football chant!

Toh-kee-oooooh! Toh-kee-oooooh! Toh-kee-oh! Toh-kee-oh! Toh-kee-OOOOHHHHH!!!!!!

 

[Chemical Alia]

I'm from eastern Pennsylvania, and I don't know why so many people have such trouble pronouncing the name Mario. It's not that hard: Marry-oh, geez. Also there is a whole German dialect here called Pennsylvania Dutch that a small number of people still speak that sounds a little weird. Like for example, there's a road called Schoenersville Rd, but it's pronounced "schäners"ville rather than "schöners"ville, if that makes any sense.