Isn’t it the worst when you live in Toronto, and pronounce names of famous places in this city incorrectly? Whether making this mistake to friends, family, co-workers, or anyone, it can be embarrassing!

 

via GIPHY

 

To help save you from this situation: language learning platform Preply has released a list of the top 10 most mispronounced places in Toronto, and how to say them correctly.

1. Toronto

  • Correct: tuh-ronno
  • Incorrect: toe-ron-toe

According to Preply: “Pronouncing the second ‘t’ in Toronto is also a giveaway that you don’t live in Toronto”. Yikes!

2. Geoffrey

A residential street in Toronto’s west-end, pronounced differently than its spelling.

  • Correct: jeh-free
  • Incorrect: gee-off-free

 

3. Etobicoke

The ‘k’ is silent. ‘Etobico’ instead of pronouncing it Etobi-coke.

  • Correct: et-toh-bee-co
  • Incorrect: et-a-ba-co-key

Fun fact: The name Etobicoke is derived from the Ojibwe word wadoopikaang: a place where older trees grow.

4. Yonge

Pronounced Young Street.

  • Correct: young
  • Incorrect: YUN-ji

Tip: Don’t make it rhyme with sponge.

 

5. Wellesley

Don’t let the second ‘e’ throw you off.

  • Correct: WELLZ-ly
  • Incorrect: well-LESS-ly

Fun Fact: If you commute on the TTC, it will be hard to avoid this word.

 

6. grosvenor

The ‘s’ is silent.

  • Correct: gro-vner
  • Incorrect: gross-vee-nor

Tip: It should sound almost like the English word ‘guv-ner’!”

 

7. The Esplanade

  • Correct: thuh esplan-aad
  • Incorrect: thuh esplan-AID

 

8. Strachan

  • Correct: strawn
  • Incorrect: strak-en

Tip: correct spelling rhymes with yawn.

 

9. Spadina

  • Correct: spuh-dee-nah
  • Incorrect: spuh-die-nah

Fun Fact: While you might say ‘spuh-die-nah,’ spuh-dee-nah is the true historical pronunciation.

 

10. Roncesvalles

  • Correct: rawn-SES-vay-yez
  • Incorrect: rawn-SEZ-vales

Fun Fact: Some say Rawn-sez-valls; others insist it ends with ‘vale.’ Others call it Roncy. 

 

Congratulations, you’re a pronunciation master now!

via GIPHY

Filed under: Mispronounce, Toronto