It’s the sting in the tail.
You’ve remembered all your necessities, booked the taxi from the airport, secured a nice rental property… but then you arrive at your holiday destination and you get funny looks from the locals because you can’t actually pronounce it.
To avoid embarrassing yourself on your next trip, MailOnline Travel has rounded up 50 of the most mispronounced places around the world, with their correct and incorrect pronunciations revealed.
Scroll down to see which one you said completely wrong…
Mousehole, Cornwall, England
MailOnline Travel has collected 50 commonly mispronounced places. Mousehole is one of the places with the most mysterious sayings
This small village and fishing port in West Cornwall is often mispronounced. Despite what the name suggests, it is ‘Mow-zuhl’ and not ‘Mouse-hole’.
EdinburghScotland
Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, historic castle and striking architecture attract millions of tourists every year – yet many struggle to pronounce it and often refer to the city as ‘Ed-in-berg’. The correct pronunciation is ‘Ed-in-bruh’ or ‘Ed-in-bur-uh’.
Happisburgh, England
This seaside village has the potential to confuse everyone but the locals. It is pronounced ‘Haze-bruh’ and not ‘Happis-burgh’.
Birmingham, England
Americans might be tempted to pronounce this British city as ‘Burr-ming-ham’, after their own town in Alabama. But the right way to say it is ‘Bur-ming-um’.
Nottingham, England
Americans should drop the ‘h’ in Nottingham. It’s ‘Nott-ing-um’, not ‘Nott-ing-ham’.
Bicester, Oxfordshire, England
Unless you’ve lived there or nearby, you have no chance of getting this name right. It is pronounced ‘Bis-ter’, not ‘By-sester’.
Worcestershire, England
Many tourists have difficulty pronouncing Worcestershire in England, often incorrectly calling it ‘Wore-chest-er-shire’. Above is the city of Worcester
You wouldn’t necessarily know how to pronounce Worcestershire unless you live in England. Most tourists automatically use ‘Wore-chest-er-shire’ or ‘War-sest-er-shire’, but the correct pronunciation is ‘Wuh-stuh-shuh’.
Leicestershire, England
Those unfamiliar with this county often pronounce it ‘Lie-chester-shire’ or ‘Lie-cess-ter’ rather than ‘Less-ter’.
Loughborough, Leicestershire
Many incorrectly pronounce it ‘Loff-borough’, but the correct way to say it is ‘Luff-bruh’.
Gloucester, England
Gloucester is pronounced ‘Gloss-ter’ and not ‘Glo-cess-ter’.
Ruislip, London, England
This west London suburb is often incorrectly pronounced ‘Roo-slip’ or ‘Roo-i-slip’, but the correct pronunciation is ‘Rye-slip’.
Greenwich, London
Tourists may not be aware that this southeast London neighborhood is pronounced ‘Gren-itch’ and not ‘Green-witch’.
Prudhoe, Northumberland, England
The small town of Prudhoe is commonly mispronounced as ‘Proood-ho’ or ‘Prood-ee-ho’, but is actually pronounced ‘Pru-doh’.
Marylebone, London
London’s chic Marylebone district attracts thousands of tourists every day, but not everyone can pronounce it correctly
Those unfamiliar with London’s posh shopping district may call it ‘Mary-le-bone’, but most Londoners call it ‘Mary-le-bone’. ‘Maa-li-bot’.
Chiswick, London
This West London neighborhood is often incorrectly pronounced ‘Chis-wick’ instead of the correct pronunciation – ‘Chiz-ick’.
Frome, Somerset, England
This Somerset town is often mispronounced as rhyming with ‘home’, but it is actually meant to rhyme with ‘broom’, as in ‘Froom’.
Southwark, London
If you stop a Londoner and ask about South-wark station, you may get a look of bewilderment in response. This London neighborhood is pronounced ‘Su-thuk’.
Towcester, Northamptonshire, England
The small market town is pronounced ‘Toh-ster’ and not ‘Toh-ces-ter’.
Llandudno, North Wales
This North Wales coastal town is pronounced ‘Llan-did-noh’ or ‘Clan-did-no’, not ‘Land-dun-no’ or ‘Lan-dun-no’.
Youghal, County Cork, Ireland
This seaside town in County Cork is often mispronounced as ‘Yog-hal’ or ‘Yug-hal’. The correct way to say it is ‘Yawl’.
Donegal, County Donegal, Ireland
You might piss off a few locals if you pronounce it “Dun-egg-all” or “Don-igal.” It is pronounced ‘Don-e-Gaul’.
Versailles, France
Versailles is one of the often mispronounced places in France. Above are the gardens of the Palace of Versailles
If you want to avoid embarrassing yourself in this Paris suburb, don’t call it ‘Ver-sales’ or ‘Ver-say-les’, say ‘Ver-sye’.
Marseilles, France
Marseille is not pronounced ‘Mar-sales’, it is ‘Mar-say’.
Cannes, France
To pronounce it correctly, drop the ‘es’ completely and say ‘Can’.
Ibiza, Spain
You regularly hear different versions of Ibiza from tourists. Don’t call it ‘Ih-bee-za’ or ‘eye-bee-tha’. If you want to sound Spanish, say “ee-bee-tha,” but “Ih-bee-tha” is acceptable.
Nice, France
If you’ve never heard of this city on the French Riviera, you might be tempted to say it as it’s spelled. But it’s pronounced ‘Neess’.
Belarus, Eastern Europe
This Eastern European country is pronounced ‘Bel-uh-rooz’ and not ‘Bel-air-us’.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Many tourists visiting Iceland’s most popular city may call it “Rake-juh-vick,” but it is pronounced ‘Rake-yah-vick’
Seoul, South Korea
A popular mispronunciation of Seoul is ‘See-ole’ or ‘See-ule’, but the South Korean capital is pronounced ‘Sole’.
Phuket, Thailand
Phuket in Thailand is known for its white sandy beaches and azure waters, but not all tourists pronounce it correctly
Many tourists incorrectly pronounce the ‘ph’ in Phuket with an ‘F’. It’s actually pronounced ‘Poo-ket’, not ‘foo-ket’ or ‘fu-ket’.
Laos, Southeast Asia
A common mispronunciation for this landlocked country is ‘Lay-ouse’. In English the pronunciation is ‘Louse’, but in the local language (‘Lao’) the ‘s’ is silent and becomes ‘Lao’. Both are considered correct.
Arkansas, USA
Many people pronounce Arkansas the same way as neighboring state Kansas. Although they have all but two letters in common, their names are nothing alike. It is pronounced ‘Arkansaw’ and not ‘Arkanzis’.
Oaxaca, Mexico
If you pronounce it “Oh-Ax-uh-cuh,” you’re on the wrong track. It’s ‘Wah-ha-kuh’.
La Jolla, California, USA
This coastal neighborhood in San Diego is pronounced ‘La Hoy-a’ and not La Jo-la’.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA
If you’re not familiar with American cities, you might mistakenly call Louisville “Loo-is-ville.” But the correct pronunciation is ‘Loo-ee-vil’.
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
The capital of Iowa is pronounced “Duh-Moyn,” not “Des-Mones.”
Yosemite National Park, California, USA
You’d be forgiven for thinking this national park is pronounced ‘Yoh-se-might’, but it’s actually ‘Yo-seh-mu-tee’.
Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean
Many people incorrectly add “gwah” when pronouncing this Caribbean island, ending up saying “An-tee-gwah.” It’s actually pronounced ‘An-tee-guh’.
Barbuda, Antigua and Barbuda, the Caribbean
The second major island of the Caribbean nation Antigua and Barbuda is pronounced differently depending on where you come from. Many mispronounce it as ‘Bar-boo-dua’. For Americans it’s “Bar-boo-da,” while others say “Barb-you-da.”
Melbourne, Australia
Those not from the land below may be tempted to say “Mel-borne,” instead of the proper pronunciation of “Mel-bn” or “Mel-burn.”
Cairns, Australia
Cairns is often referred to as the ‘gateway to the Great Barrier Reef’, due to its proximity to the coral reef system, and is often mispronounced. While it may feel natural to call it “kerns,” the correct way to pronounce it is “keuh-nz” or “Caeh-ns.”
Brisbane, Australia
Brisbane is one of the many places in Australia where tourists struggle to pronounce it
Queensland’s capital is often mispronounced as ‘Briz-bain’, but the correct way to say it is ‘Briz-bn’.
Mackay, Australia
Located on the east coast of Australia, this sunny city is pronounced ‘Muhk-eye’ and not ‘Mac-kay’.
Iran, Middle East
Many English speakers often pronounce Iran as ‘Eye-ran’. But a more acceptable way to say it is ‘Ih-ran’. For those from Iran it is ‘ee-rahn’.
Iraq, Middle East
Iraq is pronounced ‘Ih-rahk’ and not ‘eye-rack’. The locals would say ‘ee-rahk’.
Qatar, Middle East
You’ve probably heard Qatar pronounce “Ka-tar,” but the correct pronunciation is “kuh-tar.”
Djibouti, Africa
Many people are unsure how to pronounce this East African country. But it’s much easier once you discover that the ‘D’ is silent. It is pronounced ‘juh-boo-tee’.
Maldives, South Asia
This paradise South Asian country should not be called the ‘Mal-dives’, but the ‘Mull-deeves’.
Colombia, South America
If you want to impress the locals, the correct pronunciation of the country is ‘Co-lohm-bee-ah’, not ‘Co-lumh-bee-ah’.
Saskatchewan, Canada
This province in Canada comes from the indigenous Cree word for fast-flowing river – ‘Kisiskatchewanisipi’ – meaning it can be tricky for English speakers to pronounce. Some may be tempted to say “saska-choon,” but the correct pronunciation is “suh-ska-chuh-wn.”