23 mispronounced locations in Durham, Tyne and Wear, Northumberland

Whether it’s outsiders struggling with Alnwick (correctly pronounced "Annick") or mistakenly adding an extra syllable to Penshaw (properly "Pen-sher"), the region’s names reflect its deep linguistic history.

In County Durham, places like Witton Gilbert (said "Witton Jil-bert") and Seaham (correctly "See-um") frequently trip up visitors.

Tyne and Wear has its fair share too, with Houghton-le-Spring ("Ho-tun") and Jarrow ("Jarr-a") often falling victim to mispronunciation.

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Northumberland’s Bellingham ("Belling-jum") and Berwick-upon-Tweed ("Berrick") further add to the confusion, while over in Teesside, names like Marske (pronounced "Mask") and Staithes ("Stee-uz") surprise many.

These pronunciations have been shaped by centuries of local dialects, making them an essential part of the North East’s cultural identity.

23 mispronounced locations Durham, Tyne and Wear, Northumberland:

County Durham

• Sherburn – Some say "Sher-burn" (like burn a fire), but locals often say "Sher-bun."

• Witton Gilbert – Outsiders might say it as "Witton Gil-bert," but the correct way is "Witton Jil-bert."

• Esh Winning – Often mispronounced as "Esh Win-ning," but locals say it more like "Esh Winnin'."

• Pity Me – While the name itself is unusual, it's correctly pronounced just as it looks: "Pit-ee Me," though some mistakenly stress "Pity" in a different way.

• Sacriston – Often mispronounced as "Sack-ri-ston" instead of "Sack-rist-on."

• Seaham – Sometimes mispronounced as "See-ham," but it's correctly said as "See-um."

Tyne and Wear

• Byker – Some say it like "Bike-er," but it's actually "By-ka" (soft 'r').

• Ryhope – Mispronounced as "Rye-hope," but locals say "Rye-up."

• Jarrow – Some outsiders say "Jar-row" with a long 'a,' but locals say "Jarr-a."

• Felling – Outsiders might pronounce it as "Fell-ing," but it's more like "Fellin'."

• Houghton-le-Spring – Not "How-ton," but "Ho-tun."

• Penshaw – Often mistaken as "Pen-shaw," but it's properly "Pen-sher."

Northumberland

• Bellingham – Often said as "Bell-ing-ham," but it's actually "Belling-jum."

• Berwick-upon-Tweed – Some pronounce it as "Ber-wick," but locals say "Berrick."

• Haltwhistle – Occasionally mispronounced as "Halt-whistle," but it’s often said more like "Halt-wissel."

• Alnwick – Many outsiders say "Aln-wick," but the correct pronunciation is "Annick."

• Morpeth – Some say "Mor-peth," but it's usually "Morpith."

• Wooler – Some say "Woo-ler," but it's actually "Wool-a."

• Belford – Sometimes said as "Bell-ford," but locals often say "Belfud."

Teesside & North Yorkshire

• Staithes – Outsiders might pronounce it as "Stays," but locals say "Stee-uz."

• Redcar – Often pronounced as written, but locals tend to say "Red-ker."

• Marske – Some say "Mars-kee," but it's correctly "Mask."

• Saltburn – While this one seems simple, some outsiders emphasize the 't,' whereas locals often say "Soltburn."