People are only just realising they’ve been pronouncing Dubai all wrong – here’s how it should really sound
DESPITE being one of the most visited cities in the world, Dubai is also among the destinations most commonly mispronounced.
The tourist hotspot in the United Arab Emirates welcomes thousands of Brits each year, yet the majority say the city’s name incorrectly.
Most English speakers pronounce Dubai “doo-BYE” – but this is actually wrong.
The classic Arabic version of Dubai replaces the “bye” sound with “bay”, making it “doo-BAY”.
One local resident took to social media platform Quora to explain the difference.
They said: “As someone who was born in that city and lived there for 17 years, the English pronunciation is duːˈbaɪ (like doo-BYE) with the stress on the last syllable.
“However, in Arabic, it is dʊˈbɑj (more like Duh-bae) – the “d” sound is softer (like “d” in Italian for example – not as plosive as English).”
But roughly 85 per cent of Dubai’s population comprises expatriates and immigrants, so the anglicised pronunciation of Dubai (“doo-BYE”) is the most common.
Many other places around the globe have been subject to mispronunciation for years.
Language learning platform Preply used Google search data to reveal a list of the most mispronounced places on the planet.
And the Cliffs of Moher in Co Clare ranks as the place that many people struggle to get right.
The scenic landmark should be pronounced as Cliffs of Mo-er, with no emphasis on the “h”.
Amy Pritchett, Learning Success Manager at Preply, said: “There’s nothing more embarrassing than arriving at a new holiday destination and mispronouncing its name in front of a local—especially if you butcher the regional accent.
“To avoid that awkward encounter, we’ve researched the most commonly mispronounced places, so you never have to worry about these tongue twisters again.
“When you learn to say these place names correctly, I encourage you to sound like a native—or at least a savvy tourist.”
Amy revealed the correct pronunciation for some of the most mispronounced places on the planet:
CLIFFS OF MOHER, Co Clare
Correct: More
Incorrect: Mohair
Cliffs of Mower? Cliffs of Mohair? Cliffs of More? The Cliffs of Moher are pronounced “more” you don’t say the “h,” a bit like “mower” without the strong “w” sound.
RIVER THAMES, England
Correct: TEMZ
Incorrect: THAYMZ
It’s natural to look at the name “Thames” and assume that the “th” is pronounced just as in many other English words: thick, theatre, three.
However, when referring to the River Thames in England, the “th” is articulated as a “t” and the “ames” shifts to “emz”: “TEMZ.”
EDINBURGH, Scotland
Correct: ed-in-bruh or ed-in-buh-ruh
Incorrect: ED-in-berg or ED-in-buh-row or EED-in-berg
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 tend to swallow unnecessary vowels, so make sure you start strong with ‘ED-in’ and 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!
CANNES, France
Correct: KAN or KAN-uh
Incorrect: CON or CONZ or CON-es
The first mistake is enunciating the “s” at the end of the word (which is rarely done in French), so start by dropping the “es” altogether.
Next, make sure to never pronounce the remaining word as “con” (e.g., “He is a con artist”). Instead, Cannes should sound like “Kan.”
LOUVRE MUSEUM, Paris, France
Correct: LOO-vruh
Incorrect: LOOV or LOO-vray or LOO-vraa or LOO-ver
Some travellers go with “LOO-vray” whereas others try “LOO-ver.” Many skip the ending altogether and say “LOOV.”
However, the best way to approximate the French pronunciation in English is to say “LOO-vruh.” So now you’re ready to check out the Mona Lisa.
VERSAILLES, France
Correct: vair-SIGH
Incorrect: ver-SALES or ver-SAY-les
Much like the pronunciation of Cannes, French speakers take an ax to the “es” in Versailles. But they don’t stop there—the double “L”s at the end aren’t pronounced either.
After that, there are only two syllables left in the word: “ver” is articulated as “vair”, and “sai” sounds like “sigh.”
This leaves you with “vair-SIGH.” On the other hand, if you ever end up in Versailles, Kentucky, stick with “ver-SALES.”
SEYCHELLES, East Africa
Correct: SAY-shellz
Incorrect: say-CHE-les
The name of this African archipelago may look like a difficult word to pronounce due to its unique spelling, but it’s surprisingly easy to do: “SAY-shellz.”
All it takes is stringing together two common English words, and voila!
IBIZA, Spain
Correct: ee-BEE-tha
Incorrect: ih-BEE-za or eye-BEE-tha or ee-BEE-za
To pronounce this name like a Spaniard, go with “ee-BEE-tha.” If you’re wondering why the “za” turns into “tha,” it’s because Spain’s Spanish dialect requires that “Z”s are pronounced as “th,” whereas Latin American Spanish speakers express “Z”s as “s” (i.e., ee-BEE-sa).
PHUKET, Thailand
Correct: poo-KET
Incorrect: FUE-ket or fue-KET or FUH-ket
To some people’s dismay, the actual pronunciation of Phuket is “poo-KET,” starting with a hard “P” and putting stress on the second syllable.
Nevertheless, this name might still earn some giggles from school kids and mischievous adults.