![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_walsall1JPG.jpg\")
Walsall Spiritualist Church on Caldmore Road(Image: Bond Wolfe)<\/p>\nIt might be the Queen’s English, but the West Midlands is home to plenty of places with names that are frequently entirely mispronounced. We’re here to helpWalsall Spiritualist Church on Caldmore Road(Image: Bond Wolfe)<\/p>\n
The English language is quite a marvel, especially when you add a dash of West Midlands idiosyncrasy to the mix, which can lead to some pronunciation pitfalls.<\/p>\n
This might explain why so many places in our beloved region have names that are often completely mispronounced.<\/p>\n
So, we thought we’d lend a hand and guide visitors to Birmingham<\/a> and the Black Country by clarifying how to pronounce certain regional place names.<\/p>\n Read more: Feature that makes 50p coins worth far more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n There’s no shortage of them – and if you come across any more, feel free to share them on our Facebook page.<\/p>\n 1. Smethwick<\/a><\/p>\n When pronouncing it, use ‘th’ as in ‘the’ rather than ‘hath’. And disregard the ‘w’.<\/p>\n 2. Caldmore<\/p>\n This one is a bit tricky. You might as well ignore the letters. It is pronounced ‘Karma’. Don’t ask why.<\/p>\n 3. Great Wyrley<\/p>\n This looks like you’d say “Great wirely” but in practice, its “Great whirly”.<\/p>\n 4. Wilnecote<\/p>\n There are plenty of tricky names around the Tamworth<\/a> area, and this is one of them. You need to ignore the central ‘E’ – it’s not ‘Wilnercutt’, it’s ‘Wilncutt’.<\/p>\n 5. Tettenhall<\/p>\n This one is a bit of a challenge. Colloquially, it’s ‘Tetnul’.<\/p>\n It’s probably supposed to be ‘Tetenul’.<\/p>\n 6. Wednesbury<\/p>\n It’s ‘Wensbree’. So difficult to pronounce that the Ikea there is referred to as ‘Birmingham’.<\/p>\n 7. Rowley Regis<\/p>\n It’s ‘row’ as in argue, rather than ‘row’ as in boat race.<\/p>\n 8. Knowle<\/p>\n There are a few people out there who pronounce the ‘K’. That’s frowned upon on the posh side of Solihull<\/a>. They also insist that the ‘O’ in Solihull has the correct vowel sound – think the word ‘so’, not the beer ‘Sol’.<\/p>\n 9. Wythall<\/p>\n That Y muddles things up. It’s Withall.<\/p>\n 10. Alcester<\/p>\n This one often gets butchered. It’s Ullster – not Alsesster.<\/p>\n 11. Alvechurch<\/p>\n Here, the E is superfluous. It’s Alvchurch, not Alverchurch.<\/p>\n 12. Weoley Castle<\/p>\n Ignore that O – it’s pronounced like the wheelie you did on a bike back in your youth.<\/p>\n 13. Cradley Heath<\/p>\n Some locals might dispute this, but it’s Craydley Heath, not Craddley Heath.<\/p>\n 14. Walsall<\/a><\/p>\n Locally, the first L isn’t pronounced. So it’s said more like the Polish capital, Warsaw.<\/p>\n 15. Billesley<\/a><\/p>\n Despite appearances, there aren’t three syllables – it’s not Bill Es Lee, it’s Billslee.<\/p>\n 16. Aldridge<\/p>\n Think all – not (you can call me) Al.<\/p>\n 17. Bordesley Green<\/a><\/p>\n You can skip a syllable here. It’s Bordsley Green, not Bordersly Green.<\/p>\n 18. Moseley<\/a><\/p>\n You need to get that vowel sound right. it’s Mowsley, not Mossley.<\/p>\n 19. Coleshill<\/p>\n Mostly, it’s pronounced as it’s written but there are also plenty who call it Coesill.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_dnr_tmm_280423KFC1.jpg\")
New KFC in Ninian Way, Wilnecote.(Image: Brian John Brown)<\/p>\n![\"Becketts](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_Summer-weather-Aug-10th-2020.jpg\")
Becketts Farm in Wythall is opening it sunflower fields for free in 2024(Image: PA)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_walsall-town-centre-GV.jpg\")
Park Street, Walsall town centre, pictured September 2024<\/p>\n
![\"Travellers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/0_IMG_0186JPG.jpg\")
Travellers have arrived at Rectory Park on Thursday night, and are believed to be the same group who have been in Walmley, Castle Vale and Pype Hayes Park<\/p>\n