(Image: Google)
The English language can be incredibly confusing with many words not being pronounced the way they are written down.
This extends to lots of place names across England with lots of towns and villages having names that come from a mix of languages like Latin, French, and Old Norse.
Yorkshire is no stranger to odd place names featuring areas like Mytholmroyd and Keighley.
Two villages, Southowram and Northowram, also frequently catch people out so here is a guide on how to pronounce these two place names.
How to pronounce Southowram and Northowram
If you are looking to visit West Yorkshire anytime soon, you might want to make sure you can pronounce the strange names of its towns and villages.
Southowram and Northowram can be found just outside of Halifax and might be worth visiting if you are in the area.
If you want to avoid any embarrassment when going through Southowram and Northowram, here is how you say both villages’ names.
While it might look like Southowram is pronounced south-ow-ram or south-o-wram, this is completely wrong.
It is actually said south-ar-um.
Similarly for Northowram, it looks like it is pronounced north-ow-ram, it is pronounced a little like Southowram but just with north instead.
It is said north-ar-um.
What can you do in Southowram and Northowram?
Southowram is a tiny village with a historic church that dates back to the 15th century.
The village is home to a number of local businesses including pubs, restaurants, and shops and is known for its friendly community.
If you are walking in the area or travelling through for any reason, you might want to stop off at Matthew’s Café for a quick coffee or the Pack Horse, which is the village’s pub.
Northowram is also worth a visit and is home to multiple pubs including the Windmill Tavern, the Stump Cross Inn, and the Shoulder of Mutton.
Both villages are also close to Shibden Hall, which is a historic house that was home to a range of important figures including Anne Lister.
The hall is surrounded by beautiful gardens with many activities including a miniature railway, boating lake, walking trails, and a play area to explore.
Did you know how to pronounce the names of these two villages? Let us know in the comments.