Have you been saying these place names incorrectly?

These places may seem obviously to say but there’s a good chance you are saying them wrong. In fact, most of us are. Has anyone ever taught you the correct way to say ‘Dubai’? If you aren’t from the place or know a local person, how are you supposed to know?

For instance, how many of you have hear foreigners pronounce ‘Melbourne’ incorrectly? We know to say ‘Mel-b’n’ but they always say ‘Mel-BORN’. It comes down to intonation, emphasis and accent, which explains why sometimes we get words very wrong.

Tell us, have you been pronouncing these places wrong too? If so, find out how to say them properly so you can teach your friends.

Bangkok

• Wrong: BANG-kok
• Right: Bahng-Gawk

Phuket, Thailand

• Wrong: Foo-kit or Fuh-ket
• Right: Poo-get

Beijing, China

• Wrong: Bay-zhhhing
• Right: Bey-Jing

Budapest

• Wrong: Boo-da-PEST
• Right: Boo-da-PESHT

Dubai

• Wrong: Doo-BYE
• Right: Du-BAY

Thames River, United Kingdom

• Wrong: THAYms
• Right: TEMs

Colombia, South America

• Wrong: Co-LUM-bee-a
• Right: Co-LOHM-bee-a

Louisville, Kentucky

• Wrong: Loo-iss-vill
• Right: Loo-i-vul

Tijuana, Mexico

• Wrong: TEE-uh-WAN-na
• Right: Tee-WHANNA

Iraq

• Wrong: EYE-rack
• Right: ee-ROCK

Pakistan

• Wrong: PAK-uh-Stan or PAK-ee-Stan
• Right: PAH-kee-Stahn

The River Thames, UK

• Wrong: THAYms
• Right: TEMs

Tijuana

• Wrong: TEE-uh-WAN-na
• Right: Tee-WHANNA

Worcestershire, UK

• Wrong: Wor-chester-shyr
• Right: Wusta-sheer

Qatar

• Wrong: Kah-TAR
• Right: Kuh-Ter

Versailles, France

• Wrong: Ver-SAYLZ
• Right: Ver-SYE

Have you been saying any of these places wrong? Were there any surprises on this list?