Correct pronunciation for Marylebone?

The second one. There may be some disagreement about the subtleties but definitely not anything with "Mary" in it.

I have read that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn because pronunciation has little to do with spelling. No surprise! Thank you.

now I live north of GerryM and grew up a few miles south, but I have always pronounced it as one short word, probably marlubn emphasis on the first bit, much more lu sort of like look in the middle, and run the last bit together, like bun without the u. bn.

I don't think anybody will care much as long as they can understand. Sometimes to myself but only to myself I will call it Mary Lee Bone with the emphasis on the Lee, but don't let anybody hear you do that....

I don't get back there so much since the late lamented Marylebone Creperie closed. They still have a decent cheese shop though. Watch yourself on some of those tricky diagonal Zebra crossings in Marylebone.

MARR-le-buhn

or this

https://pronounce.london/word/marylebone/

Is this the London effect on pronunciation and swallowing syllables? I've always called it Marilee-bone....

At one time pronouncing the L was considered to be incorrect - there is a 1940s BBC radio comedy show that made fun of someone who did so as being an ignorant rube. Today though the L-less pronunciation (more or less Marry-bun) is getting rare to near extinction, especially among younger people.

Maybe Holborn will go the same way.

Hoe bu(r)n with the R very small and fading into the distance

Tricky language, English. As once said by Bedřich Polouviceka (aka Richard deVere) to Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born

And don't even start on Gloucester and Worcester

both in Massachusetts where they have developed a distaste for the letter R, a la JFK.

I wouldn't put an emphasis on the "bone" part of Marylebone either. More like "buhn" or "bon". I think all are pretty acceptable. It's saying the "Mary" part that makes one sound a bit daft.

I'd concur with Nigel on the pronunciation of Holborn too. I speak with a strong Scottish accent so my vowel sounds in words are interchangable, depending on how much I'm moderating my accent. I'm not the greatest authority on how to pronounce English place names!

Taking a London Walks tour of Marylebone four years ago, the guide mentioned that the general pronunciation has changed over time. The “Mary” name was more emphasized a long time ago, but even now, you’ll hear the area called differently by different residents. Her take on it: Mar-ih-lah-bunn, said pretty fast, with a bit more emphasis on the second syllable.

And don't even start on Gloucester and Worcester

Back in the day, when I lived in Worcester, US Air began service to its tiny airport. I was on one of the maiden flights coming home. When it landed, the flight attendant announced "Welcome to War-chester". The whole plane burst out laughing.

Here in Wisconsin, people from the other 49 have trouble with Shawano, Mukwonago, and Oconomowoc.

I can relate to this, but really, if they make fun of you for saying it incorrectly, you can take your American dollars to another country quite easily. Those kinds can get stuffed. Tell them to go park the car in the yard, and get out of the way.

you can take your American dollars to another country quite easily.

wouldn't it be Pound Sterling by then, and moving to another country in a snit is so much trouble

Child's play. Try having to repeatedly pronounce these for visitors: Koucibouguac, Kejimkujik, and Musquodoboit.

I'm Scottish, but I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce the names of many Scottish hills and mountains. I don't speak a word of Gaelic and often wouldn't know where to begin to read what I see written down on maps.

Thanks all. Very interesting reading.
C

You can go to TikTok or You Tube and search "How to Pronounce" and insert .... London towns..so helpful ! The woman I found was fabulous and was a teacher, I loved listening to her & her little tips. Well, since you are from New England, you'll be all set with Leicester !!

I lived and also went to a posh English girls school a few blocks from Marylebone station for four years and I never heard anybody say the name the way Joolz does --- people said "MAR'l'b'n" and not so much the "R" really. No "bone."