The Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation will teach you to speak like a Brit.
Top 10 most asked about by BBC programme makers and audience members / suggested BBC pronunciation:
scone- skon (although skohn is equally commonly used)
Shrewsbury - Shrohz-buh-ri (although Shrouz-buh-ri is equally commonly used in the town)
Van Gogh - Van Gokh (rather than the Americanised Van Goh)
Roosevelt - Roh-zuh-velt
Uranus - Yoor-uh-nuhss (preferred by astronomers)
Al Qaeda -'uhl kah-id-uh' (not al kah-eeed-uh or, worse, al kay-da)
Niger - Nee-zhair
cervical - sur-vik-uhl (although sur-vy-kuhl is common among the medical profession)
Boudicca - Boo-dik-uh
Basle (Swiss town) - Bahl
Top 10 most complained about by viewers and listeners / suggested BBC pronunciation
Clostridium difficile- klost-rid-i-uhm dif-iss-il (this pronunciation is in line with the usage of the various microbiology and infection control experts the BBC has consulted)
Controversy - kon-truh-vur-si (though kuhn-trov-uhr-si is equally acceptable)
Davos (Swiss home of World Economic Forum) - Dav-ohss
Debris - deb-ree
The letter H - aytch
Harass - harr-uhss
Kilometre - kil-uh-mee-tuhr
Kuwait - Koo-wayt
New Orleans - Nyoo or-li-uhnz
Schedule - shed-yool
Other examples:
Iran – irr-ahn
Iraq – irr-ahk
Abramovich, Roman – ab-ruh-moh-vitch, ruh-mahn
Kenya – ken-yuh
Omaar, Rageh – oh-mar, rag-i
Omega – oh-mig-uh
Opus Dei – oh-puhss day-ee
Taliban (also Taleban) – tal-ib-an
Uzbekistan – uuz-bek-ist-ahn
Abu Ghraib – ab-oo grayb
J. K. Rowling(roh-ling)
Sudoku (soo-doh-koo)
Via Arbroath
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