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This is the Conversation Forum for Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Anglesey, Wales
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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 1
Posted Oct 14, 2002 by Researcher 206272
I seem to remember a couple of singers back in the 80's wrote a song to teach people (approximately) how to pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

Just split it up into easy mouthfulls:

Llan - fair - pwll - gwyn - gyll - go - gery - chwyrn - drobwll - llanty - silio - gogogoch.

If a Welsh "ll" seems beyond you, substitute "thl", with the "th" bit very light. The "ch" is more or less roughly similar to a German or Scottish "ch". And a "w" is like "oo" in "foot".

That gives us:

thlan - fire - poothl - gwin - githl - go - gerry - chwirrn - droboothl - thlanty - silly-oh - gogogoch.

For extra effect, mix a bit of "ch" in the end-of-syllable "ll"'s.

Now this gives you a pronunciation which will probably make a Welshman wince (if he's being polite), but he'll know what (or where) you mean. And it sounds convincing to non-welshophones.

Share and Enjoy!

ttfn,
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
(Not my first choice of name, but all the names from a certain book/radio play/record/TV series/CD/video/DVD are already taken...)

PS. Apologies to all vocal practitioners and Welshmen who can pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch properly, and therefore infinitely better than I.

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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 2
Posted Jan 17, 2003 by Researcher 215924
I don't know if there is another song teaching pronunciation of the town, but I'm currently directing a production of SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, which includes a song written for a revue called THE MAD SHOW with music by Mary Rodgers (daughter of Richard) and lyrics by Sondheim. It's a parody on "The Girl from Ipanema" called "The Boy From..." because he's from "Tacarembo-la-Tumbe-del-Fuego-Santa-Malipas-Zacatecas-la-Junta-del-Sol-y-Cruz" At the end of the song the punch-line is that "He's moving to Wales/To live in......"

I found this site searching for prono help for the singer who's singing that song. The prono included in the published score is very misleading.

Bill Snyder (but my great-grandmother was a Meredith)

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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 3
Posted Mar 19, 2003 by Researcher 222770
When I teach people to say Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwryndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, I split it into 6 groups e.g.

Llanfair pwllgwyngyll gogery chwyrndrobwll llantysilio gogogoch.

All the groups have 3 sylabales apart from Llantysilio which has 5 sylables.

Try the pronunciations as the other person wrote above and remember that f is pronounced v and w is pronounced oo ch is pronouced k and 11 is pronouced by putting the tounge to the top of yor mouth and blowing.

Good luck and I hope this will be helpful to someone somewhere!

Myfanwy#:~)

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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 4
Posted Nov 2, 2003 by Eusebio - squad number 11
huh ch is NOT pronounced k!

ch is pronounced in the same way as you would clear your throat

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Pronunciation Guide - Is it worth going to the place with the longest name in Wales?
Post: 5
Posted Aug 19, 2004 by Jocyjocy
NOW- that we know the official pronounciation of "Llanfairpwllgyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch"

Is it worth going to this place?

My family and I are planning to go to Wales. wE do not have much time. Six days- and I see Llanfair... is up there in the north country.

Is anyone there???

Thank you.smiley

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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 6
Posted Sep 8, 2004 by Twirrim
Several years back (1992, I think) I was singing in the boys choir that made up the choral parts for a musical by Richard Stilgoe, called "Brilliant The Dinosaur." I've still got the music score around here somewhere. The dear man has a wonderful sense of humour, partly revolving around practical jokes. Amongst these was the decision to include the following lyrics in a song about school projects
"We don't suffer from a spelling block with Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch". Oh how we laughed and laughed.erm He did at least teach us all to pronounce it, although it was eventually decided to make that line a solo line.

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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 7
Posted Dec 2, 2004 by PatG9638
The way to pronounce it is Than Fire Poothl Gwinn Githel Go Gerry Shwren Trabothl Thwenty Sillio Go Go Gosh

That's how I know anyways.

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Pronunciation Guide
Post: 8
Posted Feb 3, 2006 by mcgorgomagan
Here's how to pronounce the LL:

1. Raise the back of your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
2. Lower the middle part so that only the outside egdes touch your molars.
3. Breathe out.

Move this into an L sound and you've got the LL down.

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