Shrewsbury or Shrowsbury

[Loppylugs]

Hope a local can help. I've always pronounced it Shrowsbury and cringe at Shrewsbury, or does it not matter.

 

[birchesgreen]

Is there a "proper" pronunciation for anywhere? Where i live you hear variations of the name, as long as someone knows where you mean it doesn't really matter.

 

[hexagon789]

This is one of those instances where there are two long-standing equally valid pronunciations - rather like either/either neither/neither

Shroo or shroe -sbury, either is correct.

As long as people understand you, what does it matter which version they or you use.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Believe there's a third variant... "Shows-bury".

 

[D6130]

Do you prefer Coventry or Cuventry? Romsey or Rumsey? Marlborough or Morlborough?

 

[prod_pep]

'Shrowsbury' is the older pronunciation, reflecting both the historic spelling of the place name Schrosberie and the once common way of pronouncing the letter combination ew as 'oh', as in sew.

 

[Calthrop]

Somewhere on the Forums -- maybe in "General Discussion", maybe somewhere in "UK Railway Forums", there's a thread (a few years ago -- there are so many references on these Forums to Shrewsbury, that the "Search" facility has been no help) generally about British place-name-pronunciation disagreements / uncertainties: in which the pronouncing-of-Shrewsbury issue, is discussed. If I remember rightly: consensus was that (as per @hexagon789, above), both pronunciations are valid (albeit, as per @prod_pep, one older than the other) -- use whichever you prefer !

Believe there's a third variant... "Shows-bury".

Just to make matters thoroughly confused (this is a thing which I mentioned on the above-told-of pronunciation thread a few years ago): I was once acquainted with a guy who hailed from the settlement concerned, who told of yet another, again r-less, variant: "Shoos-bury" -- favoured apparently: not wishing to sound snooty, but by inhabitants of the town who are not out of the top social drawer.

 

[zero]

Someone once told me: from north of the river - Shroo, from south of the river, Shrow. He was from Birmingham so he may have been talking nonsense.

 

[Bevan Price]

I have always preferred Shrewsbury.

By analogy, Shakespeare did not write "Taming Of The Shrow".

 

[Calthrop]

I have always preferred Shrewsbury.

By analogy, Shakespeare did not write "Taming Of The Shrow".

But didn't they spell / pronounce pretty much however they felt like, in Shakey's time ?

 

[RT4038]

Somewhere on the Forums -- maybe in "General Discussion", maybe somewhere in "UK Railway Forums", there's a thread (a few years ago -- there are so many references on these Forums to Shrewsbury, that the "Search" facility has been no help) generally about British place-name-pronunciation disagreements / uncertainties: in which the pronouncing-of-Shrewsbury issue, is discussed. If I remember rightly: consensus was that (as per @hexagon789, above), both pronunciations are valid (albeit, as per @prod_pep, one older than the other) -- use whichever you prefer !


Just to make matters thoroughly confused (this is a thing which I mentioned on the above-told-of pronunciation thread a few years ago): I was once acquainted with a guy who hailed from the settlement concerned, who told of yet another, again r-less, variant: "Shoos-bury" -- favoured apparently: not wishing to sound snooty, but by inhabitants of the town who are not out of the top social drawer.

My Grandma, born and bred there, always said 'Shoos-bry'

 

[busestrains]

Even the automated announcements onboard the trains and at the stations can not decide on what the correct pronunciation should be. However the vast majority do seem to say the "Shrowsbury" pronunciation rather than the "Shrewsbury" pronunciation.

Andrew Smith, Ruth Mitchell, all say it as "Shrewsbury".

Acapela Rachael, Amey Only Woman, Anne Jermy, Celia Drummond, Ivona Geraint, Julie Berry, Phil Sayer, all say it as "Shrowsbury".

It is an interesting one as it is the only town i can think of where even the local residents can not decide on how it should be pronounced. I have been to Shrewsbury many times and find half the people will say "Shrewsbury" and half will say "Shrowsbury" so nobody seems to be able to decide what the correct pronunciation is.

 

[SteveM70]

It is an interesting one as it is the only town i can think of where even the local residents can not decide on how it should be pronounced

I think there’s a similar situation with Southwell

 

[Gloster]

Try Frome: Froom, Frome, F-rome, Frumm, Fr’mm (the last two less common and mostly oldies).

At Shrewsbury the Tourist Office has, or had twenty plus years ago, a couple of information sheets that they would show anyone who asked.

 

[Urobach]

Many years ago I made the mistake of saying "Shrowsbury" to someone from Shrewsbury, who made it clear in no uncertain terms it was "Shroosbury". He was an odd chap

 

[tomuk]

Someone once told me: from north of the river - Shroo, from south of the river, Shrow. He was from Birmingham so he may have been talking nonsense.

As the town is nearly encircled by the Severn I'm not sure what would be classified as north or south of the river. Generally I would say it splits along class lines, Shrow being the posher. A continuing disseminator of the use of Shrow maybe the alumni of Shrewsbury School. Who include Michael Heseltine, Richard Ingrams founder of Private Eye, Michael Palin, Nick Owen amongst many others.

 

[Calthrop]

As the town is nearly encircled by the Severn I'm not sure what would be classified as north or south of the river. Generally I would say it splits along class lines, Shrow being the posher. A continuing disseminator of the use of Shrow maybe the alumni of Shrewsbury School. Who include Michael Heseltine, Richard Ingrams founder of Private Eye, Michael Palin, Nick Owen amongst many others.

For what it's worth: my late parents -- from Chester, "not a million miles away"; and lower-middle-class, not particularly posh -- always pronounced the name, when it came up, as "Shrowsbury". It has thus always been my preferred pronunciation (preferred as in "personally fancied", not "regarded as the only correct one").

 

[Rescars]

An erstwhile colleague of mine, who was Shrewsbury born and bred, got around the issue by always calling it Salop! (When in doubt, try Latin!!)

 

[Domh245]

Try Frome: Froom, Frome, F-rome, Frumm, Fr’mm (the last two less common and mostly oldies).

You missed off my favourite mispronounciation: "Portsmouth"

(the whole video is topical and worth a watch as well beyond that little skit)

 

[SargeNpton]

An erstwhile colleague of mine, who was Shrewsbury born and bred, got around the issue by always calling it Salop! (When in doubt, try Latin!!)

Salop is the alternative name for Shropshire, not for Shrewsbury - except when it refers to former pupils of Shrewsbury School: "Old Salopians".

 

[OuterDistant]

I once went out with a girl from Market Drayton, who always used the pronunciation "Shoesbury". Does that count?

 

[Calthrop]

I once went out with a girl from Market Drayton, who always used the pronunciation "Shoesbury". Does that count?

See posts #7 and #11 -- this pronunciation would rather seem to be at the less-posh end of the continuum.

 

[oldman]

As the town is nearly encircled by the Severn I'm not sure what would be classified as north or south of the river. Generally I would say it splits along class lines,

The town centre is nearly encircled, but my sister, who lives there, says the areas south of the river are a bit posher than the rest. She also says Shrew- is the more usual pronunciation locally.

 

[westv]

A bit like Witham.
The place in Essex is pronounced with a hard "th" whereas the area in Hull is pronounced with a soft "th".

 

[duncanp]

Salop is the alternative name for Shropshire, not for Shrewsbury - except when it refers to former pupils of Shrewsbury School: "Old Salopians".

....there is also the Salopian Brewery.

I can thoroughly recommend their Lemon Dream.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Salop is the alternative name for Shropshire, not for Shrewsbury - except when it refers to former pupils of Shrewsbury School: "Old Salopians".

Whilst that may be technically correct, I've heard people from the broader surrounding hinterland use "Salop" as shorthand for the town of Shrewsbury. Doesn't really matter if it's "incorrect" if that's how people insist on using it.

 

[D6130]

Salop is the alternative name for Shropshire, not for Shrewsbury

IIRC, it was also the depot code for the former Great Western Railway locomotive shed in the town.

 

[Gloster]

A bit like Witham.
The place in Essex is pronounced with a hard "th" whereas the area in Hull is pronounced with a soft "th".

And the place in Somerset is Wit-ham.

 

[duncanp]

Rather like Milngavie, near Glasgow.

It has an Anglicised spelling, but is pronounced as per the Gaelic version of the name "mull-guy"

 

[Loppylugs]

Well the mayor of the town says it is pronounced Shrowsbury due to the old spelling of the place, so that's good enough for me.