13 commonly mispronounced places in south east London

By Gbam Godwin On Mar 30, 2026

13 commonly mispronounced places in south east London.

South east London is full of place names that appear straightforward on paper but are notoriously difficult to pronounce correctly.

From Erith to Woolwich, many locations in the boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Bromley, and Bexley frequently confuse visitors, broadcasters, and even train announcements.

The majority of the confusion stems from archaic spellings, silent letters, and endings that no longer sound the way they appear, as many names date back to archaic English, Norman French, or mediaeval field names.

Here are some of the most regularly mispronounced sites in south-east London, as well as their official pronunciations.

Greenwich

Greenwich is one of London’s most mispronounced place names, with visitors often pronouncing it as “Green-wich” or “Gren-idge”.

It is officially pronounced GREN-itch, with the W entirely quiet and the final sounding more like “itch” than “wich”.

The name comes from Old English and alludes to a village or trading place, which explains why the spelling differs from modern pronunciation.
Woolwich

Woolwich creates similar issues, with individuals frequently saying “Wool-wich” or “Wool-witch”.

The official pronunciation is WUL-idge, with the W near the end disappearing and the final word sounding like “idge”.

Like Greenwich, the name is derived from an ancient version of English in which the spelling remained constant but the sound altered over time.

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Deptford

Deptford is sometimes pronounced precisely as it appears, while the official pronunciation omits the P entirely.

It is typically pronounced DET-fud or DET-fəd, with the second half shortened and softened.

The name derives from “deep ford,” which refers to a river crossing, but the spelling persisted even after the pronunciation altered centuries ago.

Lewisham

Newcomers often break Lewisham into two words, resulting in “Lou-is-ham”.

It is officially pronounced LOO-ish-um, with the S and H blending into a “sh” sound and the ending reduced to “um”, a pattern prevalent in many London place names ending in “-ham”.

Southwark

Southwark is one of the most well-known pronunciation traps in London.

It is commonly pronounced “South-wark” or “South-walk”, but the official pronunciation is SUTH-uk, with the W silent and the middle truncated.
The unusual sound reflects the name’s medieval origins, long before modern spelling became fixed.

Charlton

Charlton is occasionally expanded into three syllables, although the official pronunciation keeps it short.

It is commonly pronounced CHAAL-tun, with the ending softened so that “tonne” sounds more like “tun”.

This shortening occurs in many English place names that finish in “-tonne”.

Eltham

Eltham is frequently pronounced “El-tham” to rhyme with the meal, however this is not how the name is legally pronounced.

The common pronunciation is EL-tum, with the H silent and the ending shortened to “um”.

This is consistent with Lewisham, Beckenham, and many other place names that finish in “-ham”.

Penge

Penge is one of the more basic names, but it still throws many off.

It is formally pronounced PENJ, with the ending making a gentle j sound similar to “jump”.

The final e is not uttered, so it rhymes with “henge” (as in Stonehenge), and the most common mistakes include over-pronouncing it as “Pen-gay” or dropping the sound entirely.

Rotherhithe

Rotherhithe appears difficult and is frequently read exactly as written.

The official pronunciation is ROTH-uh-hythe, with the middle syllable softened and the final part sounding like the old word “hythe,” which refers to river landings and ports.

Bermondsey

Bermondsey is often mispronounced as “Ber-mond-sey” or “Ber-men-zee”.

It is officially pronounced BUR-mun-zee, with the middle reduced and the finish sounding like “zed”.

The name is derived from an old personal name coupled with a Saxon term for an island or riverside village.

Beckenham

Beckenham is another name where the spelling confuses people.

Many people emphasise the final syllable, although it is actually pronounced BECK-en-um, which drops the H sound and softens the ending.

This follows the same rule as in Eltham, Lewisham, and Sydenham.

Thamesmead

Thamesmead frequently attracts visitors who are not from London and attempt to pronounce the river’s name as written.

It is officially pronounced TEMZ-meed, which is the same pronunciation as the River Thames, with the H silent.The town was created in the 1960s, but the river’s name dates back to ancient Britain, which accounts for the strange spelling.

Erith

Erith is one of the less obvious traps in south-east London.

Many people say “Err-ith” or “Eh-rith”, but the official pronunciation is EER-ith, with the first syllable sounding like “ear”.

The name is derived from an old Saxon word that refers to a riverside landing, and the pronunciation is more similar to the earlier sound than the spelling implies.