# British Dopers: how do you pronounce "Stour"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 19, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015 "2004-02-19T15:21:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015/21 "2004-02-20T12:40:09Z")

</div>

> [@Rayne Man](#):
>
> As a native of Coventry we always used to look down on the Brummies , especially on things to do with industry. There was a feeling in Coventry that we did things much better , and with greater precision . For instance we used to call a hammer a “Birmingham screwdriver” . 🙂

Bwahahaha!!! Its OK, I can laugh, I’m not a Brummie. I merely live here - I’m a Lancashire lass at heart. 😛

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015/22 "2004-02-20T15:26:21Z")

</div>

> [@Rayne Man](#):
>
> Both Anglia and the BBC always pronounce it _store_. Mind you ,they are both based in Norfolk. It might make a difference . 🙂

You’re not kidding … when I left Suffolk I lived in Norwich for a while. I needed a translator. 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chreeees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chreeees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chreeees)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015/23 "2011-10-17T11:26:06Z")

</div>

It is definately pronouced Store. I attended Holbrook High School and one of our form names was Stour pronounced “Store”. It has been pronounced this way by many generations of school children. When I was growing up on the Shotley peninsular I only ever heard it being refered to as the “Store”. I think that Stour is a harsher and less attractive word for the beautiful river that it is. So by that rational alone I think that the record should be set straight once and for all. Stour = Store not Stower.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015/24 "2011-10-17T12:32:06Z")

</div>

I think it’s pronounced “zombie thread” but I may be mistaken.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015/25 "2011-10-17T14:58:46Z")

</div>

> [@Angua](#):
>
> Bwahahaha!!! Its OK, I can laugh, I’m not a Brummie. I merely live here - I’m a Lancashire lass at heart. 😛

I look down on you all. I’m from Kenilworth, which is like Coventry (the city in Shakespeare country 😉 ) but for posh people.

And we have a castle.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-dopers-how-do-you-pronounce-stour/230015.md?page=1)