Oh, but “Ye” meaning “You” should be pronounced with a “y”; it’s just the “Ye Olde” thing that’s wrong (should be pronounced “the old”, not “yee oldy”.) Sorry if I’m just adding to the confusion.
The Australian pronounciation of “leftenant” has been corrupted by US war movies, and so everyone I know outside of the Australian Army now says “lootenant”.
We also say “Chooseday”, and until I read this thread I’d never questioned it.
I have to admit the first time I saw Baywatch (and yes I admit to that too) I was entirely perplexed by repeated references to a boo-ey.
My own surname, when said by Americans, is unrecognisable to me. Sounds like “Schyurt”, instead of “Stew-art”.
[Glad to see you had a good time in Europe, Cliffy]
All these are from the County of Norfolk in England
Happisburgh = Haysborough
Costessey = Cossie
Postwick = Possick
Wymondham = Windham
Garboldisham = Garblesham
And there is also “Stiffkey” which some people say is pronounced as written and other people insist it is “Stewkey”. I think it is all a cunning plan to confuse strangers.
What makes me cringe is the singer calling herself “War-Wick” As a native of that county the correct pronunciation is “Wo-rik”
and the surnames “Cockburn” and “Smellie,” rendered as “Coburn” and “Smiley.” I know that the Scottish surname “Forbes” used to be spoken as a disyllable, “For-bez.”
As I understand it, “Colin” is pronounced “KOLL-in” by most people who wear the name. But Powell pronounces his own name “COLE-in”.
Visual aide for G. Odoreida’s post: The letter ‘thorn’ looks like this: þ
(Yogh isn’t on the character map, alas.)
I’ve seen boatswain written in print as bo’s’n.
Odd British spellings: Let’s not forget that Southwark is pronounced ‘Sutherk.’ (I cringed noticeably as my friends asked random people for directions to the South-wark Underground station. :p) And one of Shakespeare’s patrons was Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton; his surname was pronounced ‘Risely.’
Fantastic. Thanks, Katisha, I’d never have known how to do that.
Plus, it’s good for smilies:
:þ
and what about these peculiar pronunciations:
fleeristan = batoolie
smayton = krugluge
gretch = hasperdinglingdingdingling
flay = (also) hasperdinglingdingdingding
flay is pronounced exactly like gretch - i.e. hasperdinglingdingdingling
Just to add to the confusion:
Magdalen College, Oxford
and
Magdalene College, Cambridge
But both pronounced ‘maudlin’. 
– Quirm
daffodil,
surely someone like you who frequents these boards could find out about my name with a bit of searching… 
In some parts of Scotland and the north of England, “fleeristan” is pronounced “batweelie”
That figures.
To DAve Stewart,
My first name is Stuart, but many of my fellow Texans refer to me as “Stert” which annoys me to no end. Most people don’t do that however. Also, I find my name is basically unpronouncable to Germans. “Stuurd?!?!?”