# How do the English pronounce Lancaster?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 8, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328 "2007-12-08T22:20:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/1 "2007-12-08T22:20:32Z")

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Is it LAN-caster (as in Burt) or LANK-a-stir (as with the Amish)?

Thanks.

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### Author: ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/2 "2007-12-08T22:22:12Z")

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Same way as in ‘Burt Lancaster’ or ‘Lancaster Bomber’  
edit: If you want a qualification: I grew up in that part of England.

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### Author: ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/3 "2007-12-08T22:27:28Z")

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Yeah, we invented it so we are right, but we invented a large number of US place names and they still corrupt them.

I’d like to listen to them dealing with Featheringstonehaugh though.

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### Author: ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/4 "2007-12-08T22:28:11Z")

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OK, I didn’t read the question closely enough.

I’m not English so I shouldn’t be answering… :smack:

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### Author: ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/5 "2007-12-08T22:35:03Z")

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[QUOTE=casdave]  
Yeah, we invented it so we are right, but we invented a large number of US place names and they still corrupt them.

I’d like to listen to them dealing with Featheringstonehaugh though.  
[/QUOTE]

I don’t know who corrupted what. I remember thinking my older brother was trying to trick me into looking like a fool when he said that Worcester was pronounced “Wooster.” Come on! 😃

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### Author: ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/6 "2007-12-08T22:35:14Z")

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[QUOTE=casdave]  
Yeah, we invented it so we are right, but we invented a large number of US place names and they still corrupt them.

I’d like to listen to them dealing with Featheringstonehaugh though.  
[/QUOTE]

Or Happisburgh !

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### Author: ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/7 "2007-12-08T22:48:27Z")

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[QUOTE=Lobsang]  
Same way as in ‘Burt Lancaster’ or ‘Lancaster Bomber’  
[/QUOTE]  
Yep. It’s LAN-cass-ter.

We also have the county of Lancashire, which is different. LANK-asher.

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### Author: ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/8 "2007-12-08T23:02:20Z")

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[QUOTE=ianzin]  
Yep. It’s LAN-cass-ter.

We also have the county of Lancashire, which is different. LANK-asher.  
[/QUOTE]

Or Lank-I-sher. I remember slightly more of an i sound than an a sound to the pronunciation when I used to live there.

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### Author: ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/9 "2007-12-08T23:08:23Z")

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[QUOTE=casdave]  
I’d like to listen to them dealing with Featheringstonehaugh.  
[/QUOTE]

Feathering Stone Hoff.

At least the corrupted version makes sense. 😉

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### Author: ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [December 8, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/10 "2007-12-08T23:12:05Z")

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[QUOTE=casdave]  
Yeah, we invented it so we are right, but we invented a large number of US place names and they still corrupt them.

I’d like to listen to them dealing with Featheringstonehaugh though.  
[/QUOTE]

Isn’t it…

‘Fenshaw’?

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### Author: ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/11 "2007-12-09T01:02:53Z")

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[QUOTE=Lobsang]  
Isn’t it…

‘Fenshaw’?

[/QUOTE]

No, I’m pretty sure it’s Lancaster.

Thanks for the answers. And one more:

Ulster (which, I know, is Irish): does it rhyme more with woolster, rule-ster, or dull-ster?

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### Author: ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)
#### Post date: [December 9, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-english-pronounce-lancaster/429328/12 "2007-12-09T01:39:08Z")

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[QUOTE=Sampiro]

Ulster (which, I know, is Irish): does it rhyme more with woolster, rule-ster, or dull-ster?  
[/QUOTE]

It rhymes with “dull-ster”.
