# How to pronounce Worcestershire sauce? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904 "2012-10-06T15:20:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/21 "2012-10-06T18:46:53Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > You pronounce it in the same way you would pronounce the town of Worcester. Hah! Whenever any of my friends mangle the pronunciation of that town, I ask them how they pronounce the sauce. Most everyone gets it right then. But to pronounce the name of the sauce correctly, you have to know that shire = shur (or sheer, as I say it). If you’ve never seen the word before, you probably wouldn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/22 "2012-10-06T18:49:19Z")
So how do you say Gilbert? ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/23 "2012-10-06T19:20:30Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > So how do you say Gilbert? That’s easy, it’s “jile-bahrrrrhhh”, and you have to breathe out at the end. As a British person I have always said “wooster sauce”. Famously, the sauce was invented by a man called Ralph Cocking-Fetherstonhaugh from the town of Cholmondeley in Cheshire. Really, there’s nothing tricky about English pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/24 "2012-10-06T19:27:28Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > Famously, the sauce was invented by a man called Ralph Cocking-Fetherstonhaugh… Oddy, pronounced as “leeanperins.”😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/25 "2012-10-06T20:03:32Z")
I say something like “woost-uh-sure.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/26 "2012-10-06T20:38:41Z")
Whatsthishere sauce ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/27 "2012-10-06T20:39:30Z")
Double-u sauce. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/28 "2012-10-06T21:41:46Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > As a British person I have always said “wooster sauce”. [But this is rooster sauce…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha_sauce) ---
**Author:** ![amijane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@amijane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amijane)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/29 "2012-10-06T22:39:51Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > As a British person I have always said “wooster sauce”. Famously, the sauce was invented by a man called Ralph Cocking-Fetherstonhaugh from the town of Cholmondeley in Cheshire. > > Really, there’s nothing tricky about English pronunciation. The [Belvoir](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belvoir_Castle) Hunt’s always been able to raise a smirk in a certain type of Englishman. The [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_sauce) seems to suggest both _Wooster_ and _Woostershuh_ are correct. I/every Brit I have ever heard refer to it call it Wooster sauce, or Woostershystershustershire sauce if we’re being facetious or mocking our colonial cousins abroad. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/30 "2012-10-06T22:43:03Z")
> [@amijane](#): > > I/every Brit I have ever heard refer to it call it . . . Woostershystershustershire sauce if we’re being facetious or mocking our colonial cousins abroad. So I’m not the only one! Only I’m not mocking anyone when I do it. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/31 "2012-10-06T23:04:10Z")
Addg. to Bugs Bunny, it’s “WOOST-uh-shist-ush-shest-er-shire.” So that’s how I pronounce it. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/32 "2012-10-06T23:17:32Z")
In our house it is WOOST-er-she-er-shier-shoo-er shaush. Or the meatloaf sauce. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/33 "2012-10-07T15:54:07Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Addg. to Bugs Bunny, it’s “WOOST-uh-shist-ush-shest-er-shire.” So that’s how I pronounce it. As do I. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/34 "2012-10-07T16:28:38Z")
> [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](#): > > That’s easy, it’s “jile-bahrrrrhhh”, and you have to breathe out at the end. > > As a British person I have always said “wooster sauce”. Famously, the sauce was invented by a man called Ralph Cocking-Fetherstonhaugh from the town of Cholmondeley in Cheshire. > > Really, there’s nothing tricky about English pronunciation. “Fetherstonhaugh” which is of course pronounced “Fanshaw.” Which is just cheating at Scrabble. ---
**Author:** ![Golden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e79b87/32.png) [@Golden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Golden)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/35 "2012-10-07T16:35:33Z")
Wooster rhymes with Rooster. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/36 "2012-10-07T16:48:01Z")
In my house we pronounce it: Whur-shesh-tesh-tush-tesh-tish-tire-shire sauce. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/37 "2012-10-07T17:38:57Z")
> [@Golden](#): > > Wooster rhymes with Rooster. But Worcester doesn’t. It’s pronounced wooster, where ‘oo’ is pronounced like ‘look’, not ‘loot’. That’s the Worcester around here. Don’t know how they pronounce it other places. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/38 "2012-10-07T17:49:07Z")
Woosta-shear. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/39 "2012-10-08T03:26:43Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > You pronounce it in the same way you would pronounce the town of Worcester. You leave off the entire end of the word? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904/40 "2012-10-08T04:41:51Z")
> [@Golden](#): > > Wooster rhymes with Rooster. Perhaps if there were such a word as 'Wooster" it would, but not Worcester. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-worcestershire-sauce/636904.md?page=3)