Phonemic
Pronunciation of London Tube Stations: A Definitive Guide
English has 46 phonemes (basic speech sounds) but only 26 letters in the alphabet. To represent these sounds, about 250 common graphemes (letters or combinations of letters) are used. Moreover, there are many exceptions (e.g., archaic spellings, foreign words), and stress plays an important role. Learning the pronunciation of London Tube stations is valuable for understanding the intricate relationship between spelling and pronunciation, rules and exceptions. 
1 - Short Vowels: Pronunciation of London, Borough, and Southwark
English has 7 short vowel sounds: /I/, /E/, /A/, /O/, /U/, /Ä/, and /Ë/. The last two sounds, which are absent in many other languages, both appear in the word London /LÄNDËN/, spelled with <o>. The 'strut vowel' /Ä/ is usually spelled with <u> in 63% of words, but <o> is also used in 27% of cases.
The unstressed schwa /Ë/, the most common sound in English, can be spelled with any vowel letter or combination, even <ough>, as in Borough /BÄRË/.
2 - Long Vowels: Pronunciation of Edgware, and Vauxhall
English has 6 long vowel sounds: /II/, /EE/, /AA/, /OO/, /UU/, and /ËË/, which can be followed by a 'linking r' (an /R/ sound pronounced if the next word starts with a vowel sound). Examples include Edgware /EJWEEr/, and Vauxhall /VOXOOL/, which demonstrate the same short and long vowel sounds in the same word. 3 - Diphtongs: Pronunciation of Maida Vale, Angel, Bayswater, Hayes, and Leyton
English has 8 diphthongs (combinations of two vowel sounds): /IÎ-IY/, /EÎ-EY/, /OÎ-OY/, /ÄÎ-ÄY/, /AÛ-AW/, /OÛ/, /UÛ-UW/, and /ËÛ-ËW/. The challenge in Maida Vale /MEÎDË VEÎL/ is recognising that both <ai> (in 12% of cases) and <a_e> (in 38%) can represent /EÎ-EY/. Other common spellings are <a> (in 27%) as in Angel /EÎNJëL/, and <ay> (in 18%) as in Bayswater /BEÎZWOOTËr/. While <aye> as in Hayes /HEÎZ/, and <ey> as in Leyton /LEÎTëN/ are rare. 4 - R Special Case: Pronunciation of Honor Oak Park
Standard Southern British English is non-rhotic, meaning the <r> is pronounced only if followed by a vowel sound in the same word or between two words, as in Honor Oak, but is silent before a consonant, as in Park /ONËR ËÛK PAArK/ 5 - Silent Consonants: Pronunciation of Balham, Clapham, Lewisham, Chiswick, Warwick Avenue, and Woolwich
Some consonants, especially <h> and <w>, are often silent in unstressed syllables to smooth pronunciation. The word ham /HAM/ is an old term for a village, and many localities have ham in their names, as Balham /BALËM/. Typically, the <h> is dropped, with the unstressed <a> becoming a schwa: /Ë/. This explains why Clapham /KLAPËM/ is pronounced with /P/, not /F/. Exceptions include Lewisham, once pronounced /LUWISËM/ in the early 1900s, now /LUWISHËM/. 
The <w> is silent in the unstressed syllable of Chiswick /CHIZIK/, Warwick Avenue /WORIK AVËNYUW/, and Woolwich /WULIJ/. 6 - Stress Placement: Pronunciation of Embankment, Cadogan, and Waterloo
English is a stress-timed language, and correct stress placement is often more important than the pronunciation of individual sounds. While more than 90% of names have stress on the first syllable, there are important exceptions to be aware of. For instance, Embankment /IMBANKMËNT/, and Cadogan /KËDÄGËN/ have stress on the second syllable; while Waterloo /WOOTËrLUW/ has stress on the last syllable. 7 - Shifting Stress: Pronunciation of Whitechapel, Mile End, Old Street, and Piccadilly Circus
In compound names, stress usually remains on the first part, as in Whitechapel /WAÎtCHAPËL/. For names with two separate words, the primary stress typically falls on the second word, with secondary stress on the first, as in Mile End /MAÎL END/. However, when the second word is 'Street,' the primary stress remains on the first word, as in Old Street /OÛLD STRIÎT/. 
In compound names where the first word has stress on a syllable other than the first, the stress can shift to improve rhythm. For example, the word Piccadilly /PIKËDILIY/ has stress on the penultimate syllable, but when followed by Circus, the secondary stress moves closer to the beginning, landing on the first syllable. Meanwhile, the primary stress shifts to the second word: Piccadilly Circus /PIKËDILIY SËËrKËS/. 8 - Syllable Reduction: Pronunciation of Tottenham Court Road, Chancery Lane, and Newbury Park
In Tottenham /TOT'NëM/, the initial schwa is often dropped, reducing the word from three syllables to two, creating a stressed-schwa pattern.
Similarly, the schwa is dropped in Chancery Lane /CHAANtS'RIY LEÎN/ and Newbury Park /NIYUÛB'RIY PAArK/, resulting in a stressed-unstressed-stressed pattern. Stress and schwa are interconnected, as schwa in unstressed vowels, along with the removal of schwa when needed to reduce syllable counts, helps dictate the correct rhythm.
9 - Conclusion: Pronunciation of Greenwich, Plaistow, Ruislip, Marylebone, Leicester Square, and Loughborough Junction
As we conclude, let's examine some of the most unique spellings found only in some station names, such as Greenwich /GRENICH/, Plaistow /PLAASTËW/, and Ruislip /RÄÎSLIP/.
In Mary, the letter <y> functions as a vowel, but in the common pronunciation of Marylebone /MAArLËBËÛN/, it is pronounced as if there was no <y>. While silent consonants are not uncommon, oddities like the silent <ce> in Leicester Square /LESTËr SQWEEr/ are quite rare. Indeed, exceptions often seem to be the rule in Loughborough Junction /LÄFB'RË JÄNkSHëN/ wich features many pecularities such as <ou> for /Ä/, <gh> for /F/, <ough> for /Ë/; while the syllable reduction makes it easier and quicker to say.
L-IFA Phonemic Alphabet
Bridging spelling and pronunciation: Empowering All English learners
External Links: Articles & Blogs
♦ 6 Tube Stations Nobody Can Pronounce A. Highfield, MyLondon, 2022
♦ 12 Tube Stations Everyone Struggle to Pronounce L. Trim, MyLondon, 2020
♦ 39 Tube Stations that People Struggle to Pronounce Q. Peracha, MyLondon, 2021
♦ Pronunciation Guide Hidden London, 2005-2023
External Links: Audios
♦ Mind the Trap: 20 Tube Stations with Tricky Pronunciation R. Handley, Beyond Words, 2022
♦ London Underground Pronunciation Tips Pronunciation Studio, 2008-2023
♦ How to Pronounce Tube Stations L. Nicholson, Improve Your Accent, 2017
♦ How to Pronounce Words in London Pronounce London, N.D.
♦ Official Train Announcements TfL Audio Guide, 2016
External Links: Videos
♦ Top 5 Mispronounced Tube Stations L. Nicholson, Improve Your Accent, 2017
♦ 5 More Commonly Mispronounced Tube Stations L. Nicholson, Improve Your Accent, 2017
♦ [12] Tube Stations You Pronounce Wrong Those Two Brits, 2017
♦ [13] More Tube Stations You Pronounce Wrong Those Two Brits, 2018
♦ [20] Mispronounced Tube Stations J. Hazzard, 2022
♦ 42 Hardest to Pronounce Tube Stations Tom - Eat Sleep Dream English, 2019
Phonemic Map of London Stations, or /STEÎSHëN MAP/ (enlarged names with L-IFA phonemic respelling) - Copyright © M. Arcangelo Martiello, 2023-2024. All rights reserved. Copyright protected with www.protectmywork.com Reference Number: 20818230723S009. The L-IFA phonemic alphabet is also copyrighted by the author. Commercial use without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Prior written permission is always required in all cases where reproduction is intended for financial gain, regardless of the medium or context. Reproduction, whether in whole or in part, through any means such as books, journals, newspapers, magazines, and web posts, requires prior written permission. Usually, permission will be granted for free, for a nominal fee, or for payment in kind, except in cases where this graphic or L-IFA play a substantial individual role. No prior permission is required for personal use of L-IFA. For example, you can reproduce the transcription in L-IFA of London stations for your own learning. No prior permission is required in educational context. You can use L-IFA as part of an educational course, lecture, presentation, report, or thesis. For all other cases, it is necessary to contact us through the contact form. The information displayed on this graphic is accurate to the best of our knowledge as of the date stated on the graphic. The author is not affiliated with TfL or any of its subsidiaries, and this graphic is not an official product of the London Underground.