Typography (Phonemic) Map of London Tube Stations
Pronunciation of All London Underground Stations: A Definitive Guide
English pronunciation is not easy due to extra sounds, unusual spellings, and complex rules. Pronouncing London station names can be especially tricky, given that geographic names are rich in archaic spellings and exceptions. It's easier to learn them if you look for patterns using the Typography Map: a special graphic with enlarged phonemic renditions of all London Tube Stations.
Introduction 1: Pronunciation of London Bridge, Borough, Southwark
Let's embark on our journey with three words: London /LÄNDËN/, Borough /BÄRË/, and Southwark /SÄDHËrK/. These three words share the same stressed vowel sound /Ä/, and the same unstressed schwa sound: /Ë/. The schwa is the most common sound in English but is completely absent in almost all other languages. 
Shifting our focus to consonants, we notice that 'gh' in Borough and 'w' in Southwark are silent. The pronunciation of Southwark is easier to remember if you drop the 'w' and associate it with southern /SÄDHËrN/. Additionally, the 'r' in Southwark is usually silent in Standard Southern British (SSB). However, it is marked as optional with /r/, as it is pronounced in other accents and learners may find it useful to slightly pronounce it to enhance their intelligibility. Introduction 2: Pronunciation of Forest Hill, Honor Oak Park, Canada Water
Standard Southern British is a non-rothic accent, meaning the 'r' is only pronounced if followed by a vowel sound either within the same word, as in Forest /FORËST/, or in between two words, as in Honor Oak /ONËR ËÛK/. The 'r' is not usually pronounced when followed by a consonant as in 'park' /PAArK/, or at the end of a word as in Canada Water /KANËDË WOOTËr/, unless followed by a word starting with a vowel sound, as in Canada Water Underground Station /KANËDË WOOTËR ÄNDËrGRAÛNd STEÎSHëN/. Vowels 1: Pronunciation of Blackwall, Star Lane, Mudchute
These three DLR stations have in common two vowel letters which are written the same but are pronounced differently. Nevertheless, Blackwall /BLAKWOOL/, Star Lane /STAAr LEÎN/, and Mudchute /MÄDSHUÛT/ are not considered difficult to pronounce by native speakers. English spelling is complex but it's not completely unpredictable. For instance, the letter 'a' is generally pronounced as /A/, but it changes in specific environments: 'all' /OO/, 'ar' /AA/, 'a_e' /EÎ/. Similarly, there are two common pronunciations for 'u': /Ä/ and /UÛ/ but the sequence 'u_e' is invariably pronounced as /UÛ/. Speakers learn these rules through associations with common words spelled similarly, such as: call /KOOL/, car /KAAr/, case /KEÎS/, and June /JUÛN/. Vowel 2: Pronunciation of South Quay, Plaistow, Greenwich
Sometimes making an educated guess is not possible, as there are words with very archaic spellings or foreign words that don't resemble anything else, such as South Quay /SAÛTH KIY/. Other times, even more confusingly, they look like something else but are pronounced differently. Not surprisingly, even native speakers can get these words wrong, like Greenwich /GRENICH/ and Plaistow /PLAASTËW/. Vowels 3: Pronunciation of Neasden, Maida Vale, Ruislip
There are eight diphthongs (combinations of two vowels sounds) in English, each with numerous spellings ranging from easy to very difficult. In Neasden, 'ea' commonly represent /IÎ/, often mistakenly referred to as the «long i» (though it's actually a diphthong). The challenge in Maida Vale /MEÎDË VEÎL/ lies in recognising that both 'ai' and 'a_e' are used for /EÎ/. Finally, Ruislip /RÄÎSLIP/ poses a challenge for everyone as 'ui' typically represent /UÛ/, as in fruit /FRUÛT/. It would be simpler, if it were spelled 'Ruiselip' with the same 'ui_e' sequence as in the word guide /GÄÎD/. Consonants 1: Pronunciation of Leicester Square, Holborn, and Covent Garden
These three stations feature consonants that are always silent, usually silent, and sometimes silent. In Leicester Square, the entire syllable 'ce' is consistently silent, pronounced as /LESTËr SQWEEr/. 
Other consonants are usually silent, although you may occasionally hear them from native speakers, such as the 'l' in Holborn /HËÛ'BËrN/. These usually-silent sounds are indicated with an apostrophe, and it's advisable for learners not to pronounce them.
Finally, some consonants are optionally dropped, especially in fast speech, or pronounced, particularly in emphatic speech. For instance, the 't' in Covent Garden is optionally dropped, as is often the case when the final 't' or 'd' is preceded by a consonant, and the following word starts with a consonant (except 'h,' 'w,' 'y'). Other consonants like 'p' and 'k' are optionally dropped when sandwiched between two other consonants within the same word. 'H' and 'w' are dropped when they're part of an unstressed syllable inside a word.
Consonants 2: Pronunciation of Deptford, Woolwich, Loughborough Junction
These are three of the most difficult stations to pronounce, and not surprisingly, alternatives are also used. The common pronunciation of Deptford is /DETFËrD/, which is different from what we might expect, /DEPtFËrD/, although the latter is also used. The most common pronunciation is easier to remember when associated with the word debt /DET/. The common pronunciation of Woolwich is /WULIJ/, not as we might expect, similar to Greenwich, /WULICH/. Nevertheless, the latter is also less commonly used. Please avoid saying /WUÛLWICH/. Similar to Borough, the elusive 'gh' in Loughborough serves to deceive. However, there's a twist – only the second 'gh' remains silent, while the first 'gh' actually produces an /F/ sound: /LÄFB'RË JÄNkSHëN/. Consonants 3: Pronunciation of Balham, Clapham, Lewisham
The word ham /HAM/ is an old term for a village, and many localities have 'ham' in their names, such as Balham /BALËM/. Typically, the 'h' is dropped, and the unstressed 'a' letter is reduced to a schwa sound: /Ë/. In this context, it's easier to understand why Clapham /KLAPËM/ is pronounced with /P/ and not /F/, as the 'ph' is treated as 'p,' and the 'h' is dropped rather than being treated as a digraph 'ph.' Diagraphs are when two letters are combined to represent a single sound for which there is no specific letter available.
There are exceptions, like Lewisham, which used to be pronounced /LUWISËM/ in the early 1900s but is now pronounced with the incidental 'sh' digraph as /LUWISHËM/.
Stress 1: Pronunciation of Whitechapel, Mile End, Old Street
Stress is essential for comprehension in English, and it's important to be aware of some rules. When a name is formed by joining two words, the stress is on the first one, as in Whitechapel, where the stress is on 'i' /AÎ/. In station names with two separate words, the opposite is true: the primary stress is typically on the last word, as in Mile End, where the stress is on 'e' /E/. There is an exception, though, when the second word is 'street'; the stress stays on the first word, as seen in Old Street, where the stress is on 'o' /OÛ/. Stress 2: Pronunciation of Great Portland Street, Tottenham Court Road, Chancery Lane
Stress patterns in English can become quite complex. For example, in Great Portland Street: Great has secondary stress, Portland has primary stress, and Street is unstressed. Tottenham Court places the main stress on Court and secondary stress on the first syllable of Tottenham. However, in Tottenham Court Road, the main stress falls on the last word: Road, with secondary stress on the 'o' /O/ in Tottenham, while Court becomes unstressed and weakly pronounced. This is the standard pronunciation, but if you have a reason to emphasize Court, such as discussing traffic, you can choose to place the main stress there. 
Interestingly, Tottenham /TOT'NëM/ is usually pronounced without the initial schwa (indicated with an apostrophe), shortening the word from a three-syllable to a more manageable two-syllable word with the basic stressed-schwa pattern. Similarly, the schwa is dropped in Chancery Lane /CHAANtS'RIY LEÎN/, creating an alternating stressed /AA/ - unstressed /IY/ - stressed /EÎ/ pattern. Stress and schwa are interconnected, as schwa in unstressed vowels, along with the removal of schwas when needed to reduce syllable counts, helps dictate the correct rhythm.
Stress 3: Pronunciation of Embankment, Waterloo, Piccadilly Circus
About 10% of nouns have stress placed on a syllable other than the first, as seen in words as Embankment /IMBANKMËNT/ where the stress is on the second syllable, and Waterloo /WOOTËrLUW/, which has stress on the last syllable. However, when the word Station follows, the primary stress shifts to Station, and the secondary stress in Waterloo move closer to the beginning to a syllable that can bear stress (in this case, the first syllable).
Similarly, when the word Piccadilly is in isolation, it typically has the stress on the penultimate syllable (i.e., on 'dill') but when followed by the word Circus, the stress shifts to the first syllable. Conclusion 1: Pronunciation of Watford, Wapping, Dalston, Mitcham, Bekton, Morden, Theydon Bois, Hainault, Loughton, Gloucester Road, Warwick Avenue, Chiswick Park, Streatham, Cheshunt, Chesham, Hampstead, Bermondsey, West Brompton, Canary Wharf
Our journey is coming to an end, and it's time to recap what we've learned so far and explore the entire map to recognize the patterns. We've covered vowels, consonants, and stress. English has seven basic vowel sounds and five vowel letters, often used for different sounds. As we explore the map, we encounter more examples of spellings with the letter 'a' that aren't pronounced as /A/, like Watford /WOTFËrD/, Wapping /WOPINH/, and Dalston /DOOLSTËN/. The vowel in unstressed syllables often undergoes schwa reduction, as observed in Mitcham /MICHËM/, Beckton /BEKTËN/, and Morden /MOOrDËN/. There are eight diphthongs, each with complex and multiple spellings, scattered across the map, such as Theydon Bois /THEÎDËN BOÎS/, Hainault /HEÎNOOlT/, and Loughton /LAÛTËN/.
Consonants can be silent, and sometimes entire syllables are never pronounced, as in Gloucester Road /GLOSTËr RËÛD/. 'W' and 'h' can be silent when within a word, as seen in Warwick Avenue /WORIK AVENYUW/, Chiswick Park /CHIZIK PAArK/, and Streatham /STRETËM/. Occasionally, spelling can cause confusion with incidental digraphs (e.g., 'sh'), which may be treated as 's' with a dropped 'h', as in Cheshunt /CHEZËNT/, or as 'sh', as in Chesham /CHESHËM/. Other consonant sounds are optionally dropped in challenging three-consonant sequences, as seen in Hampstead /HAMpSTED/, Bermondsey /BËËrMËNdZIY/, and West Brompton /WESt BROMpTËN/.
English is a stress-timed language, and correct stress placement is often more critical than individual sounds. Consequently, while alternative pronunciations are usually accepted, incorrect stress placement may lead to people not understanding you. Approximately 90% of nouns have stress on the first syllable, while the remaining 10% do not. For example, 'Canary' /KËNEERIY/ places the stress on the second syllable. In two-word station names (except in the case of 'street'), the main stress typically falls on the second word, with the first word usually carrying secondary stress. However, if the first word lacks stress on the first syllable, the stress shifts towards the beginning of the word if there's a suitable syllable to bear it. In the case of 'Canary', the first syllable contains a schwa sound, and the secondary stress remains on the /EE/ in 'Canary Wharf' /KËNEERIY WOOrF/, resulting in an alternating pattern of unstressed /Ë/, secondary stress /EE/, unstressed /IY/, and primary stress /OOr/. Conclusion 2: Pronunciation of Marylebone
Nobody agrees on the correct pronunciation of Marylebone. However, it is widely recognised as the most disputed word in this regard, with many possible pronunciations that can be considered correct. Interestingly, /MEERILËBËÛN/, which might appear to be the most obvious choice, is certainly incorrect, at least for the station. It might be the correct pronunciation for the nearby church of St. Marylebone, which also has different possible pronunciations. The pronunciation chosen for the map is /MAArLËBËÛN/, with the weak /Û/ glide of the unstressed /ËÛ/ diphthong possibly barely perceptible. Last stop, all change please! 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.