Travellers who live abroad are always at risk of committing a cultural faux-pas—and it getting picked up on by eagle-eyed locals.

When people leave their home country, part of the learning process is getting comfortable with a new set of language and place names.

That being said, even seasoned travellers can still make mistakes, and it can be pretty awkward when they get caught out.

Recently, American traveller Josiah Hein posted a video of him exclaiming in horror about the 'confusing' Australian capital.

Standing in front of the iconic Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Josiah commented on how the cities of Melbourne and Sydney were supposedly vying to become the Australian capital, and lost.

US resident Josiah Hein got slammed online for mispronouncing Australian cities Melbourne and Canberra in his video. Credit: Instagram

As a result of this 'quarrel', the moved to establish a completely new capital, which Josiah found quite strange.

'Australia does some crazy things,' he said, 'just because they couldn't decide on a capital city they made up “ACT” and it's the capital of the country.'

Of course, if you're an Aussie, you already know that 'ACT' doesn't stand for a made-up term. In fact, 'ACT' is an acronym that stands for the Australian Capital Territory, which is the area encompassing Canberra.

Most Australians are fiercely proud of the country’s Aboriginal history, and this is reflected in many of their city names—deep-rooted connections to the indigenous heritage of the continent.

The name 'Canberra' is derived from the name of a local Aboriginal clan, the Ngunnawal people, who resided in the area. It's a word widely known to mean 'meeting place', and was established following the federation of the colonies of Australia.Sydney, Australia's largest city, was named after the British Home Secretary Lord Sydney, who championed the decision to establish a penal colony in New South Wales.

Or consider the coastal city of Adelaide. Named after the Queen consort Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, who was married to King William IV, it was designated the name by Colonel William Light, the state's first Surveyor-General.


Source: Instagram/@Username

But before we veer off, Josiah’s post didn’t catch attention because of what he said. It’s how.

While American English and Australian English are linguistic siblings, there are also stark differences, like the accents.

Josiah mispronounced both Canberra and Melbourne as 'Cane-berr-ah' and 'Mell-born', respectively. Unsurprisingly, a lot of Aussies were unwilling to let it pass.

'It's Melbin, not Mell-born,' one said, while another wrote: 'Canberra is pronounced Can-brah.'

'Please tell me this is satire,' one Aussie begged, while yet another commented: 'Oh my god, when you said “ACT” I nearly died. This made my eye twitch.'

Fortunately, some people offered explanations and clarified any confusion for other foreigners.

'It's A.C.T—not act,' one said. 'It stands for Australian Capital Territory, it's an acronym.’

Another meanwhile chose to address Josiah’s confusion with how Canberra came to be and added: 'I think Washington [D.C] in America was chosen the same way. It's not uncommon!'

It's an unfortunate situation for all involved but, fortunately, these types of mistakes are not taken too seriously by most Australians (some of us can be quite cheeky about it).

Key Takeaways

• An American traveller, Josiah Hein, has been criticised for incorrectly pronouncing the names of Australian cities, Melbourne and Canberra, and not knowing about the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
• He referred to ACT as 'act' and called it 'confusing'. Also, he mispronounced Melbourne as 'Mell-born' and Canberra as 'Cane-berr-ah'.
• His pronunciation triggered a response from Australians who found it infuriating. Some asked if his video was a satire while others corrected his pronunciation in the comments.
• Despite the criticism, there were some who offered explanations to avoid future confusions for foreigners.

So, while it's important to get our place names right—especially if we're travelling to another country—it's not the end of the world if our pronunciations are a bit off.

Are there other Australian names you’ve heard people mispronounced? Tell us more in the comments!

 

[eMLB]

I wonder where these Australians were educated, if they were at all. Josiah's pronunciation of Melbourne and Canberra were closer to the mark than the Australians quoted.

 

[Sherza]

Travellers who live abroad are always at risk of committing a cultural faux-pas—and it getting picked up on by eagle-eyed locals.

When people leave their home country, part of the learning process is getting comfortable with a new set of language and place names.

That being said, even seasoned travellers can still make mistakes, and it can be pretty awkward when they get caught out.

Recently, American traveller Josiah Hein posted a video of him exclaiming in horror about the 'confusing' Australian capital.

Standing in front of the iconic Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Josiah commented on how the cities of Melbourne and Sydney were supposedly vying to become the Australian capital, and lost.

View attachment 32660

US resident Josiah Hein got slammed online for mispronouncing Australian cities Melbourne and Canberra in his video. Credit: Instagram

As a result of this 'quarrel', the moved to establish a completely new capital, which Josiah found quite strange.

'Australia does some crazy things,' he said, 'just because they couldn't decide on a capital city they made up “ACT” and it's the capital of the country.'

Of course, if you're an Aussie, you already know that 'ACT' doesn't stand for a made-up term. In fact, 'ACT' is an acronym that stands for the Australian Capital Territory, which is the area encompassing Canberra.

Most Australians are fiercely proud of the country’s Aboriginal history, and this is reflected in many of their city names—deep-rooted connections to the indigenous heritage of the continent.

The name 'Canberra' is derived from the name of a local Aboriginal clan, the Ngunnawal people, who resided in the area. It's a word widely known to mean 'meeting place', and was established following the federation of the colonies of Australia.Sydney, Australia's largest city, was named after the British Home Secretary Lord Sydney, who championed the decision to establish a penal colony in New South Wales.

Or consider the coastal city of Adelaide. Named after the Queen consort Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, who was married to King William IV, it was designated the name by Colonel William Light, the state's first Surveyor-General.


Source: Instagram/@Username

But before we veer off, Josiah’s post didn’t catch attention because of what he said. It’s how.

While American English and Australian English are linguistic siblings, there are also stark differences, like the accents.

Josiah mispronounced both Canberra and Melbourne as 'Cane-berr-ah' and 'Mell-born', respectively. Unsurprisingly, a lot of Aussies were unwilling to let it pass.

'It's Melbin, not Mell-born,' one said, while another wrote: 'Canberra is pronounced Can-brah.'

'Please tell me this is satire,' one Aussie begged, while yet another commented: 'Oh my god, when you said “ACT” I nearly died. This made my eye twitch.'

Fortunately, some people offered explanations and clarified any confusion for other foreigners.

'It's A.C.T—not act,' one said. 'It stands for Australian Capital Territory, it's an acronym.’

Another meanwhile chose to address Josiah’s confusion with how Canberra came to be and added: 'I think Washington [D.C] in America was chosen the same way. It's not uncommon!'

It's an unfortunate situation for all involved but, fortunately, these types of mistakes are not taken too seriously by most Australians (some of us can be quite cheeky about it).

Key Takeaways

• An American traveller, Josiah Hein, has been criticised for incorrectly pronouncing the names of Australian cities, Melbourne and Canberra, and not knowing about the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
• He referred to ACT as 'act' and called it 'confusing'. Also, he mispronounced Melbourne as 'Mell-born' and Canberra as 'Cane-berr-ah'.
• His pronunciation triggered a response from Australians who found it infuriating. Some asked if his video was a satire while others corrected his pronunciation in the comments.
• Despite the criticism, there were some who offered explanations to avoid future confusions for foreigners.

So, while it's important to get our place names right—especially if we're travelling to another country—it's not the end of the world if our pronunciations are a bit off.

Are there other Australian names you’ve heard people mispronounced? Tell us more in the comments!

I have heard a number of Aussies butchering Kiwi place names, so it’s a case of the pot and kettle I think

 

[Phil_Byrne]

Even within Australia there is often confusion with regard to pronouncing place names. One example is Jervis Bay. Most visitors, and a few locals, pronounce this as Jar-vis Bay. It is actually Jer-vis Bay. It was named after Admiral John Jervis, 1735-1823, and that branch of the family pronounced their name as Jer-vis. One wonders if it is so important however as the purpose of language is communication and so long as both speaker and listeners understand each other all is well. It doesn't stop one having a crafty little grin though. . .

 

[MHM]

Travellers who live abroad are always at risk of committing a cultural faux-pas—and it getting picked up on by eagle-eyed locals.

When people leave their home country, part of the learning process is getting comfortable with a new set of language and place names.

That being said, even seasoned travellers can still make mistakes, and it can be pretty awkward when they get caught out.

Recently, American traveller Josiah Hein posted a video of him exclaiming in horror about the 'confusing' Australian capital.

Standing in front of the iconic Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Josiah commented on how the cities of Melbourne and Sydney were supposedly vying to become the Australian capital, and lost.

View attachment 32660

US resident Josiah Hein got slammed online for mispronouncing Australian cities Melbourne and Canberra in his video. Credit: Instagram

As a result of this 'quarrel', the moved to establish a completely new capital, which Josiah found quite strange.

'Australia does some crazy things,' he said, 'just because they couldn't decide on a capital city they made up “ACT” and it's the capital of the country.'

Of course, if you're an Aussie, you already know that 'ACT' doesn't stand for a made-up term. In fact, 'ACT' is an acronym that stands for the Australian Capital Territory, which is the area encompassing Canberra.

Most Australians are fiercely proud of the country’s Aboriginal history, and this is reflected in many of their city names—deep-rooted connections to the indigenous heritage of the continent.

The name 'Canberra' is derived from the name of a local Aboriginal clan, the Ngunnawal people, who resided in the area. It's a word widely known to mean 'meeting place', and was established following the federation of the colonies of Australia.Sydney, Australia's largest city, was named after the British Home Secretary Lord Sydney, who championed the decision to establish a penal colony in New South Wales.

Or consider the coastal city of Adelaide. Named after the Queen consort Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, who was married to King William IV, it was designated the name by Colonel William Light, the state's first Surveyor-General.


Source: Instagram/@Username

But before we veer off, Josiah’s post didn’t catch attention because of what he said. It’s how.

While American English and Australian English are linguistic siblings, there are also stark differences, like the accents.

Josiah mispronounced both Canberra and Melbourne as 'Cane-berr-ah' and 'Mell-born', respectively. Unsurprisingly, a lot of Aussies were unwilling to let it pass.

'It's Melbin, not Mell-born,' one said, while another wrote: 'Canberra is pronounced Can-brah.'

'Please tell me this is satire,' one Aussie begged, while yet another commented: 'Oh my god, when you said “ACT” I nearly died. This made my eye twitch.'

Fortunately, some people offered explanations and clarified any confusion for other foreigners.

'It's A.C.T—not act,' one said. 'It stands for Australian Capital Territory, it's an acronym.’

Another meanwhile chose to address Josiah’s confusion with how Canberra came to be and added: 'I think Washington [D.C] in America was chosen the same way. It's not uncommon!'

It's an unfortunate situation for all involved but, fortunately, these types of mistakes are not taken too seriously by most Australians (some of us can be quite cheeky about it).

Key Takeaways

• An American traveller, Josiah Hein, has been criticised for incorrectly pronouncing the names of Australian cities, Melbourne and Canberra, and not knowing about the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
• He referred to ACT as 'act' and called it 'confusing'. Also, he mispronounced Melbourne as 'Mell-born' and Canberra as 'Cane-berr-ah'.
• His pronunciation triggered a response from Australians who found it infuriating. Some asked if his video was a satire while others corrected his pronunciation in the comments.
• Despite the criticism, there were some who offered explanations to avoid future confusions for foreigners.

So, while it's important to get our place names right—especially if we're travelling to another country—it's not the end of the world if our pronunciations are a bit off.

Are there other Australian names you’ve heard people mispronounced? Tell us more in the comments!

Perhaps Joshua could take some lessons from SDC "Word of the Day" on pronunciation (tongue in cheek).

 

[Taryn Gillan]

Travellers who live abroad are always at risk of committing a cultural faux-pas—and it getting picked up on by eagle-eyed locals.

When people leave their home country, part of the learning process is getting comfortable with a new set of language and place names.

That being said, even seasoned travellers can still make mistakes, and it can be pretty awkward when they get caught out.

Recently, American traveller Josiah Hein posted a video of him exclaiming in horror about the 'confusing' Australian capital.

Standing in front of the iconic Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra, Josiah commented on how the cities of Melbourne and Sydney were supposedly vying to become the Australian capital, and lost.

View attachment 32660

US resident Josiah Hein got slammed online for mispronouncing Australian cities Melbourne and Canberra in his video. Credit: Instagram

As a result of this 'quarrel', the moved to establish a completely new capital, which Josiah found quite strange.

'Australia does some crazy things,' he said, 'just because they couldn't decide on a capital city they made up “ACT” and it's the capital of the country.'

Of course, if you're an Aussie, you already know that 'ACT' doesn't stand for a made-up term. In fact, 'ACT' is an acronym that stands for the Australian Capital Territory, which is the area encompassing Canberra.

Most Australians are fiercely proud of the country’s Aboriginal history, and this is reflected in many of their city names—deep-rooted connections to the indigenous heritage of the continent.

The name 'Canberra' is derived from the name of a local Aboriginal clan, the Ngunnawal people, who resided in the area. It's a word widely known to mean 'meeting place', and was established following the federation of the colonies of Australia.Sydney, Australia's largest city, was named after the British Home Secretary Lord Sydney, who championed the decision to establish a penal colony in New South Wales.

Or consider the coastal city of Adelaide. Named after the Queen consort Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, who was married to King William IV, it was designated the name by Colonel William Light, the state's first Surveyor-General.


Source: Instagram/@Username

But before we veer off, Josiah’s post didn’t catch attention because of what he said. It’s how.

While American English and Australian English are linguistic siblings, there are also stark differences, like the accents.

Josiah mispronounced both Canberra and Melbourne as 'Cane-berr-ah' and 'Mell-born', respectively. Unsurprisingly, a lot of Aussies were unwilling to let it pass.

'It's Melbin, not Mell-born,' one said, while another wrote: 'Canberra is pronounced Can-brah.'

'Please tell me this is satire,' one Aussie begged, while yet another commented: 'Oh my god, when you said “ACT” I nearly died. This made my eye twitch.'

Fortunately, some people offered explanations and clarified any confusion for other foreigners.

'It's A.C.T—not act,' one said. 'It stands for Australian Capital Territory, it's an acronym.’

Another meanwhile chose to address Josiah’s confusion with how Canberra came to be and added: 'I think Washington [D.C] in America was chosen the same way. It's not uncommon!'

It's an unfortunate situation for all involved but, fortunately, these types of mistakes are not taken too seriously by most Australians (some of us can be quite cheeky about it).

Key Takeaways

• An American traveller, Josiah Hein, has been criticised for incorrectly pronouncing the names of Australian cities, Melbourne and Canberra, and not knowing about the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
• He referred to ACT as 'act' and called it 'confusing'. Also, he mispronounced Melbourne as 'Mell-born' and Canberra as 'Cane-berr-ah'.
• His pronunciation triggered a response from Australians who found it infuriating. Some asked if his video was a satire while others corrected his pronunciation in the comments.
• Despite the criticism, there were some who offered explanations to avoid future confusions for foreigners.

So, while it's important to get our place names right—especially if we're travelling to another country—it's not the end of the world if our pronunciations are a bit off.

Are there other Australian names you’ve heard people mispronounced? Tell us more in the comments!

I had a gentleman as me where “Indooroopilly was. I guess we’re used to saying Indrapilli