What is the correct pronunciation of Lerwick ?

I've always heard it as Lerwick, but if you use the analogy of Berwick, then you'd think Lerrick would be the correct pronunciation.

I thought it was Lurwick but will obv. defer to any local. Had a brilliant trip to the Shetlands inc. Lerwick/Lerrick with my mother about 20 yrs ago.

My favourite in the pronunciation stakes is the North Devon one - Woolfardisworthy, pronounced Woolsery!

An uncle visiting from the far south of England did ask seriously in advance whether he should pack his electric razor.

Newsreaders will be saying Grenwich, therefore Grenock.

Charleygirl5 When I lived in Kirkcaldy (1950s) it was more like Kirka'dy. Kirkoddy was a wee bit posher and used by those who had aspirations to talk proper. That recitation about the endless train journey rhymes it with haddy -

Boy looking forward to his tea at Gran'ma's -
"What’ll I hae for my tea the nicht?
A herrin’, or maybe a haddie?
Has Gran’ma gotten electric licht?
Is the next stop Kirkcaddy?"

Here is the rest of it - www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/boy-train/

Daddima, !

I'm sure I have heard Dougie Henshall pronounce Lerwick as Lerrick, but then again, I may be wrong! I often am.

What about Greenock, being pronounced as Grenock, by newsreaders?

Aveton Gifford is pronounced Aughton Gifford with a hard 'g'.

One of the actors in Shetland is a native, how did he pronounce it in the TV series?
The one who plays Sandy.

Anybody from Milngavie?

I have always pronounced it Lerwick but I have never lived there and no longer live in Scotland.

I was born in Kirkcaldy but it is pronounced Kircoddy.

Common pronounciation in Scotland including radio and tv announcers is Lerwick but locals and anyone with a connection would definitely say Lerrick. Have close friends from Orkney and they speak with the same dialect.

@NfkDumpling I live near Shreeewsbury. This is the correct one for me.

The same page tells us that "Lerwick lies 211 miles (340 km) north-by-northeast of Aberdeen; 222 miles (357 km) west of the similarly sheltered port of Bergen in Norway; and 228 miles (367 km) south east of Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands" - as near to Norway as to Scotland!

In Wikipedia, it is phonetically written as "/ˈlɜːrwɪk/; Norwegian and Norn: Leirvik", and the key to the phonics describes "ɜːr" as sounding like "NURSE, blurry, Ernesto, foreword" so I would say that Lurwick is the right way to pronounce it (unless a Shetlander tells us otherwise!)

There is a village in Devon called Aveton Gifford. No-one seems to know whether the G is soft or hard. The general rule in English pronunciation is that if G is followed by an e, i, or y it should be soft. But of course there are always exception, e.g. give, giggle, gigabyte, girl. It's a minefield!

Its a bit like Shreewsbury and Shrowsbury. No one seems to be able to make a decision. I thought the Beeb had decided on Shrowsbury but then Shreeewsbury popped up again.

I would say Lurwick too, but the local pronunciation may be different. Berwick is pronounced Berrick, so he may have been matching it to that, but he should have made up his mind which to use and stuck to it.

I thought this site might be useful, but it doesn't have much detail on pronunciation. www.shetlandamenity.org/about-place-names.

Later - Struck gold - www.dictionary.com/browse/lerwick- a recording, however, the speaker sound a bit "English"

I live in Glasgow and I pronounce it Lerwick, sounding all the letters. Also I have heard a BBC Scotland newsreader pronouncing it, Lerick.
What we need is a native of Lerwick to advise us. I wonder if there is anyone here on GN?. ?

I've always said Lurwick

My friend’s grandmother came from Lerwick and she always pronounced it Lurwick when reminiscing about her life there.