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Why "Thames" isn't said the way it's spelt
The river was known to the Romans as Tamesis, and the English name descends from it with a plain T sound. The H in the spelling was added later by writers who wanted the name to look classical. The spoken form ignored the change, so the word has kept its original T.
In British English the Thames is /temz/: a T, the short "e" of "bed", and a final Z sound. The same applies to everything named after it, such as Thames Ditton and the Thames Barrier. A few rivers elsewhere, including the Thames in Connecticut, are said with "th" and a long vowel, but the London river never is.
How to say "Thames" like a local, step by step
- Start with a plain t. Do not put your tongue between your teeth for "th".
- Use a short e, as in "bed" or "gems". Not "ay".
- Close with mz: the S sounds like a Z.
- Say it as one quick syllable: TEMZ, rhyming with "gems".
Practise "Thames" in a sentence
- We walked along the Thames from Westminster to Tower Bridge.
- The Thames Barrier protects London from tidal flooding.
- The Boat Race is rowed on the Thames every spring.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Thames?
Thames is pronounced /temz/, roughly "TEMZ". Thames is one syllable, TEMZ, with a plain T and a short "e".
Why is Thames not pronounced how it is spelt?
Many British place names kept old spellings while everyday speech shortened them over centuries, so the written form no longer matches how locals say it.