Jennifer Jones, a prominent BBC Wales journalist and presenter of “Wales Today,” has taken a strong stance against the Daily Express for a recent article that stirred controversy. The headline of the article in question, titled ‘The UK town without a single vowel that’s probably Britain’s hardest place to pronounce,’ sparked outrage among many, including Jennifer.
The story focused on Ynysybwl, a village located in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. However, Jennifer Jones and others were quick to point out a significant flaw in the Daily Express’s narrative – the village actually contains four vowels in its name. Jones, expressing her frustration, tweeted, “Tired. Of. This. Ynysybwl has 4 vowels. If you’d bothered to check – Y and W are vowels in Welsh. And it’s a Welsh place-name. Diog iawn,” with “Diog iawn” translating to “very lazy.”
Adding a touch of irony to the Express article, it provided a pronunciation guide for Ynysybwl, which turned out to be inaccurate. The paper incorrectly stated, “Ynysybwl is a village in Cwm Clydach in Wales. An-is-abull is the correct way to pronounce it,” which Jennifer Jones and Welsh language experts promptly debunked.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Ynysybwl has made headlines for such misconceptions. In 2021, it found itself on a travel guide listicle of “Unpronounceable Welsh Town Names” produced by “In Your Pocket,” a company known for its city guides. The listicle drew sharp criticism on social media for its portrayal of Welsh town names as “unintelligible” and its claim that the Welsh language disregards vowels, despite having more of them than English.
In response to similar incidents, the Welsh public has voiced their frustration on multiple occasions. Earlier this year, London news website My London faced backlash for dubbing Aberystwyth, a seaside town in Wales, “almost impossible to spell correctly.” The controversial headline was swiftly criticized by those who found the town’s name quite manageable with the help of tools like Google.
Jennifer Jones’s vocal stance against the Daily Express’s misleading article serves as a reminder of the importance of accurate and respectful reporting, especially when it comes to languages and cultures that may be less familiar to the broader audience.
