Why is Ibiza pronounced Ibitha?
In Spanish, the “th” sound is used for the letter “z” mostly in Spain. Ibiza is a Spanish island, and the “z” in Castilian Spanish–Spanish spoken in Spain–is pronounced “th.” The Brits are simply pronouncing the island the way they have heard the Spanish speaking about their own country.
How do Spaniards pronounce Ibiza?
Why do British people pronounce Ibiza weird?
Why do people in the UK pronounce Ibiza as Ibitha? Because “Ee-bee-tha” is the correct pronunciation in European Spanish. Many people, however, pronounce it “eye-bee-tha” – which is wrong and sounds horrible. The local name for “Ibiza” is Eivissa, which is its name in Balearic Catalan, the island’s native language.