Help figure out this modifier of the word "mentality", which may be phonetically similar to "sinded". [more inside]
posted by Roach on Oct 18, 2009 - 21 answers

Has J.D. Salinger ever written or spoken how to pronounce the name "Zooey" in Franny and Zooey? Are there any recordings of him pronouncing it? Separately, did he create that name or is there precedence for it (whether as a nickname for Zachary or on its own, spelled the same way)? [more inside]
posted by davebug on Oct 10, 2009 - 3 answers

I've just got a hold of my class lists for next year and there are a few names that I'm not sure how to pronounce. [more inside]
posted by alby on Jul 17, 2009 - 29 answers

Name pronunciation help! (Bengali and Albanian) [more inside]
posted by Lotto on Jun 16, 2009 - 8 answers

I'm a storyteller learning a story about a game that uses a Gebeta board. The game is similar to Mancala. I need to know how to pronounce the word "Gebeta", so I can be true to the story and its origins. Any ideas?
posted by hdh on May 23, 2009 - 2 answers

How do you pronounce the last name of Emmanuel Levinas? [more inside]
posted by AngerBoy on May 22, 2009 - 10 answers

What is the correct pronunciation of the mythological character Dyedushka Vodyanoy?
posted by Izner Myletze on May 19, 2009 - 4 answers

Are there any words that have a "zyu" sound in American English pronunciation? [more inside]
posted by kosmonaut on Mar 25, 2009 - 39 answers

The 'w' in 'Keswick' is silent. So is the 'w' in 'Southwark'. And the 'h' in 'Pakenham'. Is there a name for this and is there a rule to apply it? [more inside]
posted by awfurby on Feb 24, 2009 - 36 answers

A questioning concerning Derek Zoolander's pronunciation of the term "good looking"... [more inside]
posted by Mocata on Feb 8, 2009 - 11 answers

Greek speakers needed! How do you pronounce 'κινειν' in both modern and ancient Greek? [more inside]
posted by amery on Jan 25, 2009 - 10 answers

How do you pronounce "Le coeur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît point?" [more inside]
posted by disillusioned on Nov 19, 2008 - 24 answers

How is the name Pritha pronounced? [more inside]
posted by peep on Nov 19, 2008 - 5 answers

I don't know any Czech speakers but I'm pretty sure I'm making a hash of saying this guy's surname out loud. [more inside]
posted by Jody Tresidder on Oct 30, 2008 - 10 answers

I'm looking for historical examples of shibboleths used in electoral politics. Got any examples? [more inside]
posted by dkg on Oct 10, 2008 - 6 answers

Help! Need name for English-pronunciation website for Japanese learners. [more inside]
posted by Dragonness on Oct 6, 2008 - 6 answers

Is there any native speaker of English reading this for whom "broth" is pronounced the same in the words broth and brothel ? No joke. They aren't the same in my dialect, but maybe in yours?
posted by cogneuro on Sep 26, 2008 - 82 answers

How is fureai pronounced?
posted by coizero on Sep 10, 2008 - 11 answers

How does author Neal Stephenson pronounce his last name? [more inside]
posted by spasm on Aug 29, 2008 - 11 answers

What's the excruciatingly correct pronunciation of Berlin-based academic publisher Walter de Gruyter? [w] or [v]? What about their subsidiary, Mouton de Gruyter? Bonus points for IPA.
posted by ormondsacker on Aug 4, 2008 - 10 answers

I'm looking for words which can have different meanings, depending on how they are pronounced. [more inside]
posted by booksprite on Jun 2, 2008 - 25 answers

How do you pronounce the word 'read' when used in the following context? -- 'John is dry (read: boring).' /rɛd/ or /rid/ Thanks!
posted by gman on May 29, 2008 - 122 answers

pronunciationfilter: how do i mitigate the awkwardness of correcting someone who is pronouncing my name wrong after a significant amount of time has already passed? [more inside]
posted by violetk on May 5, 2008 - 24 answers

How do I pronounce POGGE? [more inside]
posted by verisimilitude on Apr 16, 2008 - 9 answers

What are some totally awesome free online ESL resources that focus specifically on how to produce the correct sounds in English words for people whose native languages don't contain them? [more inside]
posted by GoingToShopping on Apr 5, 2008 - 3 answers

How do I pronounce some of my favorite authors' names? (Names inside.) [more inside]
posted by Darth Fedor on Mar 26, 2008 - 26 answers

I have a desperate need to gain some basic command over Sanskrit terms written in the English alphabet (i.e. with the diacritical marks). Can someone point me to a no-nonsense pronunciation guide, as I am having difficulty finding one that doesn't assume preexisting linguistics knowledge.
posted by aletheia on Mar 22, 2008 - 3 answers

Regional dialect or dyslexic family? Switching the "r" with a vowel at the beginning of words. [more inside]
posted by F Mackenzie on Mar 7, 2008 - 24 answers

What is the correct phonetic pronunciation for Tite Kubo (creator of Bleach)? Thanks! [more inside]
posted by dirtmonster on Mar 7, 2008 - 3 answers

Iraqi first names Zainab, Aysha and Nour: how should I pronounce them? (For each name: how do the vowels sound [in comparison with an English word], how many syllables does the name have, and which syllable is accented?)
posted by allterrainbrain on Feb 7, 2008 - 8 answers

What is the correct way to pronounce the name of the feminist/psychoanalytic critic Mary Jacobus? Which syllable is stressed?
posted by redfoxtail on Feb 3, 2008 - 9 answers

Did you ever receive explicit instruction on how to pronounce "February" from someone who is considered an authority on such things? Is saying FEB-roo-air-y more common than FEB-you-air-y? [more inside]
posted by DarwinianDan on Jan 8, 2008 - 51 answers

In a conversation consisting entirely of English speakers, how should I pronounce the name Jorge Luis Borges? [more inside]
posted by ludwig_van on Jan 7, 2008 - 47 answers

I'm a native speaker of English but I pronounce some words incorrectly. What other words am I pronouncing wrong? [more inside]
posted by pravit on Dec 30, 2007 - 147 answers

WastingThisWeek'sQuestionFilter: How do the locals pronounce "Cicott" in Lake Cicott, IN, USA? I've driven through that fair burg many many times in the last 25 years, and every time, I wonder the same thing. It's ambiguous from a phonetics standpoint, and Hoosiers don't seem to care a fig for phonetics anyway, when place names are involved. Please help me astound my traveling companions the next time I'm traversing beautiful Indiana.
posted by bricoleur on Dec 6, 2007 - 6 answers

How do you pronounce the last name of the anthropologist Peter Geschiere? [more inside]
posted by almostbarefoot on Dec 6, 2007 - 4 answers

What books/courses/web tutorials would you recommend to help me learn the Received Pronunciation (BBC) English accent? [more inside]
posted by scarylarry on Nov 20, 2007 - 9 answers

How best can a teacher address an ESL student's lisp or other speech impediments? [more inside]
posted by msbrauer on Oct 23, 2007 - 5 answers

How do you pronounce them when it's stressed? For instance, "Don't give it to me, give it to THEM." [more inside]
posted by Inigo Jones on Sep 14, 2007 - 58 answers

What celebrities (living or dead) do you consider to speak with a "standard" American accent? I'm developing a pronunciation model for use in ESL teaching. [more inside]
posted by strangeguitars on Sep 4, 2007 - 30 answers

AccentFilter: What makes a New England accent recognizable? [more inside]
posted by gregb1007 on Sep 1, 2007 - 22 answers

How do you pronounce the name "Georges" (for a male)?
posted by chefscotticus on Jul 31, 2007 - 27 answers

Devanagari / Hindi pronunciation question: help an (American) English speaker figure out some of the dental consonants. [more inside]
posted by rkent on May 24, 2007 - 15 answers

I'm looking for a good Czech pronunciation guide. [more inside]
posted by vernondalhart on May 17, 2007 - 4 answers

A question about languages. [more inside]
posted by TiredStarling on Apr 16, 2007 - 58 answers

How do you pronounce the last name Vafai? I think that it is Iranian.
posted by ND¢ on Feb 12, 2007 - 8 answers

How can I most practically improve my speaking voice? In everyday conversation I often mumble, slur words or speak too fast. I am not looking on ways to become a better public speaker, but to improve the articulation and speech patterns of everyday conversation. [more inside]
posted by geoff. on Feb 11, 2007 - 16 answers

I know some people who just can’t seem to get the hang of correctly pronouncing uncommon words, no matter how many times they hear the correct way. These are intelligent, educated people, and at least one is an avid reader, but for some reason they constantly, repeatedly, stumble over certain words. Is there a name for this? [more inside]
posted by mauglir on Jan 29, 2007 - 72 answers

I am called upon, with short notice, to deliver the Address to a Haggis. I know the words, but I want to make it sound as good as possible; can you point me to a pronunciation guide or - better - a credible recording?
posted by Wolfdog on Jan 26, 2007 - 5 answers

One of my favorite writers is Edmund Jabés. However, I have never heard anyone pronounce his name. [more inside]
posted by jimfl on Jan 16, 2007 - 13 answers