List of irregularly spelled English names

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List of irregularly spelled English names - Wikipedia

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This is a set of lists of English personal and place names having spellings that are counterintuitive to their pronunciation because the spelling does not accord with conventional pronunciation associations. Many of these are degenerations in the pronunciation of names that originated in other languages. Sometimes a well-known namesake with the same spelling has a markedly different pronunciation. These are known as heterophonic names or heterophones (unlike heterographs, which are written differently but pronounced the same).

Excluded are the numerous spellings which fail to make the pronunciation obvious without actually being at odds with convention: for example, the pronunciation /skəˈnɛktədi/^[1]^[2] of Schenectady is not immediately obvious, but neither is it counterintuitive.

See Help:IPA/English for guides to the IPA symbols used, and variations depending on dialect.^{[n 1]}

Place names

Boldened names indicate place names where only one part is pronounced irregularly, italicized pronunciations are uncommon. Exonyms are listed among examples.

General rules

General rules
Name element	Pronunciation		Notes
Name element	Respelling	IPA	Notes
-ane	ahn	/ɑːn/	Mostly in Irish placenames
-borough	b(ə)rə	/bəˈrə/
-burgh	b(ə)rə	/bəˈrə/
-bury	b(ə)r-ee	/bəˈri/
-cambe	kəm	/kəm/
-cester	stər	/stər/
-c(o)omb(e)	kəm	/kəm/
-ford	fərd	/fərd/
-ham^{[n 2]}	əm	/əm/	Stokenham, Devon, England, is /stoʊkənˈhæm/; Waltham, Massachusetts, United States, is /ˈwɔːlθæm/
-holm(e)	hohm; like home	/hoʊm/
-mouth	məth	/məθ/
-quay	kee	/kiː/
-shire	shər	/ʃər/
-wich	ich, ij	/ɪtʃ/, /ɪdʒ/	American or Canadian localities named Greenwich and Norwich have -/wɪtʃ/ instead^{[n 3]}
-wick^{[n 4]}	ik	/ɪk/
Innis-	IN-ish	/ˈɪnɪʃ/	Mostly in Irish placenames

Specific places

This list does not include place names in the United Kingdom or the United States, or places following spelling conventions of non-English languages. For UK place names, see List of irregularly spelled places in the United Kingdom. For US place names, see List of irregularly spelled places in the United States.

This list includes territories of the United Kingdom and the United States not wholly annexed into either country.

Specific places
Country	Place	Pronunciation		Notes
Country	Place	Respelling	IPA	Notes
Canada	Agassiz^[3]	AG-ə-see	/ˈæɡəsi/
Ireland	Aghabullogue	a-HAB-ul-əg	/æˈhæbʌləɡ/
Australia	Albany^{[n 5]}	AL-bə-nee	/ˈælbəni/
Ireland	Athy	ath-EYE	/æˈθaɪ/
Canada	Baie d'Espoir^{[n 6]}	like "Bay Despair"	/ˌbeɪdɪsˈpɛər/
Australia	Barcaldine	bar-KAWL-din	/bɑːrˈkɔːldɪn/
New Zealand	Blenheim	BLEN-əm	/ˈblɛnəm/
Australia	Boroondara	BOR-ən-DARR-ə	/ˌbɔːrənˈdærə/
Ireland	Boyounagh	BWEE-nəkh	/ˈbwiːnəx/
Ireland	Breaffy	BRAY-fee	/ˈbreɪfiː/
Australia	Brisbane	BRIZ-bən	/ˈbrɪzbən/
New Zealand	Bryndwr	BRIND-wər	/ˈbrɪndwər/
Ireland	Cahir	like care	/kɛər/
Australia	Cairns	like cans	/ˈkænz/
Australia	Canberra^{[n 7]}	KAN-brə or KAN-bə-rə	/ˈkænbrə/ or /ˈkænbərə/
Australia	Canowindra	kə-NOWN-drə	/kəˈnaʊndrə/
New Zealand	Charleston	CHAR-ləs-tən	/ˈtʃɑːrləstən/
Ireland	Cloghore	kly-HOR	/klaɪˈhɔːr/	County Donegal place
Australia	Cockburn^{[n 8]}	like Coburn	/ˈkoʊbɜːrn/	Multiple places in Australia
Ireland	Connacht	KON-aw(kh)t	/ˈkɒnɔː(x)t/	Sometimes respelled "Connaught"
Australia	Darebin	DARR-ə-bin	/ˈdærəbɪn/
Canada	Delhi	DEL-hy	/ˈdɛlhaɪ/
Ireland	Donegal	DUN-ee-GAWL	/ˌdʌniˈɡɔːl/
New Zealand	Dunedin	də-NEE-dən	/dəˈniːdən/
Australia	Dunedoo	DUN-ee-DOO	/ˌdʌniˈduː/
Canada	Etobicoke	ih-TOH-bih-koh	/ɪˈtoʊbɪkoʊ/
Australia	Fairbairn	FAIR-burn	/ˈfɛərbɜːrn/
Australia	Forster	like Foster	/ˈfɒstər/
Canada	Gaultois	GAWL-təss	/ˈɡɔːltəs/
New Zealand	Gisborne	GHIZ-bərn	/ˈɡɪzbərn/
Australia	Gladstone^{[n 9]}	GLAD-stən	/ˈɡlædstən/
Australia	Goondiwindi	GUN-də-WIN-dee	/ˌɡʌndəˈwɪndi/
Canada	Grand Bruit	GRAND-brit	/ˈɡrændbrɪt/
Australia	Greenough	GREN-uf	/ˈɡrɛnʌf/
New Zealand	Greymouth	GRAY-mouth	/ˈɡreɪmaʊθ/	not GRAY-məth /ˈɡreɪməθ/
Australia	Gumeracha	GUM-ə-RAK-ə	/ˌɡʌməˈrækə/
Australia	Indooroopilly	IN-drə-PIH-lee	/ˌɪndrəˈpɪli/
Ireland	Inistioge	in-ish-TEEG	/ɪnɪʃˈtiːɡ/
Ireland	Kiltimagh	kil-chih-MAH	/kɪltʃɪˈmɑː/
Australia	Kolan River	KOH-lan	/ˈkoʊlæn/
New Zealand	Kurow	KOOR-ow	/ˈkʊəraʊ/
Canada	L'Ardoise	LORD-wayz	/ˈlɔːrdweɪz/
Australia	Lalor	like Lawlor	/ˈlɔːlər/
Australia	Launceston	LON-səs-tən	/ˈlɒnsəstən/
Ireland	Leap	LEP	/lɛp/
Ireland	Leighlin	LOKH-lin	/ˈlɒxlɪn/
Ireland	Leighlinbridge	LOKH-lin-brij	/ˈlɒxlɪnbrɪdʒ/
Ireland	Leinster	LEN-stər	/ˈlɛnstər/
New Zealand	Levin	lə-VIN	/ləˈvɪn/
Australia	Mackay^{[n 10]}	mə-KY	/məˈkaɪ/
Canada	Magaguadavic^[4]	MAK-ə-DAY-vee	/ˌmækəˈdeɪvi/
Australia	Mandurah	MAN-jər-ə	/ˈmændʒərə/
Australia	Mandurama	man-JOOR-ə-mə	/mænˈdʒʊərəmə/
Australia	Manuka	MAH-nə-kə	/ˈmɑːnəkə/
Ireland	Maynooth	mə-NOOTH	/məˈnuːθ/
Australia	Mount Kosciuszko^[5]^{[n 11]}	koz-ee-OSS-koh	/kɒziˈɒskoʊ/
Ireland	Mountcharles	mownt-CHAR-liss	/maʊntˈtʃɑːrlɪs/
Australia	Mudgeeraba	MUH-jee-RAH-bə	/ˌmʌdʒiˈrɑːbə/
Australia	Mukinbudin	MUK-in-boo-din	/ˈmʌkɪnbuːdɪn/
Ireland	Mweelrea	mwayl-REE-ə	/mweɪlˈriːə/
Ireland	Naas	NAYSS	/neɪs/
New Zealand	Northcote	NORTH-kət	/ˈnɔːrθkət/	Multiple places in New Zealand
Canada	Osoyoos	oss-OO-yəss	/ɒˈsuːjəs/	Variant pronunciations of one place
Canada	Osoyoos	oss-OO-yooss	/ɒˈsuːjuːs/	Variant pronunciations of one place
Canada	Osoyoos	SOO-yooss	/ˈsuːjuːs/	Variant pronunciations of one place
Canada	Ossington Avenue	OZ-ing-tən	/ˈɒzɪŋtən/
Canada	Ough's Road, Port Hope	OPS	/ɒps/
Ireland	Owenabue	ohn-ə-BWEE	/oʊnəˈbwiː/	County Cork river
New Zealand	Point Chevalier	POYNT-shev-ə-LEER	/ˈpɔɪntʃɛvəˈlɪər/
Trinidad and Tobago	Pointe-à-Pierre	POYNT-ə-PEER	/ˌpɔɪntəˈpɪər/
Canada	Pouce Coupe	POOSS-koo-pee	/ˈpuːskuːpiː/
Australia	Prahran	p(ə)-RAN	/p(ə)ˈræn/
Canada	Quesnel	kwih-NEL	/kwɪˈnɛl/
Canada	Quidi Vidi	KID-ee-VID-ee	/ˈkɪdiˌvɪdi/
Canada	Quirpon	KAR-poon	/ˈkɑːrpuːn/
Ireland	Raphoe	RAF-oh	/ˈræfoʊ/
Ireland	River Suir	SHOOR	/ʃʊər/
Canada	Rusagonis-Waasis^[6]	ROO-shah-GORN-ish	/ˌruːʃɑːˈɡɔːrnɪʃ/
Canada	Saanich	SAN-itch	/ˈsænɪtʃ/
Bermuda	Sandys Parish	SANDZ	/sændz/
Canada	Sault Sainte Marie	SOO-saynt-mə-REE	/ˈsuː seɪnt məˈriː/
Canada	Sechelt	SEE-shelt	/ˈsiːʃɛlt/
Canada	Sheshatshiu	SHEH-hah-shee	/ˈʃɛhɑːʃiː/
Canada	Skidegate	SKID-ih-ghit	/ˈskɪdɪɡɪt/
Canada	Stouffville	STOH-vil	/ˈstoʊvɪl/
Canada	Strachan Avenue, Toronto	STRAWN	/strɔːn/
Australia	Strahan	STRAWN	/strɔːn/
Ireland	Tallaght	TAL-ə	/ˈtælə/
Australia	Tallangatta	tə-LANG-gə-tə	/təˈlæŋɡətə/
New Zealand	Thames	TEMZ	/tɛmz/
Canada	Thames River	TEMZ	/tɛmz/
Canada	The Pas	dhə-PAH	/ðəˈpɑː/
Ireland	Thurles	THUR-less	/ˈθɜːrlɛs/
Australia	Tiaro	TY-roh	/ˈtaɪroʊ/
Canada	Tsawwasen	tə-WAH-sən	/təˈwɑːsən/	Variant pronunciations of one place
Canada	Tsawwasen	sə-WAH-sən	/səˈwɑːsən/	Variant pronunciations of one place
Ireland	Tuam	CHOO-əm	/ˈtʃuːəm/
Australia	Wagga Wagga	WOG-ə-WOG-ə	/ˈwɒɡəˌwɒɡə/
Australia	Wangi Wangi	WON-jee-WON-jee	/ˈwɒndʒiˌwɒndʒi/
Canada	Waskatenau	wə-SET-nə	/wəˈsɛtnə/
Australia	Wauchope	WAW-hohp	/ˈwɔːhoʊp/
Australia	Woonona	wə-NOO-nə	/wəˈnuːnə/
Ireland	Youghal	YAWL	/jɔːl/

Personal names

Bold names are common; so, while not intuitive, they are among the most well-used. Names in italics are names of non-English origin common among English speakers and only irregular in English pronunciation.

Given names

Specific people

Specific people
Name	Pronunciation		Notability	Notes
Name	Respelling	IPA	Notability	Notes
Alicia Silverstone	ə-lee-SEE-ə	/əliˈsiː.ə/	American actor	According to her; mainly regular outside North America
Anna Faris	like Ana	/ˈɑːnə/	American actor and comedian	Pronunciation mainly regular outside the US and Canada
Chone Figgins	like Shawn	/ˈʃɔːn/	American baseball player	Shortened from DeChone
Chynna Phillips	like China	/ˈtʃaɪnə/	American singer and actor
Colin Powell	KOH-lin	/ˈkoʊlɪn/	American politician
Dav Pilkey	like Dave	/deɪv/	American author and illustrator
Diane Arbus	like Deanne	/diːˈæn/	American photographer	Regular for other holders
Dwyane Wade	like Dwayne	/dweɪn/	American basketball player
Elle Reeve	like Ellie	/ɛliː/	American journalist
Ian Eagle	EYE-ən	/ˈaɪən/	American sports announcer
Ian Ziering	EYE-ən	/ˈaɪən/	American actor
Jäd Saxton	like Jade	/dʒeɪd/	American actor and voice actor
Jeanne Moos	like Jeannie	/ˈdʒiːniː/	American journalist
Joel Anthony	joh-EL	/dʒoʊˈɛl/	Canadian basketball player	Regular for other holders
Joni Eareckson Tada	like Johnny	/ˈdʒɑːniː/	American author, radio host, and artist
Jrue Holiday	like Drew	/druː/	American basketball player
Kiki Cuyler	KY-ky	/ˈkaɪkaɪ/	American baseball player and coach
MaliVai Washington	MAL-ə-vee-ə	/ˈmæləviːə/	American tennis player
Marÿke Hendrikse	mə-RAY-kə	/məˈreɪkə/	Bahamian-Canadian actor and voice actor
Michellie Jones	mih-KEE-lee	/mɪˈkiːli/	Australian triathlete
Mikki Moore	MY-kee	/ˈmaɪki/	American basketball player
Monta Ellis	MON-tay	/ˈmɒnteɪ/	American basketball player
Ramon Sessions	rah-MAHN	/rɑːˈmɑːn/	American basketball player	Regular outside the US and Canada
Sachia Vickery	like Sasha	/ˈsɑːʃə/	American tennis player
Shanna Moakler	like Shayna	/ˈʃeɪnə/	American model and actor	Pronunciation mainly regular outside the US
Wynonna Judd	wy-NOH-nə	/waɪˈnoʊnə/	American country singer
Zoe Lofgren	ZOH	/zoʊ/	American politician and lawyer	Regular for other holders

General use

General use
Name	Pronunciation		Notes
Name	Respelling	IPA	Notes
Anthony	ANT-ə-nee	/ˈæntəni/	European pronunciation; also regular
Breanna, Brianna	bree-AH-nə	/briːˈɑːnə/	American variant pronunciation; also regular
Chloe, Chloë	KLOH-ee	/ˈkloʊi/
Dafydd	DAV-idh	/ˈdævɪð/	Regular in Welsh
Dana	DAYN-ə (North America); DAH-nə (Europe)	/ˈdeɪnə/ (North America); /ˈdɑːnə/ (Europe)	few holders, e.g., Dana Rosemary Scallon and Dana Bash
Dylan	DIL-ən	/ˈdɪlən/	Regular in Welsh, also respelled "Dillon"
Eithne	EN-yə	/ˈɛnjə/	Regular in Irish
Eleanor	EL-ə-nər, EL-ə-nor	/ˈɛlənər, -nɔːr/
Freda	FREE-də	/ˈfriːdə/
Geoffrey	JEF-ree	/ˈdʒɛfri/	Respelled "Jeffrey" in the United States and also Scotland
Hermione^[7]	hur-MY-ə-nee	/hɜːrˈmaɪəni/
Hugh	HEW	/ˈhjuː/
Isaac	EYE-zək	/ˈaɪzək/
Isla	EYE-lə	/ˈaɪlə/
Job	JOHB	/dʒoʊb/
John	JON	/dʒɒn/
Liza	LY-zə	/ˈlaɪzə/	Also regular
Magdalen(e)	MAWD-lin	/ˈmɔːdlɪn/	Archaic pronunciation
Malachi	MAL-ə-ky	/ˈmæləkaɪ/ ^ⓘ
Malcolm	MAL-kəm	/ˈmælkəm/
Michael	MY-kəl	/ˈmaɪkəl/
Morgause	mor-GAYZ	/mɔːrˈɡeɪz/
Naomi, Näomi	NAY-oh-mee, nay-OH-mee	/ˈneɪoʊmi/, /neɪˈoʊmi/
Ngaire	NY-ree	/ˈnaɪri/	Also respelled "Nyree", regular in Māori
Niamh	NEEV	/ˈniːv/	Regular in Irish
Niall	NEE-əl	/ˈniːəl/	Regular in Irish; sometimes regular in English
Owen	OH-in	/ˈoʊɪn/
Penelope^[8]^[9]	pə-NEL-ə-pee	/pəˈnɛləpi/
Phoebe	FEE-bee	/ˈfiːbi/
Ralph	RAYF	/ˈreɪf/	Pronunciation now rare
Rhys	REESS	/ˈriːs/	Regular in Welsh; also respelled "Reece" or "Rees(e)"
Rise, Risë	REE-sə	/ˈriːsə/
Saoirse	SUR-shə	/ˈsɜːrʃə/	Regular in Irish
Seamus, Séamas	SHAY-məs	/ˈʃeɪməs/	Regular as Irish Séamas or Scottish Gaelic Seumas
Sean, Seán	SHAWN	/ˈʃɔːn/	Regular as Irish Seán; also respelled "Shaun" or "Shawn"
Sian, Siân	SHAHN	/ˈʃɑːn/	Regular in Welsh
Siobhan	shih-VAWN	/ʃɪˈvɔːn/	Regular as Irish Siobhán
Stephen	STEE-vən	/ˈstiːvən/
Theresa	tə-REE-sə	/təˈriːsə/	American pronunciation
Theresa	tə-REE-zə	/təˈriːzə/	Non-American pronunciation
Thomas	TOM-əs	/ˈtɒməs/
Vaugh(a)n	VAWN	/ˈvɔːn/	Regular as Welsh Fychan
Zachary	ZAK-ə-ree	/ˈzækəri/
Zoe, Zoë	ZOH-ee	/ˈzoʊi/

Family names

Specific people

Specific people
Name	Pronunciation		Notability	Notes
Name	Respelling	IPA	Notability	Notes
Aaron Copland	like Copeland	/ˈkoʊplənd/	American composer
Andre Dubus	də-BEWSS	/dəˈbjuːs/	American novelist
Andrew P. Iosue^[10]	OZ-way	/ˈɒzweɪ/	American general
Annastacia Palaszczuk	PAL-ə-shay	/ˈpæləʃeɪ/	Australian politician
Benjamin Huger	OO-jee, OO-jay	/ˈuːdʒi/, /ˈuːdʒeɪ/	Confederate American general
Bill Nighy	like nigh	/naɪ/	British actor
Bill Veeck	VEK	/vɛk/	American baseball executive
Brett Favre	FARV	/fɑːrv/	American football player
Cary Elwes	EL-wis	/ˈɛlwɪs/	English actor	Commonly pronounced EL-wayz /ˈɛlweɪz/
Cecelia Cichan	like Sheehan	/ˈʃiːhən/	American plane crash survivor
Clarence Mackay	like Mackey	/ˈmæki/	American financier
Clayton Yeutter	Y-EYE-tər	/ˈjaɪtər/	American politician
Cliff Politte	pol-EET	/pɒˈliːt/	American baseball player
Clifford Geertz	GURTS	/ɡɜːrts/	American anthropologist
Craig Chaquico	chə-KEE-soh	/tʃəˈkiːsoʊ/	American musician	Mimics Portuguese Chaquiço
Dan Cortese	like Cortez	/kɔːrˈtɛz/	American actor and broadcaster
Dan Majerle	like Marley	/ˈmɑːrli/	American basketball player
Dana Suesse	SWEESS	/swiːs/	American composer
Daniel Ricciardo	like Ricardo	/rɪˈkɑːrdoʊ/	Australian racing driver
Darrell Issa	EYE-sə	/ˈaɪsə/	American politician and entrepreneur
David Acer	AK-ər	/ˈækər/	Canadian comedian and magician
David Icke	like Ike	/aɪk/	English conspiracy writer
David Lange	LONG-ee	/ˈlɒŋi/	32nd prime minister of New Zealand
Dionne Warwick	WOR-wik	/ˈwɔːrwɪk/	American singer
Don Ameche	ə-MEE-chee	/əˈmiːtʃiː/	American actor
Donald F. Glut	GLOOT	/ɡluːt/	American writer and actor
Edward Ruscha	roo-SHAY	/ruːˈʃeɪ/	American painter
Eli Broad	BROHD	/broʊd/	American businessman
Elizabeth Goudge^[11]	GOOJ	/ɡuːdʒ/	English writer
Fiennes family^[11]	like fines	/faɪnz/	British family of actors
Geraldine McCaughrean	mə-KAWK-rən	/məˈkɔːkrən/	British children's writer
Guy Fieri	fee-ED-ee	/fiˈɛdi/	American restaurateur
Heather Mizeur	mih-ZEER	/mɪˈzɪər/	American politician
Herman Wouk	like woke	/woʊk/	American writer
Hillary Haag	HAYG	/heɪɡ/	American actor and voice actor
Isaiah Canaan	like cannon	/ˈkænən/	American basketball player
Isley Brothers	EYEZ-lee	/ˈaɪzliː/	American musicians
Jackie Speier	like spear	/spɪər/	American politician	Regular otherwise
James Anthony Froude^[11]	FROOD	/fruːd/	English historian and novelist
James Naughtie	NAWKH-tee	/ˈnɔːxti/	British journalist
Jason Chaffetz	CHAY-fits	/ˈtʃeɪfɪts/	American politician
Jessie Grelle	GREE-əl-ee	/ˈɡriːəli/	American actor and voice actor
Jim Bakker	like baker	/ˈbeɪkər/	American televangelist
Jim Fuchs^[12]	FEWSH	/fjuːʃ/	American shot put athlete
John Boehner	BAY-nər	/ˈbeɪnər/	American politician
John Boozman	like Boseman	/ˈboʊzmən/	American politician
John Caius	like keys	/kiːz/	English doctor
John Donne	DUN	/dʌn/	English poet and cleric
John Keble	KEE-bəl	/ˈkiːbəl/	English churchman and poet
John H. Kerr	like car	/kɑːr/	American politician
Johnny Manziel	man-ZEL	/mænˈzɛl/	American football player
Jonathan Toews	TAYVZ	/teɪvz/	Canadian hockey player
Justin Duchsherer	DOOK-shər	/ˈduːkʃər/	American baseball player
K. C. Boutiette	BOO-tee-ay	/ˈbuːtieɪ/	American speed skater
Karch Kiraly	kirr-EYE	/kɪˈraɪ/	American volleyball player and coach
Karen Sillas	like Silas	/ˈsaɪləs/	American actor
Keir Dullea	də-LAY	/dəˈleɪ/	American actor
Kirk Rueter	REET-ər	/ˈriːtər/	American baseball player
Klaus Roth	ROHTH	/roʊθ/	British mathematician
L. David Mech	MEETCH	/miːtʃ/	American biologist
LeGarrette Blount	like blunt	/blʌnt/	American football player
Larry Woiwode	WY-wuud-ee	/ˈwaɪwʊdi/	American writer
Laura Nyro	like Nero	/ˈnɪəroʊ/	American musician
Lauren Tewes	TWEEZ	/twiːz/	American actor
Lee Godie	GOH-day	/ˈɡoʊdeɪ/	American painter
Lisa Rieffel	rə-FEL	/rəˈfɛl/	American actor and musician
Lou Piniella	pə-NEL-ə	/pəˈnɛlə/	American baseball player and manager
Marge Roukema	ROK-ə-mə	/ˈrɒkəmə/	American politician
Marin Mazzie	MAY-zee	/ˈmeɪzi/	American actor
Mary Renault	REN-ohlt	/ˈrɛnoʊlt/	English novelist
Matt Groening	GRAY-ning	/ˈɡreɪnɪŋ/	American cartoonist
Mike Doughty	DOH-tee	/ˈdoʊti/	American musician
Mike Krzyzewski	shih-ZHEF-skee	/ʃɪˈʒɛfski/	American college basketball coach	Mimics Polish Krzyżewski but with a silent initial "k"
Patricia Wrede	REED-ee	/ˈriːdi/	American author
Patti Scialfa	SKAL-fə	/ˈskælfə/	American singer
Pete Reiser	REESS-ər	/ˈriːsər/	American baseball player and coach
Peter Agre	AHG-ray	/ˈɑːɡreɪ/^[13]	American chemist
Rachael Scdoris	sə-DOR-iss	/səˈdɔːrɪs/	American musher
Randy Neugebauer	NAWG-ə-bow-ər	/ˈnɔːɡəbaʊ.ər/	American politician
Rob Kearney	like Carney	/ˈkɑːrni/	Irish rugby player
Robert Fulghum	FUUL-jəm	/ˈfʊldʒəm/	American writer
Robert Faucheux	foh-SHAY	/foʊˈʃeɪ/	American politician
Robert Horry	ORR-ee	/ˈɒri/	American basketball player
Robert Mapplethorpe	MAY-pəl-thorp	/ˈmeɪpəlθɔːrp/	American photographer
Roger Boisjoly	boh-zhə-LAY	/boʊʒəˈleɪ/	American aerospace engineer
Roger B. Taney	like tawny	/ˈtɔːni/	American former Chief Justice
Ron Faucheux	foh-SHAY	/foʊˈʃeɪ/	American lawyer and scholar
Ronald Fedkiw	FED-koh	/ˈfɛdkoʊ/	American mathematician
Samuel Pepys	like Peeps	/piːps/	English MP
Sandra Fluke	FLUUK	/flʊk/	American lawyer and women's rights activist	May be regular outside the US
Sara Bareilles	bə-REL-iss	/bəˈrɛlɪs/	American musician
Shia LaBeouf	lə-BUF	/ləˈbʌf/	American actor
Simone Giertz	YETCH	/jɛtʃ/	Swedish engineer and internet personality	Mimics Swedish /jæʈːʂ/
Stephen Cole Kleene	KLAYN-ee	/ˈkleɪniː/	American mathematician
Terri Schiavo	SHY-voh	/ˈʃaɪvoʊ/	American, subject of Terri Schiavo case
Thomas Carew	like Carey	/ˈkɛəriː/	English poet
Todd Tiahrt	TEE-hart	/ˈtiːhɑːrt/	American politician
Vernon Dahmer	DAY-mər	/ˈdeɪmər/	American activist
William Butler Yeats	like Yates	/jeɪts/	Irish poet and playwright
William Foege	FAY-ghee	/ˈfeɪɡi/	American physician
William Froude^[11]	FROOD	/fruːd/	British naval engineer
William Hulme^[11]	like Hume	/hjuːm/	English lawyer
William Whewell	HEW-əl	/ˈhjuːəl/	English polymath

General use

General use
Name	Pronunciation		Notes
Name	Respelling	IPA	Notes
Abercorn	AV-ər-korn	/ˈævərkɔːrn/
Aucoin	aw-KOYN	/ɔːˈkɔɪn/
Aucoin	oh-KOYN	/oʊˈkɔɪn/
Aucoin	oh-KWAN	/oʊˈkwæn/
Aucoin	oh-KWEEN	/oʊˈkwiːn/
Ayscough	like askew	/əˈskjuː/
Bagehot	BAJ-ət	/ˈbædʒət/
Beauchamp	BEE-chəm	/ˈbiːtʃəm/
Beauclerk	boh-KLAIR	/boʊˈklɛər/
Berkeley	like Barkley	/ˈbɑːrkli/	Mainly British pronunciation
Bohun	like Boon	/buːn/
Blount	like Blunt	/blʌnt/
Boulware	like Bowler	/ˈboʊlər/	Also regular
Bowie	BOO-ee	/ˈbuːi/	Uncommon
Brough	BRUF	/brʌf/
Buccleugh	bə-KLOO	/bəˈkluː/
Buyer	BOO-yər	/ˈbuːjər/	Also regular
Cadogan	kə-DUG-ən	/kəˈdʌɡən/
Cheves	CHIV-iss	/ˈtʃɪvɪs/
Chisholm	CHIZ-əm	/ˈtʃɪzəm/
Coke	like Cook	/kʊk/
Colc(o)lough	KOK-lee	/ˈkɒkli/
Colc(o)lough	KOHK-lee	/ˈkoʊkli/
Crichton	KRY-tən	/ˈkraɪtən/
Cholmondeley	CHUM-lee	/ˈtʃʌmli/
Cockburn	like Coburn	/ˈkoʊbərn/
Colquhoun	like Cahoon	/kəˈhuːn/
Cowper	like Cooper	/ˈkuːpər/	Also regular
Cruwys	KROOZ	/ˈkruːz/
Cuyjet	soo-ZHAY	/suːˈʒeɪ/
Dalyell	dee-EL	/diˈɛl/
Dalziel	dee-EL	/diˈɛl/
Davies	like Davis	/ˈdeɪvɪs/	Sometimes regular
Death	DEETH	/diːθ/	See footnote a. in article for pronunciation.
De'Ath	dee-AHT	/diˈɑːt/
DeLaughter	dih-LAW-tər	/dɪˈlɔːtər/
Delevingne	del-ə-VEEN	/dɛləˈviːn/	French-origin family name, as in Cara Delevingne
De Ros	də-ROOZ	/dəˈruːz/
Devere(a)ux	DEV-ər-oh	/ˈdɛvəroʊ/
Devere(a)ux	DEV-ər-ooks	/ˈdɛvəruːks/
Doughty	DOW-tee	/ˈdaʊti/
Dyches	like dikes	/daɪks/
Eames	like Ames	/eɪmz/	Often regular
Ehle	EEL-ee	/ˈiːli/
Faneuil	FAN-yəl	/ˈfænjəl/ ^[11]
Fe(a)therstonhaugh^[11]	FAN-shaw	/ˈfænʃɔː/
Fe(a)therstonhaugh^[11]	FEE-sən-hay	/ˈfiːsənheɪ/
Fe(a)therstonhaugh^[11]	FEER-stən-haw	/ˈfɪərstənhɔː/
Fe(a)therstonhaugh^[11]	FESS-tən-haw	/ˈfɛstənhɔː/
Geogehan	GAY-gən or ghih-HAY-gən	/ˈɡeɪɡən/ or /ɡɪˈheɪɡən/ ^[11]
Geoghegan	GAY-gən or ghih-HAY-gən	/ˈɡeɪɡən/ or /ɡɪˈheɪɡən/ ^[11]
Gieves	GHEEVZ	/ɡiːvz/
Greenhalgh	GREEN-hahlsh	/ˈɡriːnhɑːlʃ/
Greenhalgh^[11]	GREEN-halj	/ˈɡriːnhældʒ/
Greenhalgh^[11]	GREEN-halsh	/ˈɡriːnhælʃ/
Greenhalgh^[11]	GREEN-hawl	/ˈɡriːnhɔːl/
Grosvenor^[11]	GROH-və-noor	/ˈɡroʊvənʊər/
Grosvenor^[11]	GROH-vən-ər	/ˈɡroʊvənər/
Gough	like Goff	/ɡɒf/
Greenough	GREE-noh	/ˈɡriːnoʊ/
Guice	GHYSS	/ɡaɪs/
Guild	like guiled	/ɡaɪld/
Hardes	HARDZ	/hɑːrdz/
Harewood^[11]	like Harwood	/ˈhɑːrwʊd/
Home^[11]	HEWM	/hjuːm/
Hough	like Huff	/hʌf/
Jacques	JAYKS	/dʒeɪks/	Uncommon
Jervois	JAR-vəss	/ˈdʒɑːrvəs/	Australian, British^[14]
Jervois	JUR-voyss	/ˈdʒɜːrvɔɪs/	New Zealander, Hongkonger^[15]
Jordan	JURD-ən	/ˈdʒɜːrdən/	Uncommon
Jourdan	JURD-ən	/ˈdʒɜːrdən/
Keogh	KYOH	/kjoʊ/
Kehoe	KYOH	/kjoʊ/
Kerr	KUR	/kɜːr/	Mainly Scottish and close Debrett's adherents
Keynes	KAYNZ	/keɪnz/
Landrieu	LAN-droo	/ˈlændruː/
Lalor	like Lawlor	/ˈlɔːlər/
Lange	like Lang	/læŋ/
Lascelles	LASS-əlss	/ˈlæsəls/
Leicester	like Lester	/ˈlɛstər/
Legaré	lə-GREE	/ləˈɡriː/
Leveson-Gower	LEW-sən-GOR, LOO-	/ˈljuːsənˈɡɔːrˌ ˈluː-/
Lewes	like Lewis	/ˈluːɪs/
Loesch	LASH	/ˈlæʃ/	Mainly North American pronunciation
Lygon	LIG-ən	/ˈlɪɡən/
Machin	MAY-chin	/ˈmeɪtʃɪn/
MacCaughey, McCaughey	like McCoy	/məˈkɔɪ/
MacGrath, McGrath	mə-GRAH	/məˈɡrɑː/	Pronunciation mainly Irish
MacKay, McKay	mə-KY	/məˈkaɪ/	Pronunciation mainly Scottish
MacLean, McLean	like McClain	/məˈkleɪn/^[16]^[17]^[18]	Sometimes regular
MacLeod, McLeod	like McCloud	/məˈklaʊd/
MacMahon, McMahon	like McMann	/məkˈmæn/
Mainwaring	MAN-ər-ing	/ˈmænərɪŋ/
Marjoribanks	MARTCH-banks	/ˈmɑːrtʃbænks/
Marlborough	MORL-bər-ə	/ˈmɔːrlbərə/
Maugham	MAWM	/mɔːm/
Meagher	MAH-(hə)r	/mɑːr/, /ˈmɑːhər/
Melancon	mə-LAW-saw	/məˈlɔːsɔː/	Mimics French Melançon
Menzies	MING-iss	/ˈmɪŋɪs/	Regular outside Scotland
Molyneux	MOL-ee-new	/ˈmɒlɪnjuː/
Moog	MOHG	/moʊɡ/
Moragne	morr-AY-nee	/mɒˈreɪni/
Muir	MYOR	/mjɔːr/
Muirhead	MEER-hed	/mɪərhɛd/
Muirhead	MYOR-hed	/mjɔːrhɛd/
Muirhead	MURE-hed	/mjʊərhɛd/
Muschamp	MUSH-amp	/ˈmʌʃæmp/
Ouzts	OOTS	/uːts/
Peirce	PURSS	/pɜːrs/	Uncommon
Petre	like Peter	/ˈpiːtər/
Pierce	PURSS	/pɜːrs/	Uncommon
Pole	POOL	/puːl/	As in Pole-Carew
Pou	PEW	/pjuː/	Also regular if from Catalan
Powell	like pole	/poʊl/
Powell	POW-əl	/ˈpaʊəl/
Prioleau	PRAY-loh	/ˈpreɪloʊ/
Proulx	PROO	/pruː/
Pulitzer	PEW-lit-sər	/ˈpjuːlɪtsər/	Common but incorrect
Quincy	KWIN-zee	/ˈkwɪnziː/	Slightly uncommon
Raleigh	RAW-lee	/ˈrɔːli/
Rehm	REEM	/riːm/
Reich	RYSH	/raɪʃ/	Uncommon
Reynolds	REN-ohldz	/ˈrɛnoʊldz/
Rhea	like Rae	/reɪ/	Also regular
Rhys	like Reece	/riːs/
Riordan	REER-dən	/ˈrɪərdən/
Roosevelt	ROHZ-ə-velt	/ˈroʊzəvɛlt/	Often regular
Rozier	roh-ZHEER	/roʊˈʒɪər/	Otherwise regular, i.e., /roʊˈzɪər/
Saint/St. Clair	like Sinclair	/ˈsɪnklɛər/	Uncommon
Saint/St. John	SIN-jən	/ˈsɪndʒən/	Also regularly
Saint/St. John	sin-JON	/sɪnˈdʒɒn/	Uncommon
Salisbury	SAWLZ-bər-ee, SOLZ-	/ˈsɔːlzbəri, ˈsɒlz-/
Sandys	like Sands	/sændz/
Schlumberger	SHLUM-bər-zhay	/ˈʃlʌmbərʒeɪ/	Also regular if from German
Schaffer	SHAY-fər	/ˈʃeɪfər/	Also regular
Scrope	SKROOP	/skruːp/
Seau	SOH	/soʊ/
Seay	like say	/seɪ/	Uncommon
Seay	like see	/siː/
Shea	SHAY	/ʃeɪ/
Smellie	like Smiley	/ˈsmaɪli/
Somerset	SUM-ər-set	/ˈsʌmərsɛt/
Sough	SUF	/sʌf/
Stough	STOH	/stoʊ/
Strachan	STRAK(H)-ən	/ˈstræxən/~/ˈstrækən/
Strachan	STRAWN	/strɔːn/
Strange	STRANG	/stræŋ/	Uncommon
Synge	like sing	/sɪŋ/
Tal(i)aferro	like Tolliver	/ˈtɒlɪvər/	Also regular if from Italian
Thome	TOH-may	/toʊˈmeɪ/
Threatt	THREET	/θriːt/
Tilghman	like Tilman	/ˈtɪlmən/
Tjoelker	like choker	/ˈtʃoʊkər/
Trevelyan	trə-VIL-yən	/trəˈvɪljən/
Teutel	like Tuttle	/ˈtʌtəl/
Tyrwhitt	TIRR-it	/ˈtɪrɪt/
Urquhart	UR-kərt	/ˈɜːrkərt/
Vanderhorst	van-DROSS	/vænˈdrɒs/	Also regular
Vaugh(a)n	VAWN	/vɔːn/
Waldegrave	WAWL-grayv	/ˈwɔːlɡreɪv/
Winzet	WIN-yət	/ˈwɪnjət/
Wodehouse	like Woodhouse	/ˈwʊdhaʊs/
Worcester	WUUS-tər	/ˈwʊstər/
Wriothesley	RAWTS-lee	/ˈrɔːtsli/
Wriothesley^[19]	RY-əth-slee	/ˈraɪəθsli/
Wriothesley	RIZ-lee	/ˈrɪzli/
Wriothesley^[20]	RYZE-lee	/ˈraɪzli/
Wriothesley	ROHZ-lee	/ˈroʊzli/
Wriothesley	ROKS-lee	/ˈrɒksli/
Yeend	YEND	/jɛnd/
Yount	YUNT	/jʌnt/

Notes

^ For towns near the cusp of two dialect regions, both variants are usually heard, and wider still for important cities or even within them. Examples in that article include New York City and Bath
^ Besides Birmingham, Alabama, -ham after ⟨ing⟩ of Buckingham, Cunningham, Rockingham, etc. is usually and typically pronounced /hæm/ in the United States and Canada, but not after ⟨n⟩ or ⟨r⟩ in Burnham and Durham. Additionally, the /hæm/ pronunciation is also found even among Australians in addition to /(h)əm/, especially Rockingham, Western Australia.
^ Examples are East Greenwich, Greenwich townships in Cumberland, Gloucester, and Warren counties, and Greenwich census-designated places in Cumberland and Warren, all in New Jersey; Norwich and Norwich Township, Ontario, Canada; and Norwich, Connecticut.
^ Some English places have the pronunciation /wɪk/ instead: Southwick, West Sussex; Painswick, Gloucestershire; Prestwick and Hardwick, as well as Pickwick, a former village in Wiltshire from which the novel The Pickwick Papers got its title, but these by population represent a very small minority.
^ cf. influential Duke of Albany and Albany, New York
^ French for "Bay of Hope", and paradoxically pronounced "Bay Despair"
^ Canberra as /kænˈbɛrə/ is rare and deprecated
^ Same as the surname.
^ Same as the surname.
^ When spoken in the clipped way, the same as original Scottish surname McKay.
^ Polish-derived pronunciation /kɒˈʃʊʃkoʊ/ is sometimes used for the Australian example.

References

^ "Schenectady". Oxford Dictionaries UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press.^{[dead link‍]}
^ "Schenectady". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
^ "Agassiz". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
^ "Magaguadavic". Place Names of New Brunswick. Public Archives of New Brunswick. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
^ "Kosciuszko" in Butler, Susan (ed), Macquarie Dictionary (online ed, at 26 November 2020)
^ "Rusagonis". Place Names of New Brunswick. Public Archives of New Brunswick. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
^ "Hermione". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
^ "Penelope". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
^ "Penelope". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
^ "Biographies : GENERAL ANDREW P. IOSUE". Af.mil. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s Wells, John C. (2000). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 2nd ed. Longman. ISBN 0-582-36468-X.
^ Douglas Martin, James E. Fuchs, Innovator in the Shot-Put, Dies at 82, New York Times, 18 October 2010
^ "Voices Against Indifference Initiative". Echofoundation.org. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
^ "The pronunciation of placenames". Macquarie Dictionary. 10 February 2016.
^ Andrew Yanne; Gillis Heller (2009). Signs of a Colonial Era (PDF). Hong Kong University Press. p. 3. ISBN 978-962-209-944-9.
^ "Pronunciation Of Surnames". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
^ "Mclean | Define Mclean at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
^ "NHL pronunciation guide". USA Today. 4 February 2000. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
^ Wells, J. C. Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 3rd edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited, 2008.
^ "Set VII, texts and comments". Utm.edu. Retrieved 9 October 2012.

Place names

General rules

Specific places

Personal names

Given names

Specific people

General use

Family names

Specific people

General use

See also

Notes

References

Further reading