The following is a guide to the suggested pronunciation of common names provided by the Language Centre. If there are names which you would like to be added to this list, please contact Ceremonies.
We also suggest using the website Inogolo.com as a pronunciation guide, as it contains audio files of most names in addition to the phonetic spelling.
If you are in any doubt over the correct pronunciation of a particular name, please speak to your Departmental administrative team and/or the Language Centre staff.
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Aarsh
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Arsh
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Abd as in Abd Allah
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“Abbed”- ullah
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Abgadzhava (“dzh” in Russian?)
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Ab-ga-jah-va (j as in jug)
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Afxentiadis (“Afxe” in Greek?)
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Aff-ch(Scottish loch)-enn-tee-ah-dees
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Ahmad
Ahmed
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Arch-med (ch like Scottish loch)
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Andrzejewicz
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And-je-ye-vitch
(drz = like the word Je in French)
(j = y as in yes)
(wicz = vitch)
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Ang
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Ang
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Baenziger
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Bentsinger
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Barciauskas
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Bar-see-ows-kas
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Benkowski
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Ben-kov-skee (owski = ovski)
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Berczik
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Ber-cheek (czik = cheek)
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Bhatia
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Bar-TEE-ya
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Bhattacharya
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Battar-CAR-reeya
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Bienczak
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Been-chark (cz = ch)
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Bojovic
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Bo-yo-vitch (ic = itch)
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Bui
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Bwee
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Cai
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Tsai (like s[igh] in English with "t" sound at the beginning)
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Cao
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Tsao (vowel like in English "c[ow]")
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Celhay
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Tsell-hay
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Cernusakova
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Cher-nusha-kovah
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Chahed
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Sha-hed
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Chartorizhsky
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Shah-tor-ridge-skee
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Chatzidakiris
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Shatzi- da-kir-is
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Che
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Chay ch-g[ir]l
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Cheung / Chung
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shung
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Chiu / Chui
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shi-u
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Chivu
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Tchivoo
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Cho
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sho
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Choi
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Shoy
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Chowdhury
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COW-duree
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Chua
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Shua
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Chugh
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Ch (like Scottish loch)-oog
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Cvijanovic
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Sveearnovitch (cv = sv)
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Dai
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Like Eng. DIE
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Damiani
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Dahmeeanee
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Delestrade
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Deh-less-strahd
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Djimi
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Almost like “Jimmy” but longer ee sound
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Djojosugito
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Jo-yo-su-gee-toh
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Du / Duan
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Ju/Juan d-oo/d-oo-an
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Dzieciaszek
(“Dz” and “sz” in Polish?)
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Je-chich-ashek
(dz = J as in james when followed by an i )
(c = ch as in chair)
(sz = sh as in shop)
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Dziedziniewicz (Polish)
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Je-jine-vitch
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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El Koussa
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El Koossah
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Er
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Air
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Fan
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Fahn
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Gao
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Gow g-[ou]t
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Geclowicz
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Geh-klo-vitz
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Gjebrea
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Jeb(like jug)-bray-ah
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Gkampesi / Gkanoutas
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Kan-u-tas/Kam-pay-zee
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Goh
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Go
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Gohil / Gohel
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GO-heel/Go-hell
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Gollo
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Gaw – low
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Gruszczynski / Kaszynski
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Groo-shin-skee/Kah-shink-ski
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Gu
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Goo
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Guan
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Gwahn
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Guemar
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Goo-ay-mah
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Guo
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Goo -oh
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Hei
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Hay
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Hongyi
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Hong Yee
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Hou
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How
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Hristov / Hristova
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A lighter ch sound as in Scottish Loch : Chris-toff/
Chris-tova
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Hsiao
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Tsi-ow (like bow-wow)
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Hsieh
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Tsi-ay
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Hsu
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Tsue
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Huang
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Whu-ang
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Hui
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Hu-wee
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Huynh
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Whu -unn
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Ilczyszyn
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Very difficult!!! Eel-chi-shin
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Ioana
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EEyoana
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Jayaswal
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Yay-ars-wahl
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Jeong
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Jong ( the J like the Eng. Jaguar)
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Jha
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Jah (like J in Jug)
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Jha / Jhalani
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Zhah/zhalani
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Ji / Jia / Jian
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Gee/Gee-ah/Gee-ehn like children’s English gee-gee
or jug
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Jiang
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Jee-ang
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Ju
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Ju (like J in Jug)
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Junyan
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Yun –yan
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Surname
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Kaszynski
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Kah-shink-ski
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Lai / Lau
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Lie/ Low like bow wow)
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Leong / Leung
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Lay-ung
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Li
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Lee
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Liang
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Lee-ang
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Liew
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Lee-uh
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Liu / Luo
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Lee-u/Lu-oh
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Malhotra
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Mal-hoh-tra
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Marzia
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Martsia
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Mehler / Mehra
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Mailer/may-rahg
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Mehta
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May-tah
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Mohammad
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Mohammed
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Moumouri
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Moo-moori
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Mueller
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Difficult like short French “u”. If you can’t do it, say Muller
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Surname
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Ng
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All the following are the most diplomatic approximations as the Ng sound is really just a nasalised introductory sound.
Ing (as in England)
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Ngam
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Nuh-GAHM
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Ngan
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Nuh-GAHN
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Ngau
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Nuh-GOW (bow-wow)
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Ngo
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Nuh-GOH
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Niu
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New
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O
| Name | Pronunciation |
|---|
| Odrowaz |
Odrorwahz |
| Oh |
Oh |
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Panayiotou
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Pah-nay-yee-ot-too
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Pandya
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Pand-DEE-ya
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Pierre-Charles
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Pierre Sharl
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Png
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Puhn
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Qi
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Chee
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Qian
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Chee-an
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Qiu
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Chee-oo (like boo)
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Qu
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Choo (like boo)
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Quarteroni
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Kwarteroh-nee
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Quraishi
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Kee-ray-shi
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Rai
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A bit like English RYE
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Rauf
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Roaf (as in loaf)
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Riaz
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Ree-az
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Shaikh / Sheikh
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Like English Shake
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Shi / Shih
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Shee
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Songzhou
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Song – jouh (as in ouch!)
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Srinivasan
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Sur-rinni-vah-san
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Stepanovs
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Steppanoffs
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Sypniewska
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Soup-nee-ay-veskah
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Sztenke
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Shuhtenkuh
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Teo
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Tay - oh
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Tkach
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Kartch
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Tkalec
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Kah-letch
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Toh / Tok
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Toe/Toe-k
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Xia
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Sh-ee-a / Shah
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Xiao
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Sh-ee-a-o (Sh-ee-[ou]t)
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Xiaoyang
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Shou (as in in “ouch!”) –yang
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Xie
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Jay sh-ee-[ye]s
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Xin
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Gin (!) sh-in
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Xu
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Jew sh-i with a circle lip
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Xue
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Jew-ay sh
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Yanran
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Yan-ran
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Yau
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Yow (bow wow)
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Yaohui
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Ya –o- hooey
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Yeo / Yeoh
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Yay-oh
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Yu
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Ü (like "ee" with round lips)
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Yuen
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Yu-en
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Yuan / Yuen
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Yu-ann/Yu-enn
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Yuewen
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Yoou-ay-wen
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Yuh
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Like English you
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Name
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Suggested Pronunciation
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Zaida
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Zie (like English Die)-da
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Zaidi
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Zeye (like eye) –ee-dee
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Zhang
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Jang
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Zhao
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[Ju]g - [o] - Zh like J in "jug" - vowels like in n[ow]
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Zhe
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Jay
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Zhou
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like English Joe
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Zheng
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Jeng
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Zhu
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Jew
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Zhuang
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Jew-ahng
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Zycinski
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Zee-shinski
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