93 replies to this topic

[Revan Baratheon]

@redriver
Lol no when i said it rhymes with being, i meant it partially ryhmes with the tone:
Bara-thee-in
Thats what i meant.

Edited by Revan Baratheon, 06 March 2012 - 06:51 AM.

[Winter's Lady]

Buckwheat, on 06 March 2012 - 06:32 AM, said:

On which syllable you stress Ygritte?
I mostly say something like EE-gritt, which surely is not how it is supposed to be, but there are no real rules about what it is supoosed to be like, is there?

I can't even explain how it sounds in my head, but I kind of stress the second syllable, and the "Y" is lika a short "Ü" I'm sure nobody can puzzle out how I mean that, hell, I'm not even sure how I mean it.

[Revan Baratheon]

Ugritte?
Cmon milady thats just pure blasphemy

[Buckwheat]

Lady of Oldcastle, on 06 March 2012 - 06:37 AM, said:

I can't even explain how it sounds in my head, but I kind of stress the second syllable, and the "Y" is lika a short "Ü" I'm sure nobody can puzzle out how I mean that, hell, I'm not even sure how I mean it.

Seven hells, I passed the German phonetics exam, I think I know what ü sounds like ! (<- not meant offensive)
I think I can imagine the German pronunciation, and I quite like it. Thank you, my Lady! Now it seems to me that the German pronunciation is exactly the right thing for this name.

Revan, it is not Ugritte, it is Ügritte

[Winter's Lady]

Revan Baratheon, on 06 March 2012 - 06:41 AM, said:

Ugritte?
Cmon milady thats just pure blasphemy

Do I get banned from the forum now? Please no!
And just to point it out, not "U", but "Ü" there's a difference, well at least for me there is I guess that only works in german...

[Ravenhair]

Rhaegar, on 08 April 2010 - 04:05 PM, said:

I think my Latin training has made me instinctively pronounce all names that start with a C or G as hard consonants. Hence, I said:

Cersei = Ker-say
Gendry = Gen-dry (hard G)

Everyone else pronouncing it Ser-say has made me change.

I really am bothered that Martin wants Cersei pronounced with a soft C... why put two different letters for the same sound in one name? Spell it Sersei or Cercei in that case!

I would have thought it would have been Ser-say, until the TV show, where everyone says "Ser-see,"  which was interesting because it immediately made me think of Circe, the character from Greek mythology and I believe that is intentional on GRRM's part. So, now I have to go with "Ser-see."

[Ravenhair]

Buckwheat, on 06 March 2012 - 06:32 AM, said:

On which syllable you stress Ygritte?
I mostly say something like EE-gritt, which surely is not how it is supposed to be, but there are no real rules about what it is supoosed to be like, is there?

I read it as either EE--gritt or EE--greet (just because it looks somewhat French).

[Cat Stormborn]

Blast, double post.

Edited by Cat Stormborn, 15 March 2012 - 08:05 AM.

[Cat Stormborn]

Cat Stormborn, on 28 February 2012 - 08:51 AM, said:

I watched one episode of Game of Thrones before trying to read the books, but I only got a few chapters in, as I kept getting distracted by the episode I’d seen. So some characters I pronounced differently in the few chapters I read before seeing the show.

I’ll also give a little key as to how I’m spelling the pronunciations:
The symbol ə indicates a neutral vowel sound.
Capitals indicate the emphasised syllable.
ZH is a kind-of harsh SH sound, like in Asia.
ARR is a short A sound, and makes the sound like in Harry.
ORR is the same, but with an O - it gets a short O like in Orange.

Arya: AH-ya
Brienne: bree-EN
Catelyn: KATE-lən (before show) and CAT-lən (after show)
Cersei: SEER-say
Daenerys: DAY-nə-rəss (before show) and də-NAIR-rəss (after show)
Davos: DAV-oss
Eddard: ED-ard
Gregor Clegane: grə-GORE klə-GAIN
Jaime: JAY-me
Joffrey: JOFF-ree (not like Geoffrey, which is JEFF-ree, like Jeffrey)
Loras: LORR-əss
Lyanna: lee-AN-a
Lysa: LICE-a
Melisandre: mel-ə-SAND-rə
Myrcella: mer-SELL-a
Petyr Baelish: PEET-a (Peter) BAY-lish
Rhaegar: RARE-gah
Rickon: rick-ON
Sandor Clegane: SAND-or klə-GAIN
Sansa: SAHN-sa
Theon: THEE-on (soft TH)
Tommen: TOM-ən
Tyrion: TIH-ree-ən
Tywin: TY-wən

Aegon: AIR-gon
Aemon: AIR-mən
Aeron: AIR-rən
Aerys: AIR-rəss
Asha: AH-sha (I actually know someone with this name)
Balon: BAY-lon
Benjen: BEN-jən
Damphair: DAMP-hair
Euron: YURE-ron
Falyse: fə-LEECE
Gendry: JEN-dree (at first) but GEN-dree (now)
Genna: JEN-a
Gilly: GILL-ee
Ilyn Payne: EYE-lən PAIN
Jalabhar Xho: ZHAHL-ə-bah HOE (I don’t know why I don’t pronounce the X, I just don’t)
Janos Slynt: YAH-noss SLINT
Jaquen H’Gar: ZHAH-kwən h’GAH
Jeyne: JANE
Khal Drogo: KAHL (like Carl) DRO-go
Lollys: LOL-əss
Margaery: mah-GAIR-ree
Nymeria: ny-MEER-ree-a
Oberyn: OBE-ə-rən
Rhaella: ray-ELLE-a
Selyse: sə-LICE
Thoros ofMyr: THAW-ross of MER (soft TH)
Victarion: vick-TAH-ree-ən
Viserys: VISS-ə-rəss (before show) and və-SAIR-rəss (after show)
Xaro Xhoan Daxos: ZAH-ro (occasionally ZARR-o) ZHOAN DAKS-oss (and somehow I have three different pronunciations of one letter in the same name...)
Ygritte: IG-rət

Arryn: ARR-rən (like the name Aaron)
Baratheon: bə-RATH-ee-ən (soft TH)
Lannister: LAN-ə-sta
Martell: mar-TELL
Targaryen: tah-GAIR-ree-ən
Tyrell: ty-RELL

Braavos: BRAH-voss
Essos: ESS-oss
Eyrie: EYE-ree
Meereen: mee-REEN
Myr: MER
Pentos: PENT-oss
Qarth: KARTH
Skagos: SKAH-goss
Yunkai: YOOHN-ky
Valyria: və-LEER-ree-a
Westeros: WEST-ə-ross

Just thought I'd add some more names/words I forgot:

Arianne: arry-AHN
Aurane: or-RAIN
Azor Ahai: az-OR ə-HY
Baelor: BAY-lor
Balerion: bə-LEER-ree-ən
Braavosi: brah-VOASS-ee
Celtigar: SELL-tee-gah
Cleos: KLEE-oss
Cyvasse: sə-VAYSS
Daario Naharys: DAH-ree-oh nə-HAH-rəss
Doran: də-RAN (long A)
Dothraki: doth-RAH-kee
Drogon: DRO-gon
Elia: EE-lee-a
Eyrie: EYE-ree
Ghis: GEESE
Hizdahr zo Loraq: HIZ-dah zo LOR-rak
Jaehaerys: jə-HAIR-rəss
Maester: MICE-ta
Missandei: mə-SAN-day
Pyat Pree: pee-AT PREE
Rakharo: rə-KAH-ro
Ramsay: RAM-zee
Rhaegal: RARE-gahl
Salladhor Saan: SAH-lə-dor SAHN
Shireen: shy-REEN
Skahaz: SKAHZ
Tokar: TOKE-ah
Trystane Martell: TRISS-tane mar-TELL
Tysha: TYSH-a
Viserion: və-SAIR-ree-ən
Vaes Dohthrak: VAY-əss DOTH-rahk

I pronounce most 'ae's like 'air'. The reason I don't pronounce Cersei as SIR-see is because if it was pronounced that way, it should be spelt Circe. The letters 'ei' should be pronounced AY, like in Reinaldo, lei, Leia, sensei, etc.

Edited by Cat Stormborn, 15 March 2012 - 08:18 AM.

[B1OO1DRAVEN]

I think my only weird pronunciation tick is Melisandre's name. I say it as "Meh-lee-SAND". Completely ignoring the "re" at the end of her name idk.

[ckal]

The one I've been having so much trouble with that it actually distracts me from my reading (almost done with AFFC) is Arys Oakheart.

Based on a lot of other characters, the pronunciation I think I've decided to go with is:

Arr-iss.



I also prefer:

Tyrosh = Teer-osh
Myr= Meer
Lys= Lees

Tyrell is another tough one.

Tie-rell
Teer-ell
Tur-rell

Tyene the Sand Snake I go for:

Tee-en

For Lyseni:

Lee-sen-ee

I don't know how anyone could pronounce Damphair other than Damp-hair. I saw an interview with GRRM when he was asked that question and he almost laughed and looked like he wondered if it was a serious question. He pronounces it Damp-hair.

Another one I was shocked to learn that people pronounce differently is Jaime. I've never thought it was something other than Jay-me.

Edited by ckal, 01 June 2012 - 06:18 PM.

[The_Spanish_Inquisition]

Gregor/Sandor Clegane: CLEG-ayne or CLEG-an
Tyrion: Tee-ree-on
Cersei: I REALLY struggled with this one and still have difficulty with it even after having seen the series pronouncing it Sir-see. I pronounce it Keer-see, or Kir-see. Too much Latin influence for me to avoid the hard "c" sound, I suppose.
Daenerys: dan-AIR-iss
Rickon: RICK-in
Arya: Air-ee-a
Petyr: PAY-ter
Ygritte: ee-GREETE

I also have trouble seeing Lysa as anything other than Lisa.

Edited by The_Spanish_Inquisition, 01 June 2012 - 10:12 PM.

[Lady Hodor]

I pronounce Jaime as in it rhyms with maim, or rain, drain, you get it.
And Catelyn, I prounounce it as in Kate-lyn, but the show says Cat-lyn.
Myrcella, as in My, ruh, cella
And Daenerys, strangely, Dan, er, us
And Tyrell, the show emphasises the rell, whereas I never did.
And Victarion, some say Vict- tair- ion, putting in air in place of arr...

[Maester Farwynd]

In my naivete I thought I was pronouncing names the way everyone else did. Clearly that's not the case.
A lot of the main character's names I pronounce based on the show's pronunciation.
Cersei: Ser-say (Sometimes it sounds like Ser-see, I prefer the former)
Daenerys: Duh-nair-iss

With the less traditional (American) names I expected some debate, but a lot of people seem to pronounce seemingly obvious names in interesting ways. Cat Stormborn, I like the comprehensive list.

Though, I will have to disagree with those who pronounce Jaime any way other than Jay-me.