Character Name Pronunciations

[Rhaegar's Rubies]

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!

[SerNotAppearingOnThisBoard]

Catelyn: Kate-linn

Daenerys: Duh-nair-iss (I figure the "ae" is unstressed)

Gendry: Gen-dree (hard g)

Rickon: Rick-on

Tyrion: Tie-ree-un (because I can't reconcile Tywin and Tyrion having different "y" sounds and can't see "Tywin" being pronounced "Tee-win")

Jalabhar Xho: Ja-lab-har Sho

Xaro Xhoan Daxos: Zaro Shoan Daxos (Summer Islander X must have weird properties)

Lyanna: Lee-ah-na

Myrcella: Mir-sel-la

Cersei: Kair-say (don't ask me why)

Davos: Duh-voss

Lysa: Lie-sa

Thoros of Myr: Meer

[Guest Other-in-Law]

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!

Maybe because languages aren't nesessarily logical?

[Rhaegar's Rubies]

Maybe because languages aren't nesessarily logical?

True, but languages do follow certain rules, while a parent chooses how to spell their child's name (or an author his character in this case). It just smacks of yuppie "creativity."

Although, I do think Cersei's name is really cool...

[Restless]

Cersei =Tser-sei

[trio]

OK, I have one - how do you pronounce "Alayne"?

Like Elaine but with an Ah? But doesn't that sound a bit simple and kinda cheesy?

Or Al-AY-neee? Like Jaime?

I prefer that - I prefer the pronounciations not to sound like our regular names.

For that reason, I much prefer "CAT-alyn". Less like a familiar real-world name. It also seems to make more sense since her nickname is Cat.

And OT, but I have a dislike of the name Catelyn pronounced Kate-Lyn. It's a slightly different spelling of the Irish name Caitlín, which is pronounced Cautch-LEEN. The exact opposite way, in fact. And that's annoying to a secret name purist!

[Lady Blackfish]

At first I was going to say that I pronounce it as a-ˈlān or æ-ˈlān (basically, the vowels are like those in champagne though the stressing is a little different) but when I actually say it out loud it comes out more like, I guess, uh-ˈlān. At least a little closer in that direction. Probably close enough to "Elaine" to qualify as cheesy to you, but I don't have a problem with it. I also much prefer 'cat-uh-lin to 'cāt-lin but I don't find that dissimilar to real world names, just reminds me of Katharine more than Caitlin.

[MountainThatRides]

These are my own pronunciations. Most of them are probably wrong, but they're how I've been saying them in my head since I first started reading the series. After the show I'll probably become grudgingly accepting of the "official" pronunciations.

Given Names (mostly)

Arya: Are-ee-yuh

Catelyn: Cat-ell-inn

Jaime: Jayme, one syllable.

Jalabhar Xho: Jal-uh-bar Zo.

Cersei: Ser-say

Myrcella: Meer-sella

Lyanna: Lee-anna

Alayne: Uh-Layn

Daenerys: Duh-nair-iss

Xaro Xhoan Daxos: Zar-oh Zone Daxos (no clue why I pronounce the x as a z, makes it easier to read I suppose.)

Gendry: Gendry, soft G. Like 'gentry' almost. I know what you mean about Latin affecting your reading, considering all consonants are hard, but Westeros roughly corresponds with the middle ages; in most of the languages I would equate with the general setting (i.e. Old English and Early French), soft consonants are prevalent.

Petyr: Peter

Davos: Dave-ohs

Tyrion: Tee-ree-on

Kevan: Kevin

Tywin: Tie-win

Jojen: Joe-jen

Melisandre: Mell-iss-and-er

Brienne: Bree-enn, two syllables. The extra syllable some tack onto the end reminds me too much of Eirenne from Rome.

Doran: Phonetically. Door-anne.

Quentyn: Quentin

Trystane: Tristan

Lysa: Lisa

Areo Hotah: Are-ee-oh Hotah. Perhaps related to Are-ee-oh Speedwagon.

Loras: Lore-ass

Oberyn: Oh-ber-inn

Aegon: Eye-gon

Aemon: Eye-mon

Rhaegar: Rye-gar

House Names

Targaryen: Tar-jar-ee-yen; four syllables, soft G. I know it's probably a hard G but I like the way this rolls off the tongue, reminds me of Plantagenet.

Baratheon: Bare-ath-ee-on

Tyrell: Tie-rell, like the real life name.

Place Names

Lys: Liss

Ghis: Giss, hard G

Braavos: Bravos, sibilant s, emphasis on first syllable.

Quarth: Kwarth

Meereen: Meer-een

Valyria: Vuh-leer-ee-ya

Yunkai: Yun-kye

Rhoyne: Roin

Pentos: Pen-tose, sibilant s, emphasis on first syllable.

Asshai: Uh-shye, though sometimes I think it as "ass-high" for some odd reason.

Other

Khalasar: Cal-uh-sar

Khaleesi: Cal-ees-ee

Khal: Cal

Arakh: Are-ahk

[gumby]

I'm a little surprised to find that I am the only person to pronounce Tyrion's name as Tie-Ryon.

Ty = Tie (obviously) : rion = ryon, like the constellation Orion.

I also pronounce Tywin as Tie-Win, which ties into a lot of the Lannister names. I'm some what heartbroken from the epiphany that I am alone in this world.

[Cat Stormborn]

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

[Revan Baratheon]

Can anyone please help me out?

Ive always pronounced:

Baratheon:As bara-theon(theon rhyming with "being") but in an interview,martin pronounced it as bara-thEON(big emphasizes on eon as in the-on greyjoy)

which just sounds wrong to me.

Also the worst one:

Prince Tommen-Prince Toe-men

Dammit i always said it as Tommen(As in "Prince Thawmen)

Toe-men just sounds wrong.

Oh and as some posters said,Cersei=cer-see NOT Cer-say!!!!

Whos with me?

[Lady Meera Reed]

On the show they pronounced Baratheon as Bə-WRATH-yən. And I love it.

[redriver]

No "right" pronunciation,just depends which side of the pond you're on.GRRM pronounces Westeros as Westerose,like glucose ,whereas an English pronunciation would be Westeross.

Like tomayto -tomahto- depends where you're from.

[Blood.of.my.Blood]

Haven't seen the show but this is how i pronounce most the names (even when i try to force corrections I've come across)

Cersei - ser-say

Tyrion - tih-ree-on

Arya - a-ree-ah

Daenerys - dan-uh-reece

Baratheon - ba-rath-eon

Aegon - ay-gon

Aerys- air-eez

Rhaegar - ray-gahr

Once i start reading names a certain way i struggle to change it

[Blood.of.my.Blood]

Edit, double post

[Buckwheat]

- depends where you're from.

Especially if English is not your first language. I usually pronounce nmes in a way that sound the least foreign to me, especially when I am reading the translated version of the books.

I have never said Cersei anything other than ts^eRs`ej (I cannot write phonetically here and those makeshift pronunciations keys by native English speakers are useless for me, grrrr!).

Am I the only person that stresses Targaryen on the first syllable?

[Winter's Lady]

I kind of adapted the pronounciations of the names like they were spoken on the show.

I'm curious what they will do with Jaqen Hgar.

I saw an interview snippet with Rose Leslie yesterday, and I was surprised about her pronounciation of "Ygritte", sounded like Eeegritt. That's disturbing for me because it sounds so much like the german "igitt" which means "yuck".

[Revan Baratheon]

I kind of adapted the pronounciations of the names like they were spoken on the show.

I'm curious what they will do with Jaqen Hgar.

I saw an interview snippet with Rose Leslie yesterday, and I was surprised about her

pronounciation of "Ygritte", sounded like Eeegritt. That's disturbing for me because it sounds so much like the german "igitt" which means "yuck".

I always thought it was i-grit

[redriver]

I always thought it was i-grit

So it's Revan Bara-theeing is it?

All your kudos has gone out the window

Reconsider,I implore you,before the old gods and the new!!

[Buckwheat]

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?