# Abu Ghraib? Abu Gharib? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-abu-gharib/244452 "2004-05-10T14:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-abu-gharib/244452/1 "2004-05-10T14:13:30Z")
Regarding the name of the prison where the photographs of abuse of prisoners were taken. The newspapers spell it “Abu Ghraib,” but broadcasters keep pronouncing it “Abu Gharib.” Which is correct? Are American broadcasters just unable to pronounce “Ghraib”? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-abu-gharib/244452/2 "2004-05-10T14:45:20Z")
Abu Ghr **ai** b. The ‘ai’, as best I understand it, is pronounced similar to ‘eye’. The ‘gh’ is a little harder; it’s kind of like exhaling and pronouncing a hard ‘g’ at the same time. Newbie Arabic speaker here; YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abu-ghraib-abu-gharib/244452/3 "2004-05-10T14:48:46Z")
I’ve been noticing this, too, and it bugs me. _Every_ newscaster, from the BBC on down to my local news, seems to pronounce it “Gharib”, with the “r” separating the syllables. This doesn’t seem to be warranted by the spelling which, even if it is rendered as two syllables (“Ghra – eeb”) wouldn’t put the “r” between them.