# Bakers Dozen

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173>\
**Category:** Thread Games\
**Created:** [August 4, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173 "2010-08-04T17:56:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1800

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**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35984 "2015-07-11T23:12:27Z")

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Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)

---

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**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35985 "2015-07-11T23:37:50Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)

:dubious: Really?

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35986 "2015-07-11T23:46:12Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen (win)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35987 "2015-07-11T23:55:20Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled
> 
> 1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
> 2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
> 3. Nguyen (win)

Yeah, but it’s not “win,” it’s more like “Noo-in.”

---

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**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35988 "2015-07-12T00:10:01Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35989 "2015-07-12T01:04:49Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen (new-WIN)
4. Sean (SHAWN)
5. Rossetta (row-ZET-ta)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35990 "2015-07-12T01:05:45Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35991 "2015-07-12T01:17:10Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)

Except for when it’s pronounced Saint John.  
(Is the London area pronounced Saint John’s Wood or Sin-Juan’s wood?)

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35992 "2015-07-12T02:08:15Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35993 "2015-07-12T02:10:41Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)
8. Favre (NFL QB, everybody pronounces it as “Farve”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35994 "2015-07-12T03:30:53Z")

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> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Yeah, but it’s not “win,” it’s more like “Noo-in.”

I know that it’s technically nwin but it sounds a lot more like win than noo-in to your average English speaker.

[How To Pronounce Nguyen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJehmaPnxgY)  
[How to pronounce Nguyễn in Vietnamese](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42BpSYoQjN8)  
[How to say Nguyen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDv6n08WFtA)  
[How To Pronounce Nguyễn](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1s8bIAalV8)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35995 "2015-07-12T03:32:57Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)
8. Favre (NFL QB, everybody pronounces it as “Farve”.
9. Tadhg - An Irish name. It basically sounds like Tiger without the er.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35996 "2015-07-12T06:22:27Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)
8. Favre (NFL QB, everybody pronounces it as “Farve”.
9. Tadhg - An Irish name. It basically sounds like Tiger without the er.
10. Beauchamp- often pronounced Beech-ham

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35997 "2015-07-12T17:42:37Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)
8. Favre (NFL QB, everybody pronounces it as “Farve”.
9. Tadhg - An Irish name. It basically sounds like Tiger without the er.
10. Beauchamp- often pronounced Beech-ham
11. Aoife- Irish, Eva.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35998 "2015-07-12T18:11:13Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)
8. Favre (NFL QB, everybody pronounces it as “Farve”.
9. Tadhg - An Irish name. It basically sounds like Tiger without the er.
10. Beauchamp- often pronounced Beech-ham
11. Aoife- Irish, Eva.
12. Saoirse - Another Irish one. Pronounced SEER-sha.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/35999 "2015-07-12T19:31:59Z")

</div>

Proper names (given or surname) that (to English speakers anyway) are not pronounced like they are spelled

1. Siobhan (shi-VAWN, or something like it)
2. Francois (fran-SWAH)
3. Nguyen
4. Sean
5. Featherstonehaugh (old English name that even English speakers often don’t know should be pronounced “Fenshaw”)
6. St.John (Sin-jun)
7. Chomondeley (“Chumley”)
8. Favre (NFL QB, everybody pronounces it as “Farve”.
9. Tadhg - An Irish name. It basically sounds like Tiger without the er.
10. Beauchamp- often pronounced Beech-ham
11. Aoife- Irish, Eva.
12. Saoirse - Another Irish one. Pronounced SEER-sha.
13. Leicester ("Lester), Worcester (“Wooster”), Gloucester (“Glowster”) – the silent _-ces_ is prevalent in British English.

Next: Non-integer numbers.

1. Pi

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nelson\_Pike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Nelson\_Pike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nelson_Pike)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/36000 "2015-07-12T19:52:23Z")

</div>

Next: Non-integer numbers.

1. Pi
2. h-bar

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/36001 "2015-07-12T22:06:57Z")

</div>

Non-integer numbers.

1. Pi
2. h-bar
3. √2

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/36002 "2015-07-12T22:31:23Z")

</div>

Non-integer numbers.

1. Pi
2. h-bar
3. √2
4. i (√-1)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bakers-dozen/549173/36003 "2015-07-12T22:31:32Z")

</div>

Non-integer numbers.

1. Pi
2. h-bar
3. √2
4. i (√-1)
5. e, for Euler

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