# Correct pronunciation of "Cecil"... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2000, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245 "2000-04-26T09:13:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/1 "2000-04-26T09:13:00Z")
What’s the correct way to pronounce Cecil’s name? Is it “seh-sill” or “see-sill” or “seh-sull” or what? I have this horrible fear of bringing up his columns in casual conversation and having someone say “IDIOT! It’s not pronounced like THAT…” * * * -SPOOFE ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/2 "2000-04-26T09:15:00Z")
It’s pronounced “ED” with a soft “e”. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/3 "2000-04-26T09:21:00Z")
Baseball great Cecil Feilder’s was pronounced “seh-sill”. This was also true of 'sideshow Bob’s brother Cecil on ‘The Simpson’s’. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Armageddon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mister\_Armageddon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Armageddon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/4 "2000-04-26T12:47:00Z")
I’m pretty sure it was pronounced “see-sill” on the show, so that’s what I’d go by. Then again, it’s possible that Mike Lukas was pronouncing it wrong, so…eh, just go by your instincts on this one. I doubt if it matters that much to Ed/Cecil anyway. * * * Mr. Armageddon “Just when you thought you had all the answers, I went and changed the questions!”–Roddy Piper ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2000, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/5 "2000-04-26T13:16:00Z")
It is SPELLED “Cecil”, but it is pronounced: “Throat-wobbler mangrove”. 🙂 * * * -Dragwyr “If God had meant for man to eat waffles, he would have given him lips like snowshoes” -Rev. Billy C. Wirtz ---
**Author:** ![junebeetle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@junebeetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/junebeetle)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/6 "2000-04-27T01:41:00Z")
Merriam-Webster’s gives the following two pronunciations for “Cecil”: 'se-s&l, 'si-s&l where: e = “e” as in “bet” & = “u” as in “nut” i = “i” as in “hit” This did not seem correct, since Cecil’s name would have to rhyme with either “vessel” or “Bissel” (but not “diesel” as I had always assumed). A double check in my Random House confirmed this. The dictionary at [infoplease.com](http://infoplease.com) finally cleared up the confusion. The above pronunciation only applies to surnames (e.g. Robert Cecil, William Cecil). When “Cecil” is used as a male given name, it is pronounced with a long e to rhyme with “diesel”. By the way, “Cecil” is derived from the Latin word “cæcus”, which means “blind”. -JB ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/7 "2000-04-27T08:35:00Z")
I have only ever heard it pronounced “see-sill” by American tongues. Seems like it;s always “seh-sill” over here (in the UK). ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/8 "2000-04-27T10:36:00Z")
It says right in the FAQ that it’s seesil. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/9 "2000-04-27T14:16:00Z")
> [@](#): > > It says right in the FAQ that it’s seesil. Stupid American pronunciation 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/10 "2000-04-27T23:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by TheMadHun: > \*\* Stupid American pronunciation ;)\*\* I’m going to hypothesize (=WAG) that the American pronunciation comes from the 50s era cartoon character Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent. It seems possible to me that they modified the pronunciation in the interests of alliteration. And then a generation of Americans grew up thinking it was the right pronunciation. Anyone out there old enough to remember how Cecil was pronounced before this show? * * * “Perky ‘Canada’ has Own Government, Laws” – The Onion ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/correct-pronunciation-of-cecil/11245/11 "2000-04-28T10:01:00Z")
Pronounced, (god), with a hard g. ## Peace. _The final e is silente._