# houynhnhm pronunciation **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092 "2010-11-18T14:39:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/1 "2010-11-18T14:39:18Z")
I have yet to read _Gulliver’s Travels_ so when I found “houynhnhm” in a puzzle this morning my first thought was “how do you pronounce that?” No help online that I could find. Any idea? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/2 "2010-11-18T14:40:19Z")
Something like “whinnim,” I think…? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/3 "2010-11-18T14:41:41Z")
Thanks. Can somebody translate the effort here: [Houyhnhnm - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houyhnhnm) ---
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/4 "2010-11-18T14:43:39Z")
From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houyhnhnm): > [@](#): > > The name is pronounced either /ˈhuːɪnəm/ or /ˈhwɪnəm/ I think it’s supposed to sound like a horse’s neigh. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/5 "2010-11-18T14:45:23Z")
The problem is that you can only say the word properly if you are a horse – so if you are a human, you should try to sound like a horse whinnying. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/6 "2010-11-18T14:46:22Z")
> [@Galwegian](#): > > I think it’s supposed to sound like a horse’s neigh. Right. It’s the way you might imagine a talking horse saying the word - “human” with a whinny in it. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/7 "2010-11-18T15:02:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Right. It’s the way you might imagine a talking horse saying the word - “human” with a whinny in it. That’s how I was taught it… ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_A.Robrin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sam_a.robrin/32/14497_2.png) [@Sam\_A.Robrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_A.Robrin)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/8 "2010-11-18T15:20:43Z")
Like _Li’l Abner_’s “Joe Btfsplk,” whose name was intended as the transliteration of a Bronx cheer (giving Al Capp quite the moment in TV interviews), the name has no English pronunciation, and should be sounded. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/9 "2010-11-18T15:28:42Z")
I agree with everyone who said it’s pronounced like a horse’s whinny. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/10 "2010-11-18T16:51:02Z")
Just like it’s spelled. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/11 "2010-11-18T16:54:17Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Just like it’s spelled. I must assume you caught the difference in spellings between the title and Wiki? ---
**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:** [November 18, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/12 "2010-11-18T17:58:17Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Something like “whinnim,” I think…? Seconded. Will they appear in the new Jack Black movie? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/13 "2010-11-18T18:49:47Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I must assume you caught the difference in spellings between the title and Wiki? I was assuming they’re hhomynnhhms. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/14 "2010-11-18T19:10:06Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I was assuming they’re hhomynnhhms. Czech ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/15 "2010-11-18T19:12:13Z")
I just did the same puzzle! For a slight hijack, any other sites you can recommend with similar puzzle? I find that a twice-weekly acrostic is not enough!!! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/16 "2010-11-18T19:13:08Z")
> **[\*\* Ecrostics.com \*\*](http://ecrostics.com/)** > > E-Crostic Acrostic Software ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/17 "2010-11-18T22:18:04Z")
In my head it is kind of like that sound you make when you’re about to puke but the first couple spasms are just really strong dry heaves. But leave off the “oh god…” which inevitably follows. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/18 "2010-11-19T14:05:53Z")
> [@boozilu](#): > > I just did the same puzzle! > > For a slight hijack, any other sites you can recommend with similar puzzle? I find that a twice-weekly acrostic is not enough!!! Did you check out [http://ecrostics.com/](http://ecrostics.com/) ? I have worked every puzzle there, except for the “cryptic” ones. Reasonable quality and easy to work. I told a friend about the site and he said it won’t work on a Mac. Bummer. I asked for similar sites some time ago and learned about [Free mini Crostic Puzzle -- Semiweekly (MTh) -- All-Star Puzzles](http://www.allstarpuzzles.com/crostic/index.html) that way. I have worked all of them as well. E-crostics is rather random in how often new puzzles appear, but there have been some really fun quotes to come along. Now and then one will be cool enough that I will get a screen shot of it and pass it along to others, since it’s rare that the quote will be available as a link. If you want to work some of the better older puzzles, I have found that these constructors are the most fun: ```auto Puzzles by John Kiernan (367) Feb/2003-Oct/2010 Puzzles by Alice S. (245) Sep/2003-May/2010 Puzzles by Roger Gabrielson (225) Aug/2009-Oct/2010 Puzzles by Jim Sherman (218) Oct/2002-Mar/2010 Puzzles by Judy Miller (161) Apr/2002-Oct/2010 Puzzles by Kenneth Luker (79) Jan/2000-Jul/2010 ``` I need to update my list for Nov/2010. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/19 "2010-11-19T20:28:53Z")
For what little it’s worth, in the TV miniseries, Ted Danson used the pronunciation “Hwinnums.” But I agree that Swift’s intention was to spell out the sound of a horse neighing phonetically. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092/20 "2010-11-19T21:01:43Z")
> [@Galwegian](#): > > From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houyhnhnm): > I think it’s supposed to sound like a horse’s neigh. Even a horse’s neigh is not immune to the powers of the IPA. The effort on the wiki page results in hoo-ih-nuhm or hwih-nuhm [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/houynhnhm-pronunciation/561092.md?page=2)