# How are we supposed to pronounce...?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 3, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614 "2000-11-03T22:47:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614/1 "2000-11-03T22:47:53Z")

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… **Cecil** Adams?

Is it SEH-cil (as in Cecil B. DeMille)?

Or is it SEE-cil (as in Cecil the Sea-Sick Sea Serpent)?

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**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2000, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614/2 "2000-11-03T22:55:17Z")

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The latter; this used to be in a FAQ on this very site, but I can no longer find it.

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614/3 "2000-11-04T01:29:10Z")

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I asked the same question a few months ago. People were kind enough to let me know that I wasn’t the first to ask. It is pronounced SEE-cil.

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=16087](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=16087)

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=31307](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=31307)

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**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614/4 "2000-11-04T02:58:39Z")

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wow… a pronunciation question and no one’s made a “subliminable” joke yet?! Well, then I shan’t either.

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**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2000, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614/5 "2000-11-04T14:16:23Z")

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Thanks, guys. I looked at those earlier threads and I wasn’t here when those two threads were made.

I COULD have used the Search Engine, but I wasn’t sure what terms to use.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2000, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-we-supposed-to-pronounce/39614/6 "2000-11-09T01:18:10Z")

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I keep thinking Sideshow Bob’s Brother, which was pronounced Sessle.