# How do you pronounce "Cecil"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404 "2002-12-22T18:16:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@Palve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palve)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/1 "2002-12-22T18:16:17Z")
I’ve heard the name pronounced two ways-- “see-sul” and “sess-ul”. Which one is the correct pronunciation in referring to Cecil Adams? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/2 "2002-12-22T18:18:32Z")
Unless you have been properly introduced, it is likely he will not respond to either. But, I have always used the sea-serpent pronunciation and The Master has not yet seen fit to correct me. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/3 "2002-12-22T18:26:02Z")
I’ve nearly always heard it pronounced See-sill. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/4 "2002-12-22T18:45:43Z")
No doubt there are exceptions, and I will get corrected, but it seems to be See-sil in the US and Sess-il in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/5 "2002-12-22T18:47:10Z")
Ya know, I’ve always pronounced it “Key-call”… what? ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/6 "2002-12-22T19:03:04Z")
Actually, you can pronounce it as “sir”. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/7 "2002-12-22T19:15:49Z")
ANother vote for See-Sill ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/8 "2002-12-22T19:53:45Z")
Interesting question. I never thought about it before (and I pronounce it See-Sill, too). I guess the Jews aren’t the only people who don’t know how to pronounce the name of their god! Perhaps the Master would enlighten us? ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/9 "2002-12-22T19:56:31Z")
When I call him “See-Sill” he says, “Yeah, babe?” so I’m guessing that’s right. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/10 "2002-12-22T20:42:20Z")
This question can be answered by the one and only. Cecil? (and If you mention my name I’ll bow in eternal worship, or until I get hungry and go to the kitchen). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/11 "2002-12-22T20:49:50Z")
This is odd. I thought there was only one way to pronounce “Cecil,” and that was “sess-ul.” (And I am one of the exceptions, being in the US.) “See-sill” sounds a bit bizarre, not really having heard such before. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/12 "2002-12-22T20:50:55Z")
Mr. Adams. Or Great and Mighty One. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/13 "2002-12-22T21:15:54Z")
The only time I’ve heard “sess-ul” was on _The Simpsons_ and then I think they were trying to be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/14 "2002-12-22T21:17:49Z")
I’ve always been pronouncing it Sess-ul in my head. Thats how I always pronounced the first name of the the ex-1st baseman for the Detroit Tigers. But then again, just because I pronounce it that way, doesn’t make it so. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/15 "2002-12-22T21:56:29Z")
Discussed before: [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) ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/16 "2002-12-22T23:27:41Z")
Another vote for Sess-ul. See-sul sounds very weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/17 "2002-12-22T23:29:34Z")
I can only say that Cecil himself pronounces it “See-sil”, accent on the See. [ducking] Cess-sil is British affectation. [/ducking] ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/18 "2002-12-23T00:24:27Z")
See-sil. Else Mike Lucas would be dead somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/19 "2002-12-23T00:33:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*I can only say that Cecil himself pronounces it “See-sil”, accent on the See. > > [ducking] Cess-sil is British affectation. [/ducking] \*\* If you go to this Library of Congress site: [http://www.loc.gov/nls/other/sayhow.html](http://www.loc.gov/nls/other/sayhow.html) you will see that there are many Cecils in each camp. THE Cecil even gets a mention (as See-sil). [fixed link] ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404/20 "2002-12-23T00:42:09Z")
> [@](#): > > I can only say that Cecil himself pronounces it “See-sil”, accent on the See. Well, I’ll be bum-fuzzled. And to think I’ve laughed up my sleeve in secret at Dopers I’ve heard pronounce it that way. “See-sil.” That’s just silly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cecil/144404.md?page=2)