# How do you pronounce "Fur Elise" ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-fur-elise/329483>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 4, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-fur-elise/329483 "2005-11-04T15:11:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-fur-elise/329483/21 "2005-11-07T09:05:45Z")

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I stand corrected (and informed!) I need to get around to learning German one of these days.

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-fur-elise/329483/22 "2005-11-07T09:41:11Z")

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When I was working as a psych nurse I spent some time as activities nurse on the disturbed children’s unit. These were mostly kids referred by the courts after criminal convictions - tough/funny boys and girls from terrible homes. At one time one of the kids there was this angelic little 12 year old who loved to play piano - very well too. One day he was playing that piece and one of the new psycholgists heard him. She told him how lovely it was and asked him, “It is called ‘For Elise’ isn’t it.” Looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth he replied, “No it’s called ‘Für Elise’, you stupid cunt.” Ever since I laugh whenever I hear it.

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-fur-elise/329483/23 "2005-11-07T12:42:59Z")

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Just thought I’d throw in the “lyrics” to this famous song by (I believe) Josefa Heifetz:

> [@](#):
>
> Why _did_ Beethoven write this awful piece?  
> It wasn’t free, that’s for shuer.  
> The money (all in cash) came from Elise;  
> Yes, it was she, he wrote it fuer.

🙂

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