# How do you pronounce Ozymandias? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 16, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400 "2008-12-16T14:55:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/1 "2008-12-16T14:55:37Z")
Pretty simple question. I love the poem, but have never in my life heard it read, or ever heard the name said out loud. I’m afraid to ever quote the poem for fear of looking like more of an idiot. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/2 "2008-12-16T15:00:29Z")
ah-zee-man-dee-us ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/3 "2008-12-16T15:00:43Z")
My qualification to answer - I did English Lit. at a good UK university. Ozzie (as in Osborne) Man (as in person) Dee (as in the 4th letter in the alphabet) Ass (as in what you Americans call an arse). ETA And already a debate! Where’s the ‘Ah’ come from? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/4 "2008-12-16T15:04:04Z")
Cool thanks guys, pretty much the way it looks like it should be said. You never know with classical names, and I am illiterate at reading those little dictionary sound symbols. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/5 "2008-12-16T15:04:16Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > My qualification to answer - I did English Lit. at a good UK university. > > Ozzie (as in Osborne) Man (as in person) Dee (as in the 4th letter in the alphabet) Ass (as in what you Americans call an arse). > > ETA And already a debate! Where’s the ‘Ah’ come from? In my mind, ah-zee and ozzie sound exactly the same. I’m not sure there’s a debate (yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/6 "2008-12-16T15:12:45Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > In my mind, ah-zee and ozzie sound exactly the same. I’m not sure there’s a debate (yet.) Do they?! I think this must be an accent thing, then. Here’s Ben Kingsley, who should know his stuff, performing it to clear it up (maybe). [Ozymandias](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krbX-9ugbI4) ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/7 "2008-12-16T16:56:46Z")
Ozymandias is pronounced Rah_mus_sis, or Ramesses, [I AM (almost) Not Making This Up](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramesses_II). Of course, the irony of the whole poem is that Ramses was not only fairly honest and humble, but that his glory did, in fact, endure! ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/8 "2008-12-16T17:03:40Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > ETA And already a debate! Where’s the ‘Ah’ come from? American English “short o” is almost identical to many (not all) instances of RP “short a”. To British ears, Americans say “paht” for _pot_. To American ears, British speakers commonly say “pawt” – or even something very close to “pote” – for _pot_. NOTE: I just pulled RP out of the air … most all British accents pronounce “short a” and “short o” differently than in America accents. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/9 "2008-12-16T17:11:47Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > To American ears, British speakers commonly say “pawt” – or even something very close to “pote” – for _pot_. And … this won’t quite work for Americans whose accents do not distinguish between “Don” and “Dawn”, “Lon” and “lawn”. But just take my word for it, Left Coasters 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/10 "2008-12-16T17:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=bordelond;10578486 To British ears, Americans say “paht” for _pot_. [/QUOTE] Americans call Australia _Arse_-trailia — snigger – snigger — ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/11 "2008-12-16T18:03:42Z")
> [@ticker](#): > > Americans call Australia _Arse_-trailia > > — snigger – snigger — Uh… to use, you’r the ones saying Arse-tralia. _Especially_ Londers. We say something more like Awww-stralia. Color me 😕 as to why you heard it like you do. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/12 "2008-12-16T18:35:33Z")
Ah - but how do you pronounce “Veidt”? 😃 I started a thread on that question a while ago but can’t find it - maybe I didn’t start one but hijacked an existing one. I got everything from “Vate,” to “Veet,” to “Vite.”… Maybe we’ll find out when [movie is released](http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/)in March… ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/13 "2008-12-16T18:39:17Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Uh… to use, you’r the ones saying Arse-tralia. _Especially_ Londers. We say something more like Awww-stralia. > > Color me 😕 as to why you heard it like you do. Do we buggery!!! We say _Oz_-tralia. That’s an ‘O’ like in pot, therefore, using **bordelond** ’s rules, well work it out for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/14 "2008-12-16T20:08:37Z")
OZ-ee-MAN-dee-US ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/15 "2008-12-16T20:39:38Z")
And if you have Civilization IV, you can hear Leonard Nimoy pronounce the name (if you have that option turned on) as the colour text for one of the technology advances. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/16 "2008-12-16T21:25:01Z")
Is “ghoti” pronounced “fish”? ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/17 "2008-12-17T05:10:05Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > . We say something more like Awww-stralia. I’d agree. IMO, we say Australia in a number of ways, though the differences are subtle. For me it’s “a-strail-ya”, the first syllable being very short, like “uh” ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/18 "2008-12-17T05:40:55Z")
I’ve been to Australia and I live in Tx, so I know my accent is suspect. But I say it almost like I’ve heard Aussies say it. OssTrailia. (un aspirated O sound, basically ‘uh’) Shortened to almost “Strailia” ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/19 "2008-12-17T05:52:55Z")
I’m surprised everyone seems to be on the same page. I’ve always pronounced it in my head as OZ-ih-man-DYE-ass. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400/20 "2008-12-17T09:26:54Z")
> [@Cugel](#): > > I’d agree. > > IMO, we say Australia in a number of ways, though the differences are subtle. For me it’s “a-strail-ya”, the first syllable being very short, like “uh” :smack: It was a joke guys. A joke based on the ‘rules’ **bordelond** came up with. I am not questioning with what **bordelond** said, just applying the principles blindly in the wrong context for a giggle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-ozymandias/477400.md?page=2)