# How Do You Pronounce "Podkayne"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161 "2014-01-30T20:30:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/1 "2014-01-30T20:30:17Z")
I’ve been fondly regarding Heinlein’s works over the last few days, but I must ask: How Do You Pronounce “Podkayne”? Is there a way I could hear it pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/2 "2014-01-30T20:36:28Z")
I always heard it in my inner ear as POD-kane. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/3 "2014-01-30T20:55:29Z")
> [@Wargamer](#): > > I always heard it in my inner ear as POD-kane. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/4 "2014-01-30T20:57:37Z")
Me three. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/5 "2014-01-30T21:00:50Z")
Joining the chorus. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/6 "2014-01-30T21:01:37Z")
Suzanne Collins must have been channeling Heinlein’s gift for WTF female names when she came up with “Katniss.” (as I recall, Heinlein’s character was said to be named after a Martian saint…which excuses _nothing_.) ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/7 "2014-01-30T21:07:28Z")
Three syllables; Pod.Kay.nee. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/8 "2014-01-30T21:15:53Z")
Pod-kayne. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/9 "2014-01-30T21:16:25Z")
All of which are guesses. :smack: Anybody know how **Heinlein** pronounced it? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/10 "2014-01-30T21:20:32Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Suzanne Collins must have been channeling Heinlein’s gift for WTF female names when she came up with “Katniss.” I can only think of two names and one nickname that are remotely WTF in Heinlein: Podkayne (which \*he \*pronounced pod-kain; second-guess as you like), Allucquere (which I considered for my daughter) and Deety aka Dejah Thoris. The rest of his female character names tend to be alien constructions like Mary, Betty and Hazel. Suzanne Collins seems to have sat in one of those creative writing workshops that instilled the rule that “weird almost-normal-sounding names are good world-building.” They’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/11 "2014-01-30T21:26:16Z")
We could ask her, but it looks like she hasn’t posted here since 2006. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/12 "2014-01-30T21:27:33Z")
> [@Wargamer](#): > > I always heard it in my inner ear as POD-kane. Yet another “Me too!” for this. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/13 "2014-01-30T21:29:02Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I’ve been fondly regarding Heinlein’s works over the last few days, but I must ask: > > How Do You Pronounce “Podkayne”? “POD-kane.” > [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Anybody know how **Heinlein** pronounced it? No idea. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/14 "2014-01-30T21:31:17Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > We could ask her, but it looks like she hasn’t posted here since 2006. That’s my only familiarity with the name, and I’ve always said it “POD-kane” to myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/15 "2014-01-30T21:46:42Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I can only think of two names and one nickname that are remotely WTF in Heinlein: Podkayne (which \*he \*pronounced pod-kain; second-guess as you like), Allucquere (which I considered for my daughter) and Deety aka Dejah Thoris. The rest of his female character names tend to be alien constructions like Mary, Betty and Hazel. > > Suzanne Collins seems to have sat in one of those creative writing workshops that instilled the rule that “weird almost-normal-sounding names are good world-building.” > They’re not. I agree. In re Heinlein: I said he _had_ the gift. I didn’t say he always _used_ it.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/16 "2014-01-30T21:55:20Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > All of which are guesses. . . . We have to guess how we, ourselves, pronounce a word? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/17 "2014-01-30T22:34:07Z")
Throatwarbler Mangrove. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/18 "2014-01-30T23:05:41Z")
I’ve never heard anyone pronounce it in any way other than Pod-Kane and I’ve been around since before Heinlein put up his electrified fence to ward off the hippies. I know this isn’t technically true. It was an ordinary fence with an electrified gate. Don’t hurt me, Amateur Barbarian. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/19 "2014-01-30T23:36:37Z")
I guess I’m the only one who pronouced it “pod-KAI-nuh” in my head. Anyway, she pretty much went by “Poddy”, didn’t she? I have a certain sympathy with that abbreviation. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161/20 "2014-01-30T23:50:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_Q](#): > > Throatwarbler Mangrove. \ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-podkayne/680161.md?page=2)