# How do you pronounce "Qwlghm"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722 "2004-09-23T18:30:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ouisey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc29f/32.png) [@ouisey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouisey)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/1 "2004-09-23T18:30:02Z")
from Neal Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle? ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/2 "2004-09-23T18:32:06Z")
…exactly as it is spelled, of course! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/3 "2004-09-23T18:38:28Z")
Daff-nee. ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/4 "2004-09-23T18:47:12Z")
My guess would be something like this: quilguhm ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/5 "2004-09-23T18:54:12Z")
I’d guess cullum. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/6 "2004-09-23T18:56:40Z")
I’m thinking something approximating “cullgum”, although for some reason my brain always substitutes “quiggle-helm”. Or perhaps it’s pronounced “throat wobbler mangrove”. ---
**Author:** ![aegypt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@aegypt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aegypt)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/7 "2004-09-23T19:00:26Z")
Coolgame? ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/8 "2004-09-23T19:13:38Z")
I’ve been pronouncing it “kwelm”. Just 'cause that’s easy to say, and might be somewhat close. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/9 "2004-09-23T19:50:09Z")
In my brain, when I see it, it comes out _will´um_ with a very aspirated _w_ and a swallowed _m_. But I don’t know hardly anything about Welsh. It’s supposed to be a parody of Welsh, isn’t it? But perhaps following totally different pronunciations rules? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/10 "2004-09-23T20:06:46Z")
I think it’s pronounced “fhqwhgads.” ---
**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:** [September 23, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/11 "2004-09-23T20:41:03Z")
There’s a Wiki devoted to the Baroque Cycle, whose main page, or at least a good starting point, can be found at: [http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=Stephenson:Neal:Quicksilver](http://www.metaweb.com/wiki/wiki.phtml?title=Stephenson:Neal:Quicksilver) I find the whole structure of the site and attempt to be more bizarre than the books themselves. If this is the future of information, leave me out. But you’re more than welcome to search through the millions of links for a pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/12 "2004-09-23T20:43:01Z")
It rhymes with “Spwlghm.” ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/13 "2004-09-23T22:29:25Z")
I’ve pronounced it like so: Q - unvoiced uvular plosive (like classical Arabic qaf) W - as in Welsh (same vowel as English “book”) L - like the end of English “bull” GH - like Arabic ghayn, a voiced uvular fricative M - like in English Two syllables, with “w” being the first vowel and “m” serving as a sonorant, in place of a vowel (like the first sound of “Mbeki”). ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/14 "2004-09-23T22:59:31Z")
> [@Happy Scrappy Hero Pup](#): > > I think it’s pronounced “fhqwhgads.” I can NOT believe you beat me to that joke. :mad: Obscurity: 1, Chastain86: 0 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/15 "2004-09-23T23:00:46Z")
It’s pronounced “Mangrove Throat-Warbler.” I never get tired of that one… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/16 "2004-09-24T00:38:45Z")
In my head, it’s always ‘quill-m’ ---
**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:** [September 24, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/17 "2004-09-24T00:40:44Z")
> [@Dr. Rieux](#): > > It’s pronounced “Mangrove Throat-Warbler.” No, no, it’s Raymond Luxury Yacht! ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/18 "2004-09-24T12:08:55Z")
The name means nothing to me, but I’d pronounce it “KWOOL-gum” First syllable rhymes with “wool”, second is an unaccented schwa. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/19 "2004-09-24T13:50:42Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > It rhymes with “Spwlghm.” I’m changing my answer. This makes a lot more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722/20 "2004-09-24T14:27:13Z")
This may just be me but I can get though whole books without bothering to figure out how to pronounce the weirder stuff. I just gloss over them. Dune comes to mind, there were a whole load of names I didn’t know how to pronounce until the film came out. As for Qwlghm, doesn’t the pronounciation depend on whether you’re from inner or outer Qwlghm? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-qwlghm/265722.md?page=2)