# How do you say calliope? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968 "2012-07-02T04:14:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pitter\_Patter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90db22/32.png) [@Pitter\_Patter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitter_Patter)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/1 "2012-07-02T04:14:43Z")
I was watching Auction Kings the other day when they came across a calliope to auction off…The staff of the auction house kept calling it a "cally-ope. What the hell? Is that a Georgia regional pronunciation, or what? I live in central NC and we always say “Ca-Lie-O-Pee”. Dopers, chime in. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/2 "2012-07-02T04:30:04Z")
“Cally-ope” - although I’ve never heard the word spoken by anyone else or bothered to look up the pronunciation, so I just went in my head with how it looks in print. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/3 "2012-07-02T04:33:19Z")
Of course I thought it was “cally-ope” until I heard someone say it. Now I would say kuh-LYE-oh pee, if I said it. Which I don’t think I have for years. When my son and I went to the first Harry Potter movie we realized that we–mainly me, since I was the grownup–had been mispronouncing Hermione (and Hagrid, and probably more, but at least those two). Her-MY-oh-knee versus HER-me-OWN. Boy did I feel stoopit. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/4 "2012-07-02T04:34:23Z")
[Kə-LY-ə-pee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope) ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/5 "2012-07-02T04:35:26Z")
Ka-LIE-uh-pee. ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/6 "2012-07-02T04:38:11Z")
It’s my daughter’s name. We pronounce it **cuh-_lye_-oh-pee**. Our goofy pronunciations are **callie-_Oh_-pee** and **_ca_-lee-ope**. I’ve only ever heard people who are confident in their pronunciation of it say the ‘right’ way. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/7 "2012-07-02T04:43:42Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > [Kə-LY-ə-pee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope) > [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Ka-LIE-uh-pee. Assuming these are both describing the same pronunciation, that’s the only way I’ve ever heard it. ---
**Author:** ![Pitter\_Patter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90db22/32.png) [@Pitter\_Patter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitter_Patter)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/8 "2012-07-02T04:43:58Z")
Thanks guys. Maybe some Georgia folks will check in, but that just sounds wrong to me. ---
**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:** [July 2, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/9 "2012-07-02T04:52:56Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > [Kə-LY-ə-pee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope) However, following the link on that page to the article on the _instrument_ leads to this tidbit: > [@](#): > > The pronunciation of the word ‘calliope’ has long been disputed. The Greek muse by the same name is pronounced /kəˈlaɪ.əpiː/ kə-LY-ə-pee, but the instrument was generally pronounced /ˈkæli.oʊp/ KAL-ee-ohp. A nineteenth century magazine, Reedy’s Mirror, attempted to settle the dispute by publishing this rhyme:[4] > > ``` > Proud folk stare after me, > Call me Calliope; > Tooting joy, tooting hope, > I am the calliope. > > ``` > > This, in turn, came from a poem by Vachel Lindsay, called “The Kallyope Yell,” [sic][5] in which Lindsay uses both pronunciations. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/10 "2012-07-02T05:05:46Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > Her-MY-oh-knee versus HER-me-OWN. **Penel** -ope and **Pers** -ephone know the problem too well. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/11 "2012-07-02T05:09:54Z")
> [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > When my son and I went to the first Harry Potter movie we realized that we–mainly me, since I was the grownup–had been mispronouncing Hermione (and Hagrid, and probably more, but at least those two). Her-MY-oh-knee versus HER-me-OWN. Boy did I feel stoopit. Don’t feel stoopit. That was such a common mistake, she eventually wrote it into one of the books! (Although it doesn’t make much sense, plot wise…there’s no indication that the character that calls her “Hermy-own” has ever seen her name in writing.) She was “Hermy-own” in my head for the first four books. It was a surprisingly difficult transition once I learned how the name is actually pronounced! Oh, and kuh-LYE-oh-pee. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/12 "2012-07-02T05:23:17Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > [Kə-LY-ə-pee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope) If one is referring to the muse, that is indeed the pronunciation; however, my understanding is that circus people invariably use KAL-ee-ohp. Unsure whether the ditty quoted by **Der Trihs** is related, however. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/13 "2012-07-02T05:58:58Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > [Kə-LY-ə-pee](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calliope) This . . . except when one is deliberately trying to sound ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/14 "2012-07-02T06:02:25Z")
Not too long ago I met a woman named Calliope at a networking event. I’m very glad she introduced herself before I read off her name tag. Yep. She’s Callie-ohpee. I avoid actually saying her name when I run into her, because one day I _will_ call her Ka-LYE-oh-pee to her face. Argh. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/15 "2012-07-02T08:20:26Z")
I’ve heard that cally-ope is an old circus pronunciation, peculiar to American circusmen. God help if if I can recall where I heard that, though. Cah-LIE-Oh-Pee is the correct pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/16 "2012-07-02T08:22:41Z")
Cah-LIE-oh-pee. If it’s good enough for Bruce Springsteen it’s good enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/17 "2012-07-02T12:38:47Z")
Moved MPSIMS --\> IMHO, home of polls. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/18 "2012-07-02T13:20:58Z")
Ca-Lie-O-Pee. Seriously? Cally-ope? I’ll have to consider that while I sip on my frah-pay. ---
**Author:** ![Kiyoshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e19adc/32.png) [@Kiyoshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiyoshi)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/19 "2012-07-02T13:29:05Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Ca-Lie-O-Pee. > > Seriously? Cally-ope? I’ll have to consider that while I sip on my frah-pay. Wait–that’s not how to pronounce “frappe”? (I’ve never heard it out loud, but I assumed it must rhyme with “latte”…) How is it pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968/20 "2012-07-02T13:55:52Z")
I pronounce it just like Manfred Mann. 🙂 Just say “The calliope crashed to the ground” and you will know how to pronounce it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-calliope/626968.md?page=2)