# How to Pronounce Louis Armstrong's Name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034 "2008-01-18T16:52:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/21 "2008-01-20T00:39:12Z")
[QUOTE=CaerieD] This is a rather bizarre digression. If one was to take the pronunciation of his name from the state, then he’d either be Loo-eez or Looz. [/QUOTE] There is no z sound in the original French pronunciation of Louisiana…only in the American pronunciation And there’s definitely no Looz sound in it at all. Louisiana was named for King Louis (pronounced Loo-ee) XIII and Queen Anne of France. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/22 "2008-01-20T03:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=jasonh300] There is no z sound in the original French pronunciation of Louisiana…only in the American pronunciation And there’s definitely no Looz sound in it at all. Louisiana was named for King Louis (pronounced Loo-ee) XIII and Queen Anne of France. [/QUOTE] If you are suggesting that the French pronunciation is like [lui’iana] (loo-ee-ee-a-na), then I believe that’s not correct. The _s_ is pronounced in French. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/23 "2008-01-20T05:57:15Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] If you are suggesting that the French pronunciation is like [lui’iana] (loo-ee-ee-a-na), then I believe that’s not correct. The _s_ is pronounced in French. [/QUOTE] Indeed. “Louisiane” = “lweezeean” (sort of, the i’s are not really like ‘ee’ in English, but shorter). ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/24 "2008-01-20T12:15:47Z")
Indeed-- a terminal s in French coming before a word starting with a vowel is pronounced like a z. Les filles ont ici. Lay feez awnt eecee. An s in the middle of the word before a vowel does the same thing, at least for the words I could think of: Parisian = pareezeeayan. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/25 "2008-01-20T13:53:05Z")
[QUOTE=BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed] Les filles ont ici. [/QUOTE] The girls on ice? (My French isn’t great) I note that, whenever the DJ on XM Jazz refers to him, it’s always pronounced “Lewis.” Here’s my theory that I’ve developed after reading this thread: In New Orleans (where if you throw a brick you’re 99% likely to hit something or someone with a French name) and amongst New Orleans musicians, he was “Louie.” Outside of New Orleans (the greater part of his career was spent in Chicago & New York, from what I’ve read), he was “Lewis.” In his personal life, he was “Satchmo,” “Dippermouth,” or “Pops.” ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/26 "2008-01-20T16:25:34Z")
I think it is pronounced “Satchmo”. Edit: Man **Homie** , I can’t read, apparently! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/27 "2008-01-20T22:23:43Z")
[QUOTE=HeyHomie] [QUOTE=BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed] Les filles ont ici. [/QUOTE] The girls on ice? (My French isn’t great) [/quote] “The girls have here”, which of course isn’t a complete sentence, “to have” (“avoir” in French) being transitive. Actually, I’m not sure I’d pronounce the liaison in this sentence: in my mouth it would probably sound rather like [lɛfijõtisi]. Now that I think about it, the reason is probably that the last sound in “filles”, the [j], isn’t really a vowel. For a better example, consider “les éléphants” (“the elephants”), pronounced [lɛzelefã]. Also, I’ve usually heard “Louis Armstrong” pronounced as “Lewis”, or rather “Loo-iss”. I guess **HeyHomie** ’s theory is probably correct though. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/28 "2008-01-20T22:52:11Z")
[QUOTE=Hypnagogic Jerk] Actually, I’m not sure I’d pronounce the liaison in this sentence: in my mouth it would probably sound rather like [lɛfijõtisi]. Now that I think about it, the reason is probably that the last sound in “filles”, the [j], isn’t really a vowel. [/QUOTE] On second thought, there is a liaison in this phrase, but it is the [j] sound of “filles” that liaises with the [õ] of “ont” (and my transcription is basically correct). No [s] or [z] is pronounced. In French, a ‘s’ between two vowels is pronounced as [z], even if these vowels are part of two different words, but the ‘s’ here isn’t actually between two vowels, and remains silent. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/29 "2008-01-21T01:22:58Z")
[QUOTE=Hypnagogic Jerk] On second thought, there is a liaison in this phrase, but it is the [j] sound of “filles” that liaises with the [õ] of “ont” (and my transcription is basically correct). No [s] or [z] is pronounced. In French, a ‘s’ between two vowels is pronounced as [z], even if these vowels are part of two different words, but the ‘s’ here isn’t actually between two vowels, and remains silent. [/QUOTE] Yes, this makes more sense. Sorry, I was tired when I posted that. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/30 "2008-01-21T01:31:42Z")
[Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong#_note-0) gives evidence for both answers ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/31 "2008-01-21T09:22:47Z")
Thanks, anyway. In the run-up to Christmas, Classic FM were advertising a Jazz FM album featuring “Lewis” Armstrong and it was annoying the hell out of me. Turns out they were probably pronouncing it right after all. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/32 "2008-01-21T14:54:04Z")
[QUOTE=Hypnagogic Jerk] I’ve usually heard “Louis Armstrong” pronounced as “Lewis”, or rather “Loo-iss”. [/QUOTE] Not sure what distinction you’re making here. Could you put it in IPA? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/33 "2008-01-21T15:33:56Z")
I had always assumed that formally it was pronounced Lewis. Sometimes it would be shortened to Lou. And then sometimes affectionately lengthened to Loo-ey. Sorta like James, Jim and Jimmy. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/34 "2008-01-21T15:41:06Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] Not sure what distinction you’re making here. Could you put it in IPA? [/QUOTE] Maybe **Hypnagogic Jerk** pronounces the “w” in “Lewis”? ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034/35 "2008-01-21T17:04:52Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Maybe **Hypnagogic Jerk** pronounces the “w” in “Lewis”? [/QUOTE] Sort of. I’m not very fluent in the use of the IPA, but to me, “Louis” (in English, not in French where it is simply [lwi]) is [lʊɪs] – there might be a consonant in the middle; I haven’t been able to find it on Wikipedia but I know it’s not [w] – while “Lewis” is [lœwɪs] – the [œ] might not be exact but it’s close enough. As for “Louie”, I pronounce it [lʊi], or something similar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-pronounce-louis-armstrongs-name/434034.md?page=1)