# Phonetic pronunciations of some surnames

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 5, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536 "2012-01-05T19:42:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536/1 "2012-01-05T19:42:13Z")

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I’m pretty sure I’m right on these, but I thought I’d pass them by you to make sure I’m correct. What are the phonetic pronunciations of these surnames?

Zaske  
Zauchin (I think it’s a hard ‘ch’, but I’m not 100% sure).  
Zdeb  
Ziem (Zy-EM [as opposed to Zy-uhm])  
Zmich  
Zupcic

Thanks!

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**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 6, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536/2 "2012-01-06T16:30:20Z")

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Where are these names from? Are you looking for pronunciations in their original language or in English? The last one, for instance, looks like an Anglicization or accent-less version of the Serbo-Croat “Župčić,” which would be pronounced something like ZHOOP-cheech. As for how it’s customarily pronounced in English, you’d have to ask the person. There’s variation among families on how they pronounce their foreign surname in English.

The third name “Zdeb” is a Polish word meaning “wildcat.” It is pronounced as spelled, “ZDEB.” The other ones I have guesses for, but can’t say for certain.

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**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536/3 "2012-01-07T22:06:31Z")

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I know… you’re trying to change your name, so you’ll be called on last in class!

Hey, it worked for me. All through school, even college, once Amy Abbott got called up to give her presentation… I knew I had a good chunk of Doodling Time before I even had to think about mine.

And now I doodle for a living. Coincidence? I think not.

DZ  
(“Zupcic” is pronounce Zoop’chick in my neighborhood)

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536/4 "2012-01-07T22:31:40Z")

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I’m pretty sure [Norm Zauchin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norm_Zauchin) was “Zaw-kin.”

[Adrian Zmed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Zmed) was “Zuh-med.”

Of course, you can pronounce it any way you like in real life.

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**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:** [January 7, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phonetic-pronunciations-of-some-surnames/608536/5 "2012-01-07T22:40:56Z")

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Zaske - ZASS-kee  
Zauchin - ZAW-kin  
Zdeb - zə-DEB  
Ziem - ZEEM  
Zmich - zə-MIKH  
Zupcic - ZUP-chik