# Pronunciation of "St. John"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 11, 2006, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265 "2006-04-11T20:10:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/21 "2006-04-12T15:09:40Z")
> [@Snickers](#):
>
> But I think it’s at least influenced by French pronounciations, as \*\*Johanna \*\*implies. The French “saint” is pronounced a little like “san,” with a short, nasal “n,” and is reminiscent of the “sin” part. And IMO, “jin” more closely matches the French “Jean” than the English/American “John.” Given England’s history and its roots of Norman, French-speaking rule, it’s at least likely to me that there’s a French influence in this pronounciation.
OK, I didn’t make myself clear. What I meant is that the modern pronunciation isn’t _directly_ aping French. It doesn’t replicate French pronuciation in the way a modern English word such as ‘cafe’ does, but has distinct English hard sounds quite unlike the French ‘St Jean’, and it simply happens to have distant French origins.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/22 "2006-04-12T15:16:15Z")
Sorry for the double-post, but I meant to include that this was why I mentioned _Four Weddings_ - it’s an example of somebody unfamiliar with the name, who attempts a ‘French pronunciation’, and sounds (a) wrong and (b) silly.
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/23 "2006-04-12T19:22:16Z")
The Federation diplomat played by David Warner in the lamentable _Star Trek V: The Final Frontier_ is named St. John, and it’s pronounced “sinjin.”
Another odd British pronunciation: Cholmondeley is pronounced “chumley.”
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### Author:  [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/24 "2006-04-12T19:33:28Z")
It wasn’t until I saw the _Tales of the City_ mini-series that I realized the name “Beauchamp” was pronounced “Beechum.” 🙂
> [@Ranchoth](#):
>
> I seem to remember reading that a character on _Airwolf_ was named “St. John” (his first name, no less), and it was pronounced something like “sin jin.”
One doesn’t read about _Airwolf_, one watches (or watched) _Airwolf_! 😉
And, IIRC, that character was Stringfellow Hawke’s missing brother – though I never knew that “Sinjin” was spelled “St. John” until this thread!
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### Author:  [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/25 "2006-04-12T20:31:56Z")
For what it’s worth, I’ve always understood the capital of Newfoundland, St. John’s, to be pronounced “sinjahns” (although I haven’t lived there since I was 5, so YMMV).
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/26 "2006-04-12T21:06:38Z")
> [@Elendil's Heir](#):
>
> The Federation diplomat played by David Warner in the lamentable _Star Trek V: The Final Frontier_ is named St. John, and it’s pronounced “sinjin.”
>
> Another odd British pronunciation: Cholmondeley is pronounced “chumley.”
Okay, well, if we’re going to go down [this road.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_names_in_English_with_non-intuitive_pronunciations):
Blackley = Blakeley
Cholmondeley = Chumley
Cockburn = Coburn
Costessey = Cossey
Dalziel = Deal
Davies = Davis
Featherstonehaugh = Fanshaw
Happisburgh = Hezbra
Keighley = Keithley
Magdalene = Maudlin
Marjoriebanks = Marchbanks
Towcester = Toaster
Woolfardisworthy = Woolsey
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/27 "2006-04-12T21:08:19Z")
More:
Caius = Keys
Ralph = Rafe
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/28 "2006-04-12T21:17:47Z")
So is Worcestershire correctly pronounced “Wuss-ter”?
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### Author:  [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/29 "2006-04-12T21:51:11Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#):
>
> So is Worcestershire correctly pronounced “Wuss-ter”?
Wuss-ter-shur ifits the County
Wusster sometimes for the sauce- the shur is just dropped for no apparent reason.
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [April 12, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/30 "2006-04-12T22:50:04Z")
> [@Misnomer](#):
>
> One doesn’t read about _Airwolf_, one watches (or watched) _Airwolf_! 😉
[Wanna bet?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John_Hawke)😃
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/31 "2006-04-13T02:30:28Z")
Beaulieu \> Bewley
Warwick \> Warrick
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### Author:  [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/32 "2006-04-13T08:35:34Z")
I remember being terribly confused the first time I saw _A View To A Kill_. Even so, I had a high-school teacher with this surname who pronounced it ‘Saint John’.
(Around here, Sault Ste. Marie is “soo saint maree”, or just “the soo”.)
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/33 "2006-04-13T11:21:55Z")
“Sin Jin”
Wonder what **jinwicked** would think about that.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/34 "2006-04-13T11:31:54Z")
Belvoir \> Beaver
Fotheringhay \> Fungay
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### Author:  [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/35 "2006-04-13T11:38:38Z")
> [@Misnomer](#):
>
> It wasn’t until I saw the _Tales of the City_ mini-series that I realized the name “Beauchamp” was pronounced “Beechum.” 🙂
>
> One doesn’t read about _Airwolf_, one watches (or watched) _Airwolf_! 😉
>
> And, IIRC, that character was Stringfellow Hawke’s missing brother – though I never knew that “Sinjin” was spelled “St. John” until this thread!
I know how “Sinjin” is spelled because of that show! In one episode, some people claim to have found String’s brother’s body. (It turns out to be false.) The coffin said “Hawke, St. John.”
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### Author:  [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/36 "2006-04-13T11:48:38Z")
I almost forgot. Isn’t there a British detective series called _Dalziel and Pascal_ (or something like that) where the first title character’s name is pronounced “Diel”?
I remember one episode of that show where they were interviewing a guy who had the surname St. John. The guy insisted on pronouncing the name “Sinjin.” Eventually the cops find out that the guy is a Satanist, whereafter they very carefully address him as Mister _Saint John_ just to be jerks 😛
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### Author:  [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/37 "2006-04-13T11:56:06Z")
Yes, Dalziel and Pascoe, pronounced Dea-el and Pascoe.
Another one: Hawick - Hoik
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/38 "2006-04-13T12:44:13Z")
Is this like pronouncing “Belvoir” as “Beaver” here in Belfast? 😉
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### Author:  [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/39 "2006-04-13T13:11:36Z")
> [@Elendil's Heir](#):
>
> Another odd British pronunciation: Cholmondeley is pronounced “chumley.”
Aah, yes, the chain-smoking, sweet-tea-drinking chimp from Durrel’s _Overloaded Ark_ was my first exposure to this oddity.
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-st-john/352265/40 "2006-04-13T13:43:28Z")
> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> Aah, yes, the chain-smoking, sweet-tea-drinking chimp from Durrel’s _Overloaded Ark_ was my first exposure to this oddity.
Or in the UK, Harry Enfield’s Mr Cholmondeley Warner, warning women to know their place.
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