# S-M-I-T-H pronounced BROWN **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040 "2004-12-15T22:02:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/21 "2004-12-16T00:12:58Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Here’s one: pronounce _Worcestershire_ that’s easy, it’s _wooster-shire_ and btw, my handle is pronounced _gashlycrumb du maurier-weyerhaeuser_ ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/22 "2004-12-16T00:19:05Z")
I don’t think there’s any laws against being named Throatwobbler-Mangrove but pronouncing it Luxury Yacht. But if you pronounce your name in a manner that runs contrary to the usual rules of pronunciation in the language of that name, you should accept that many people are going to get it wrong, at least at first. Our own **pkbites** ranted long ago about all the people who tell him that his name, which I assume is **Bietz** should be pronounced “beets” not “bites”. Yes, he has the right to do whatever he wants with his name, but 80 million native German speakers, plus everyone else who has attained any fluency in German, are going to tend toward saying “beets”, like it or not. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/23 "2004-12-16T00:20:29Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > that’s easy, it’s _wooster-shire_ BZZZZZZZ Wrong!!! Wooster-shuh. The last syllable almost vanishes. And in the case of the condiment, it’s silent. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/24 "2004-12-16T00:25:03Z")
> [@El Cid Viscoso](#): > > I speak from experience: it’s a downer to have to keep correcting people. Although I never have, the temptation is immense to just “go with the flow,” and smile through the ignorance. My sister has fully embraced this attitude, and absolutley nobody who knows her professionally calls her by her real name. Which is very sad. But you should see her salary :eek: … ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/25 "2004-12-16T00:52:11Z")
> [@aahala](#): > > I bet some people have mispronounced MY user name. The a’s are . . …😃 As long as we’re bitching about misinterpreting handles, why is is nobody seems to see the ‘h’ in mine? I’ve seen countless references to previous posts by “ **Mathocist** ”. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/26 "2004-12-16T00:56:17Z")
I have the opposite problem. My surname is Norwegian but has resided in New Zealand for the last three generations. We pronounce it exactly as written (I’m not sure of the Norwegian pronunciation) and it is made up of two very simple syllables. Yet people insist on making it very hard for themselves to say, and once they have assured themselves that it is a very difficult foreign name, they then set about mangling the spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/27 "2004-12-16T01:01:50Z")
So, you know “Wooster” and “Fanshaw” But dio you know how to pronounce **Ghoti**? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/28 "2004-12-16T01:09:08Z")
A young man called Cholmondeley Colquhoun Once kept as a pet a baboquhoun. Said his mother, “Dear Cholmondeley, Do you think it quite colmondeley To feed your baboquhoun with a spoquhoun?” ---
**Author:** ![bob\_loblaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@bob\_loblaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_loblaw)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/29 "2004-12-16T01:09:33Z")
uh, fish. but i’ve no idea how they pronounce “death ray” in norwegia. and > [@](#): > > GorillaMan > Quote: > BZZZZZZZ Wrong!!! > Wooster-shuh. The last syllable almost vanishes. And in the case of the condiment, it’s silent. it’s how we pronounce it 'round these parts (swo,) though sometimes you might hear _-sher_ instead of _-shire_ ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/30 "2004-12-16T01:46:48Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > uh, fish. > > but i’ve no idea how they pronounce “death ray” in norwegia. It’s pronounced, **FFRRRRRZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP! … zzz bzz… zz … zzzzzzzz** ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/31 "2004-12-16T01:52:37Z")
> [@bob\_loblaw](#): > > it’s how we pronounce it 'round these parts (swo,) though sometimes you might hear _-sher_ instead of _-shire_ OK, fair enough, although around here ‘-sher’’ would separately suggest an incipient Essex influence, which we can all surely agree is to be avoided at all costs…_D&R_… ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/32 "2004-12-16T01:59:59Z")
One of my best buds when I was a kid had the last name Rheault. It was pronounced roe. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/33 "2004-12-16T02:24:13Z")
I’ve owned two Renault Fuegos. Does that mean this thread is done? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/34 "2004-12-16T03:04:30Z")
Ok…someone explain the pronunciation of wed-nes-day to me. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/35 "2004-12-16T03:06:06Z")
Anyone like a go at \*\*Featherstonehaugh \*\*? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/36 "2004-12-16T03:16:35Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > Anyone like a go at \*\*Featherstonehaugh \*\*? You’re late. Stand in the corner. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/37 "2004-12-16T03:30:58Z")
We had a Bishop once whose last name was Van der Horst. It was pronounced “Van Drawz.” My husband used to be in radio. He found out the hard way that _Taliaferro_ is pronounced “Tolliver.” My linguistics professor said that proper names are up for grabs. I assume that gives the rights to the bearer of the name or the citizens of the town. I grew up in Gibson County, Tennessee. They have a _Milan_ – pronounced with the accent on the first syllable and a long _i_ and a _Medina_ – pronounced with the accent on the second syllable and with a long _i_. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/38 "2004-12-16T03:36:12Z")
I hear you, Zoe. My favorite is Gray-shee-OT, Ohio. (Gratiot) > [@AndrewT](#): > > Anyone like a go at \*\*Featherstonehaugh \*\*? **Fehn** -shaw. How 'bout Collbran? Huh? Huh? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cstamets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@cstamets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cstamets)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/39 "2004-12-16T04:38:59Z")
> [@El Cid Viscoso](#): > > I hear you, Zoe. My favorite is Gray-shee-OT, Ohio. (Gratiot) Hmmm… I’ve always pronounced it, and heard it pronounced, Gray-shot. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040/40 "2004-12-16T04:43:47Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > The confusion would come from the fact that the “l” could either be a normal l or an l with a slash: ł, which is pronounced like a “w”. > > So “Golaszewski” would be pronounced “Golashevski”, but “Gołaszewski” would be “Goh-washevski” (with a short “o” still). > > Googling “Gołaszewski”, with the accent gets 14,300 hits. > “Golaszewski” without the accent only gets 12,300, so when you take into account the people who can’t (or can’t be bothered to) render the accented ł, I think it’s a fair bet that the actual Polish surname had the accent. > > So it’s “Go-wah-shev-ski”, if you want to pronounce it like your forefathers 🙂 Yep, it is all a matter of the slash. Basically everyone who knew Polish just assumed the slash was lost in translieration. Thus I am a likely a “Go-wah-shev-ski”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/s-m-i-t-h-pronounced-brown/280040.md?page=3)