# U of Washington alums, help needed! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 10, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425 "2010-02-10T15:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/1 "2010-02-10T15:25:07Z")
My daughter is attending the UW this year as a freshman, and an important question has arisen. Is the main library, Suzzallo, pronounced suh-ZALL-o or SOOZ-uh-lo? She swears it’s SOOZ-uh-lo, but I figure, heck, she’s a teenager, what does she know? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/2 "2010-02-10T16:14:54Z")
I’m not an alumni but I used to live in Seattle. I’m pretty sure it’s sue-ZALL-o. [Video where student pronounces it that way.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJHFNzjKDbs) ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/3 "2010-02-10T16:25:44Z")
As a student, I worked in the building for four years (2nd floor, serials collection). I, and my coworkers all pronounced it soo-zuh-low. ---
**Author:** ![Rack-a-Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rack-a-Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rack-a-Bones)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/4 "2010-02-10T19:02:13Z")
I thought it was just “the library” ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/5 "2010-02-10T19:52:52Z")
Accent lightly on the first syllable, not the second. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/6 "2010-02-10T20:14:31Z")
> [@Rocketeer](#): > > My daughter is attending the UW this year as a freshman, and an important question has arisen. > > Is the main library, Suzzallo, pronounced suh-ZALL-o or SOOZ-uh-lo? > > She swears it’s SOOZ-uh-lo, but I figure, heck, she’s a teenager, what does she know? 😃 It’s SOOZ-uh-lo. ---
**Author:** ![SMullen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@SMullen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SMullen)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/7 "2010-02-10T20:43:12Z")
I attended UW before they built the “new library” (OUGL). Everyone I heard say Suzallo, said it with the accent on the first syllable. But since there was only one library at the time, most people just said “the library”. I bet Mr. or Ms. Suzallo said his or her name with the accent on the second syllable, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2010, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/8 "2010-02-11T14:43:56Z")
Heh heh; looks like the kid was right! 😃 Thanks to everyone who responded. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/9 "2010-02-13T01:41:18Z")
UW grad chiming in here to say that I mostly heard SU-za-lo, though I think a few people did accent the second syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/10 "2010-02-14T22:01:49Z")
I’ve heard both but probably 70% SOOZ-uh-lo, 30% suh-ZALL-o. ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-of-washington-alums-help-needed/528425/11 "2010-02-14T23:22:21Z")
Yep, I heard both somewhat frequently when I was there, but I’d also give the edge to placing the stress on the first syllable. I don’t think would be considered particularly wrong to say it the other way. At least, I never heard anybody correct someone who had put the stress on the second syllable. 😛