How to pronounce (insert word here)? - the master list [merged]

[reanjr]

How do I pronounce the evil-manta-ray-thingies from every edition of D&D (and have a vampiric subtype?)

I'm certain of this one:
Ish-it-SHOCH-it-l

 

[reanjr]

Dweomer - Rhymes with "gleamer". Comes from "gedwimer" in the Old English, and with the penchant for pronouncing "i" as "ee" in Old English, the pronunciation follows.

Balor- Rhymes with "sailor", not "pallor". Bay-Lore.

Dweomer is pronounced DWEH-mer, the -eo- rhymes with the -e- in red.
Balor, as you stated would be pronounced BAY-LORE, but that doesn't rhyme with sailor, in which the -o- is a schwa sound.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I'm certain of this one:
Ish-it-SHOCH-it-l

I'm not sure if its more painful to read it or hear it...

 

[reanjr]

How about "Catoblepas"

never could figure that one out. No pronunciation I can think of feels very natural.
-eric

I pronounce it cat-oh-BLEE-puhs.

It's Greek (one who looks down). If someone knows how Greek is pronounced, they should be able to pronounce it just fine

 

[Terath Ninir]

And people accuse me of having too much time on my hands...

 

[Sejs]

CZ, you have way too much time on your hands.

 

[UltimaGabe]

"Drow. It's pronounced like cow and low."

Seriously, half of you guys aren't making sense. All of the words described to pronounce the word Drow in this thread include "ow" in them, and half of such words can be pronounced either way and mean two different things. "Bow" can be pronounced like in Boat, such as a "bow and arrow", or like in Out, such as "bow down". Row can be pronounced both ways as well, pronounced like "go", as in "row the boat". It can also be pronounced like Out, to mean a fight or ruckus ("What's that row I heard in here?").

If you're gonna use other words to show how to pronounce another word, don't pick ones with the exact same spelling, especially if they have multiple pronunciations. "Boat" and "Out" have the sounds you're trying to get across, and neither of them have other pronunciations, to my knowledge.

 

[tarchon]

How about "Catoblepas"

never could figure that one out. No pronunciation I can think of feels very natural.

As a Greco-Latin derivative in American English, there are two good possibilities. First, follow the stress pattern for "catatonic," "cataclysm," or "catalytic." (2314). Second, use the stress pattern for "category," (1324), which is probably a better model since "-egory" and "-oblepas" are both morphemes.
"Catastrophe" (4123) is a bit irregular and probably not such a good model.

The phonetic values are pretty simple though "cat o bleh pus" or less likely "cat o blee pus." Insert schwas for vowels where required by your dialect.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

"Drow. It's pronounced like cow and low."

Seriously, half of you guys aren't making sense. All of the words described to pronounce the word Drow in this thread include "ow" in them, and half of such words can be pronounced either way and mean two different things. "Bow" can be pronounced like in Boat, such as a "bow and arrow", or like in Out, such as "bow down". Row can be pronounced both ways as well, pronounced like "go", as in "row the boat". It can also be pronounced like Out, to mean a fight or ruckus ("What's that row I heard in here?").

If you're gonna use other words to show how to pronounce another word, don't pick ones with the exact same spelling, especially if they have multiple pronunciations. "Boat" and "Out" have the sounds you're trying to get across, and neither of them have other pronunciations, to my knowledge.

That's their point. They're making a small joke about the two ways to pronounce it, especially since so many people have good reasons either way.

Technically and officially, its Drow as in 'ow'. But there's also a good amount of sources for Drow as in go.

I prefer the 'ow' one...just because it sounds more evil to me. Drow sounds a bit too...I dunno, its not Elf-like really. Even twisted-evil Elf like.