Stations:

The use of "al" in Arabic names varies from country to country, and even within families. Some Arabs use "Al"; others use "al". Some separate the "al" from the following name with a space or a hyphen. Some Arabs use "el" instead of "al."

The AP's practice is to use the common accepted form on well-known names or the form preferred by an individual.

AP Broadcast News Center

NEWS

A

Abakan -- ah-bah-KAHN'

Abayas -- ah-BY'-ahz

Mahmoud Abbas -- mah-MOOD' ah-BAHS'

Mahmoud Abdel-Baset -- mah-MOOD' ab-DEHL'-BA'-set

Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman -- shayk OH'-mahr AHB'-dehl RAHK'-mahn

Abdareh -- ab-DEH'-rah

King Abdullah of Jordan -- ahb-DUH'-luh

Saudi Crown Prince Abdulla -- ahb-DUH'-luh

Abu Nidal -- ah-BOO' nee-DAHL'

Acela -- uh-SEL'-ah

Aden -- AYD'-n (Like the word "aid" with the "n" sound blended into the "d")

Adnan -- AHD'-nahn

Afghanistan ( news - web sites) -- af-gahn'-ih-STAHN' (slightly less stress on "gahn") (the westernized pronunciation af-GAN'-ih-stan is also acceptable)

Gul Agha -- gool AH'-guh

John Agwunobi -- a-gwuh-NOH'-bee

Ahmadabad -- AHM'-duh-bahd

Mohamed Hussein Aidid -- ah-DEED'

Mullah Mohammed Hasan Akhund -- MOO'-lah moh-HAHM'-ed hah-SUHN' uh-HOOND' ("oo in HOOND as in "food")

Al-, al-, al

Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin -- jah-MEEL' ab-DUHL'-uh al-ah-MEEN'

Sami Al-Arian -- sa-mee al EHR'-ee-an

Al-Barakaat -- ahl-BAHR'-uh-kaht

Jamal Al-Fadl -- ahl-FAHD'-uhl

Saud al-Faisal -- sah-OOD' ahl fy-ZAHL'

Fathur Al-Ghozi -- faht-HOOR' al-GOH'-zee

Abu Zubair al-Haili -- ah-boo zoo-BY'-ur ahl-hy-EE'-lee

Abdullah al Muhajir -- ahl-moo-hah-JEER'

Farouk Ali -- fah-ROOK' ah-LEE'

Fadhil Al-Khaledy -- FAH'-deel ahl-KUH'-lay-dee

Eric Allena -- ah-LEE'-nah

Nabil Al-Marabh -- nuh-BEEL' ahl-muh-RAHB'

Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi -- AHB'-dehl BAH'-seht AH'-lee ahl-meh-GRAH'-hee

Mohamed Rashed Daoud Al-'Owhali --

moh-HAH'-mehd rah-SHEED' dah-ood ahl-oh-WAHL'-ee

Al-Qaida -- al-KY'-ee-duh

Fawaz Yahya al-Rabeei -- fuh-WEHZ' WAH'-yuh ahl-rah-BEYE'-ee

Al Sayd -- al-sah-HOOD' ("oo" as in "food")

Ayman al-Zawahri -- uh-MEEN' al-zawl-HEHR'-ee (last two syllables sound like the name "Harry")

Am to Az

Haron Amin -- hah-ROHN' ah-MEEN'

Kofi Annan ( news - web sites) -- KOH'-fee AN'-nan

Aon -- AY'-ahn

Aqaba -- AH'-kuh-bah

Enaam Arnaout -- EE'-nam ahr-NAHT'

Hassan Asfour -- HAH'-sahn AHS'-fohr

Hanan Ashrawi -- HAH'-nahn ash-ROW'-ee

Bashar Assad -- bah-SHAHR' AH'-sahd

Mohammed Atef -- AH'-tehf

Alejandro Avila -- ah-lay-HAHN'-droh AH'-vee-lah

Osama Awadallah -- ah-wah-DAH'-lah

Azerbaijan -- ah-zur-by-JAHN'

Tariq Aziz -- TAH'-rihk ah-ZEEZ'

Jose Maria Aznar -- AHS'-nahr

B

Ahmed Badawi -- AH'-mehd buh-DAH'-wee

Bagram -- bah-GRAHM'

Bahrain -- bah-RAYN'

Bonny Lee Bakley -- BAYK'-lee

Ehud Barak ( news - web sites) -- EH'-hud bah-RAHK'

Marwan Barghouti -- mahr-WAHN' bahr-GOO'-tee

Bashkortostan -- bahsh-KOHR'-tih-STAHN'

Basilan Island -- BAH'-sih-lahn

John Battaglia -- buh-TAL'-yuh

Beersheba (or Beersheva) -- beer-SHEE'-buh

Behawalpur -- beh-HAH'-wahl-poor

Ber Zeit -- beer zayt

Beit Hanoun -- bayt ha-NOON'

Belarus -- BEHL'-uh-roos

Arden Bemet -- BEH'-mit

Shlomo Ben-Ami -- SHLOH'-moh ben-ah-MEE'

Binyamin Ben-Eliezer -- behn-yah-MEEN' behn-ehl-ee-EH'-zahr

Eliahu Ben-Elissar -- ehl-ee-ah-HOO' ben-ehl-ee-ZAHR'

Ben Bernanke -- buhr-NAN'-kee

Pedro de San Jose Betancur -- BEH'-tahn-koor

Alfred Bietighofer -- BEET'-ee-hah-fur

Saad bin Laden -- sahd bin-LAH'-din

Osama bin Laden ( news - web sites) -- oh-SAH'-muh bin-LAH'-din

Alwaleed Bin Talal -- al-wa-LEED' bin TAL'-al

Rod Blagojevich -- blah-GOY'-uh-vich

Benjamin Blutstein -- BLUHT'-steen

Bishkek -- BIHSH'-kehk

Avi Boaz -- BOH'-az

Bogota -- boh-goh-TAH'

Enrique Bolanos -- boh-LAN'-yohs

Richard Boucher -- BOW'-chur

Abdelaziz Bouteflika -- ahb-DUL'-ah-ZEEZ' boot-uh-FLEE'-kuh

Lakhdar Brahimi -- LAHK'-dahr bra-HEE'-mee

Leonie Brinkema -- lee-OH'-nee BRINK'-uh-muh

Gracia Burhnam -- GRAY'-shuh

Busan -- boo-sahn

C

Cali -- KAH'-lee

Eduardo Camano -- kah-MAHN'-yoh

Camp Lejeune -- luh-ZHOON'

Canon City -- KAN'-yen

Richard Carmona -- kar-MOH'-nuh

Chataan -- chah-tah-AHN'

Chau Takhay -- chow tak-how

Hugo Chavez -- OO'-goh CHAH'-vez

Chechnya ( news - web sites) -- CHECH'-nyah

Chediski -- ched-ih-SKY'

Lake Chelan -- shuh-LAN'

Chen Shui-bian -- jehn shwee bee-ehn

Jacques Chirac -- zhahk shih-RAHK'

Richard Chouquer -- CHOH'-kur

Jean Chretien -- zhahn kreh-TYEN'

Vincent Cianci -- see-AN'-see

Mark Consuelos -- kahn-SWAY'-lohs

Patricia Cornejo --kohr-NAY'-hoh

D

The Dalles -- dalz

Mohammed Daraghmeh -- duh-RAHK'-muh

Dashst-i-Qula -- dash-tee-kah-LAH'

Davao -- duh-VOW'

Fort Detrick -- DEE'-trik

Vladimir Dezhurov -- deh-ZH00R'-ahf

Dhahran -- dah-RAHN'

Amadou Diallo -- AH'-meh-doo dee-AH'-loh

Diageo -- dee-AH'-jee-oh

John Dingell -- DING'-gul

Dushanbe -- duh-shahn-BAY'

E

Bulent Ecevit -- EH'-chee-vit

Edward Egan -- EE'-gihn

Eid al-Fitr -- eed ahl-FEE'-truh

Elbe -- EHL'-buh

Wadih El-Hage -- WAH'-dee ehl-HAHJ'

Mounir El Motassadeq -- moo-neer ehl mah-tuh-SAD'-uhk

Aicha el-Wafi -- eye-EE'-uh

Einar Enevoldson -- EYE'-nur eh-neh-VOHLD'-suhn

Saeb Erekat -- sah-EEB' EHR'-ih-kaht

Richard Evonitz -- ee-VONN'-its

F

Andrew Fastow -- FAS'-tow

Fatah ( news - web sites) -- FAH'-tah

Ahmad Fawzi -- FOW'-zee

Lamen Khalifa Fhimah -- LAH'-mehn kah-LEE'-fah feh-HEE'-mah

Ari Fleischer ( news - web sites) -- AHR'-ee FLY'-shur

Gregorio Fuentes -- foo-EHN'-tayz

Vicente Fox ( news - web sites) -- vih-SEN'-tay

Alberto Fujimori ( news - web sites) -- foo-jee-MOHR'-ee

Keiji Fukuda -- kay-jee foo-koo-dah

G

Moammar Gadhafi -- MOO'-ah-mahr gah-DAH'-fee

Didier Gailhaguet -- dee-dee-ay GY'-yah-gay

John Geoghan -- GAY'-gun

Raanan Gissin -- rah-NAHN' gihs-EEN'

Goshen -- GOH'-shuhn

Hamid Gul -- HAH'-mihd gool

Xanana Gusmao -- sah-NAH'-nah goos-MOW'

H

Hesham Mohamed Hadayet -- huh-SHAHM' moh-HAH'-med hah-DY'-eht

Hadera -- hah-DEHR'-uh

Haifa -- HY'-fuh

Hamas -- hah-MAHS'

Farid Hamayoun --HAH'-may-yoon

Imad Hamed -- ih-MAHD' hah-MED'

Yaser Esam Hamdi -- YAH'-ser EE'-sahm HAHM'-dee

Ahmed Hannan -- AH'-mehd hah-NAHN'

Mahmoud Abu Hanoud -- mah-MOOD' ah-boo hah-NOOD'

Mokhtar Haouari -- MOHK'-tahr how-AHR'-ee

Abdul Haq -- ahb-DOOL' hahk

Rafik Hariri -- rah-FEEK' hah-REER'-ee

Hebron -- HEH'-bruhn

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar -- gool-boo-DEEN' hek-mat-YAHR'

Herat -- hay-RAHT'

Herzliya -- hurts-LEE'-uh

Hezbollah -- hez-boh-LAH'

Abdallah Higazy -- ahb-DAH'-lah hee-GAH'-zee

Liban Hussein -- LEE'-bahn hoo-SAYN'

Odai Hussein -- oh-DY'

Qusay Hussein -- KOH'-sy

Faisal Husseini -- FY'-suhl hoo-SAY'-nee

I

Saad Eddin Ibrahim -- sahd uh-deen ee-brah-heem

Mohammed Osman Idris -- OHS'-man EE'-dree

Jarome Iginla -- ih-GIHN'-luh

Kelvin Iguabita -- ig-wah-BEE'-tuh

Imam -- EE'-mahm

ImClone -- IHM'-klohn

Islamabad -- ihs-LAH'-muh-bahd' (Slight stress on final syllable, not as strong as stress on second syllable)

Itcho Ito -- ee-choh ee-toh

Igor Ivanov -- EE'-gohr ee-VAHN'-awf

J

Jabaliya --juh-BAH'-lee-yuh

Jabir Air Base -- jeh-BEER'

Jacobabad -- jak-oh-ba-BAHD'

Jalalabad -- ju-LAH'-lah-bahd (The vowel sound in "ju" is similar to the double-o sound in "took")

Beit Jalla -- bayt JAH'-lah

Qatradullah Jamal -- kwah-trah-DOOL'-ah jah-MAL'

Jemaah Islamiyah -- jeh-MAH' is-mah-LEE'-uh

Jenin -- juh-NEEN'

Kajal Jhaveri -- KAH'-jihl jah-VEHR'-ee

Yukun Jia -- yoo-koon jah

Tanak Jigme Sangpo -- TAH'-nahk JIHG'-mee SAHNG'-poh

Hu Jintao -- hoo jin-tow

Jiang Zemin -- jahng zuh-MEEN'

Jihad -- jih-HAHD'

K

Ahmed Tejan Kabbah -- AH'-mehd TEH'-jahn KAH'-bah

Kabul -- kah-BOOL' (though the pronunciation KAH'-bool is also common)

Kach -- KAHKH

Farouk Kaddoumi -- fah-ROOK' kah-DOO'-mee

Kakarak -- KAHK'-uh-rahk

Kalai-Zal -- kah-LAY'-zahl

Kandahar -- kan'-duh-HAHR' (slight stress on first syllable; stronger stress on third syllable)

Karachi -- kuh-RAH'-chee

Radovan Karadzic -- RA'-doh-van KA'-ra-jich

Karam -- KAR'-uhm

Islam Karimov -- EES'-lahm kah-REE'-mahv

Karnei Shomron -- kahr-NAY' shahm-ROHN'

Raed Karmi -- RAH'-ed KAHR'-mee

Hamid Karzai -- HAH'-mihd KAHR'-zeye

Qayum Karzai -- ky-OOM' KAHR'-zeye

Kaspiisk -- kahs-PEESK'

Moshe Katsav -- KAHT'-sahv

Katyusha -- kah-TOO'-shuh

Yoriko Kawaguchi -- yoh-ree-koh kah-wah-goo-chee

Damien Kawai -- kuh-WY'-ee

Ketziot detention camp -- keht-zee-OHT'

King Khalid Military City -- KAHL'-ihd

Zalmay Khalilzad -- ZAHL'-may kah-LEEL'-zahd

Ali Khamenei -- hah-meh-neh-EE'

Mohammad Khatami ( news - web sites) -- HAHT'-ah-mee

Essid Sami Ben Khemais -- EH'-seed ... keh-MEES'

Khobar -- KOH'-bahr

Khost -- hohst (heavy stress on first "h")

Khyber Pass -- KY'-bur

Kwame Kilpatrick -- KWAH'-mee

Kilauea -- kih-luh-WAY'-uh

Kim Dae-jung ( news - web sites) -- kihm day-joong

Kim Jong Il -- kihm jawng eel

Marjorie Knoller -- NOHL'-ur

Junichiro Koizumi -- joon-ee-chee-roh koh-ee-zoo-mee

Colleen Kollar-Kotelly -- KOH'-lur koh-TEL'-ee

Joseph Konopka -- kuh-NAHP'-kuh

Janusz Korczak -- JAH'-nuhs KOHR'-zhahk

Vojislav Kostunica ( news - web sites) -- voh-YEE'-slahv kosh-too-NEET'-zuh

Krakow -- KRAH'-kawf

Krasnoyarsk -- krahz-nah-YAHRSK'

Leonid Kuchma -- KOOCH'-mah

Kunar -- ku-NAHR' (The vowel sound in "ku" is similar to the double-o sound in "took")

Kunduz -- KUHN'-dooz

Aleksander Kwasniewski -- kvahsh-NYEV'-skee

Kyrgyzstan -- KEHR'-gih-stahn

L

Bernard Law -- BUR'-nurd

Marie-Reine Le Gougne -- ma-ree-REN' leh-GOON'

Chandra Levy -- SHAHN'-druh LEE'-vee

Likud -- lee-KOOD'

Abner Louima -- loo-EE'-mah

Loya jirga -- LOY'-uh JUR'-guh

M

Imam Mahdi -- EE'-mahm MAH'-dee

Makhachkala -- mah-hahch-KAH'-luh

Chante Mallard -- shahn-TAY'

Lalit Mansingh -- LUH'-leet MAHN'-sing

Mazar-e-Sharif -- mu-ZAHR'-eh-sheh-REEF' (The vowel sound in "mu" is similar to the double-o sound in "took")

Javier Suarez Medina -- HAH'-vi-er SWAHR'-es muh-DEE'-nuh

Megawati Sukarnoputri -- meh-ga-WAH'-tee soo-kahr-noh-POOT'-rih

Anwar Mehmood -- an-WEHR' mah-MOOD'

Mesa Verde -- MAY'-suh VEHR'-day

Mifeprex -- MIF'-uh-preks

Slobodan Milosevic ( news - web sites) -- sloh-BOH'-dahn mee-LOH'-shuh-vich

Norman Mineta ( news - web sites) -- mih-NEH'-tuh

Ratko Mladic -- RAHT'-koh MLAH'-dich

Khalfan Khamis Mohamed -- KAHL'-fahn KAH'-mis moh-HAH'-med

Mahathir Mohamed -- muh-HAH'-thihr moh-HAHM'-ed

Vladimiro Montesinos -- mon-tay-SEE'-nohs

Yoshiro Mori -- yoh-shee-roh moh-ree

Mosul -- MOH'-sul

Amr Moussa -- AH'-mer MOO'-sah

Zacarias Moussaoui -- zak-uh-REE'-uhs moo-SOW'-ee

Marwan Muasher -- mahr-WAHN moo-AH-shur

Hosni Mubarak ( news - web sites) -- HAHS'-nee moo-BAH'-rahk

Robert Mugabe -- moo-GAH-bay

Robert Mueller -- MUHL'-ur

Robert Mugabe -- moo-GAH'-bay

Mujahedeen -- moo-jah-hid-DEEN'

Pervez Musharraf -- pur-VEHZ' moo-SHAH'-ruhv

Nacer Mustafa -- NAH'-sur moo-STAH'-fah

Amir Khan Muttaqui -- mew-TAH'-kee

Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil -- wah-KEEL' ah-MED' mut-uh-wah-KIHL'

N

Javid Naghani -- jah-VEED' neh-GAH'-nee

Hassan Nasrallah -- HAS'-ahn NAS'-ruh-lah

Netanya -- neh-TAHN'-yah

Benjamin Netanyahu ( news - web sites) -- net-an-YAH'-hoo

Imad Nimer -- NEE'-mer

Katsuya Nomoto -- kat-SOO'-yah nok-MOH'-toh

Dick Notebaert -- NOH'-tuh-bart

Yusuf Nuristani -- YOO'-sihf noo-ruh-STAH'-nee

Sari Nusseibeh -- noo-SAY'-buh

O

Mohamed Sadeek Odeh -- sah-DEEK' oh-DAY'

Dragoljub Ojdanic -- DRAH'-goh-loob oy-DAHN'-ich

Ehud Olmert -- EH'-hood OHL'-murt

Peter Odighizuwa -- ah-dig-uh-ZOO'-wuh

Oman -- OH'-mahn

Mullah Mohammed Omar -- MOO'-lah moh-HAHM'-ed oh-MAHR'

Yuri Onufrienko -- oh-noo-free-ENH'-koh

P

Pashtun -- pahsh-TOON'

Andres Pastrana -- pahs-TRAH'-nah

George Pataki -- puh-TAK'-ee

Pedro de San Jose Betancur --BAY'-tahn-coor

Shimon Peres -- shee-MOHN' PEHR'-ehs

Peshawar -- puh-SHAH'-wuhr

Daniel Pilarczyk -- pih-LAHR'-chuk

Chaim Potok -- HY'-im POH'-tahk

Yevgeny Primakov -- yehv-GEH'-nee PREE'-mah-kawf

Romano Prodi -- PROH'-dee

Puli Khumri Hill -- PUH'-lee kohm-REE'

Lyudmila Putin -- lud-MEE'-luh

Vladimir Putin ( news - web sites) -- POO'-tihn

Pyongyang -- pyuhng-yahng

Q

Abdul Qadir -- kah-DEER'

Qalqilya -- kahl-KEEL'-yuh

Yunus Qanooni -- YOO'-nuhs kah-NOO'-nee

Qatar -- KAH'-tahr

Quetta -- kuh-WEH'-tuh

Quecreek -- KYOO'-kreek

Maria de Jesus Quiej -- hay-SOOS' kee-EHSH'

Quanah -- KWAHN'-uh

Quinnipiac -- KWIN'-ihp-ee-ak

Qwest -- kwest

R

Burhanuddin Rabbani -- boor-HAHN'-uh-deen ruh-BAH'-nee

Jean-Pierre Raffarin -- zhohn-pee-ehr raw-fuh-REH'

Hashemi Rafsanjani -- hah-SHEH'-mee rahf-sahn-JAHN'-ee

Lotfi Raissi -- LUT'-fee RY'-see

Jabril Rajoub -- jahb-REEL' rah-JOOB'

Ramallah -- rah-MAHL'-ah

Ramstein Air Base -- RAHM'-shtyn

Abdel Aziz Al Rantissi -- AHB'-duhl ah-ZEEZ' ahl rahn-TEE'-see

Nabil Abu Rdeneh -- nuh-BEEL' AH'-boo ruh-DIH'-nay

Brian Regan -- REE'-gun

Jerry Regier -- ree-ZHEER'

Maulana Fazal-ur Rehman -- muh-law-nuh fuhz-LOOR' VEH'-mahn

Ahmed Ressam -- AH'-med res-AHM'

Richard Ricci -- REE'-see

Condoleezza Rice ( news - web sites) -- kahn-dah-LEE'-zuh

Ricin -- RY'-sin

Rishon Letzion -- ree-SHOHN' let-zee-OHN'

John Rigas -- REE'-guhs

Riyadh -- rhee-AHD'

Ibrahim Rugova -- IHB'-rah-heem roo-GOH'-vah

S

Michel Sabbah -- mih-SHEHL' SAH'-bah

Hafiz Saeed -- sy-EED'

Omar Saeed -- sy-EED'

Mohammed Saffi -- SAH'-fee

Abuhena Saiful-Islam -- ah-boo-HAY'-nah SY'-fuhl IHS'-lahm

Abdul Sattar -- sa-TAHR'

Abu Sayyaf -- AH'-boo sy-YAHF'

Gerhard Schroeder -- GEHR'-hahrd SHROH'-dur

Nabil Shaath -- nah-BEEL' shahth

Mohammad Zaher Shah -- ZY'-hehr shah

Shah-e-Kot -- SHAH'-ee-kaht

Shamsi -- SHAHM'-see

Ariel Sharon ( news - web sites) -- ah-ree-EL' shah-ROHN'

Shiite -- SHEE'-eyet

Omar Shishani -- shih-SHAH'-nee

Imam Muzammil Siddiqi -- EE'mahm MOO'-zuh-meel suh-DEE'-kee

John Sidgmore -- SIHJ'-mohr

Siskiyou -- SIHS'-kyoo

Michael Skakel -- SKAY'-kul

Mohambedou Ould Slahi -- mahk-MOOD' oold slah-HEE'

Barnett Slepian -- SLEHP'-ee-uhn

Balbir Singh Sodhi -- SOH'-dee

Javier Solana -- HAH'-vee-yay soh-LAHN'-ah

Michael Speicher -- SPY'-kur

Srinagar -- SREE'-nuh-gur

Vlajko Stojiljkovic -- VLY'-koh stoh-yee-KOH'-vich

Bart Stupak -- STOO'-pak

Sunni Muslim -- SOO'-nee

Anthony Sutin -- SOO'-tin

Aung San Suu Kyi -- ahng sahn soo chee

Ken Suydam -- soo-DAM'

Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan -- shayk AKH'-med sah-'LEEM SWAY'-dahn

T

Tajikistan -- tah-JEEK'-ih-stahn

Takhar -- tah-KAR'

Takur Ghar -- TAY'-kur GAHR

Taliban -- TAL'-ih-bahn

Taloqan -- tahl-uh-KAHN'

Makiko Tanaka -- MAH'-kee-koh tah-NAH'-kah

Tanakhim -- tah-nuh-KEEM'

Tanegashima -- tah-NAY'-gah-shih-mah -- Japan

Tang Jiaxuan -- tahng zhow-shwin

Tanzania -- tan-zuh-NEE'-uh

Tarin Kot -- TAH'-reen KOHT

Billy Tauzin -- TOH'-zan

Terezin -- TEH'-reh-zeen

Hashim Thaci -- HAH'-shihm THAH'-chee

River Thames -- tehmz

Theresienstadt -- theh-REEZ'-ee-ehn-stadt

Alejandro Toledo -- al-ay-HAHN-droh toh-LAY-doh

Robert Torricelli -- tohr-ih-SEL'-ee

Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov -- ah-LEEM'-zahn tohk-TAHK'-uh-nuhv

Truchas -- TROO'-chahs

Morgan Tsvangirai -- CHAN'-gehr-eye

Tulkarem -- tuhl-KA'-rum

U

Ufa -- OO'-fuh

James Ujama -- oo-JAH'-mah

Alvaro Uribe -- oo-REE'-bay

Uzbekistan -- ooz-bek-ih-STAHN'

V

Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- ah-TUL' bee-HAH'-ree VAHJ'-py-ee

Antonio Villaraigosa -- vee-yuh-ruh-GOH'-sah

Vladikavkaz -- vlah-dih-kahv-KAHZ'

Vltava -- VHEL'-tuh-vuh

W

Wadowice -- vah-duh-VEET'-seh

Andrzej Wajda -- ahn-DRAZH' WYE'-duh

Samuel Waksal -- WAK'-suhl

Steven Wiersma -- WEERZ'-muh

Rilya Wilson -- RIHL'-yuh

X, Y

Xanax -- ZAN'-ehks

Xian -- SHEE'-ahn

Xinhua -- shin-wah

Xigris -- ZY'-grihs

Xinping -- shin-peeng (county in China)

Xolair -- ZOH'-layr

Daoud Yakub -- dah-OOD' YAH'-kuhb

Yanjin -- yehn-jin (county in China)

Abdul Rahman Yasin -- ahb-DOOL' RAHK'-mahn yah-SEEN'

Abdel Razak Yehiyeh -- yuh-HEE'-uh

Yemen -- YEH'-muhn

Mario Max Yzaguirre -- ee-sah-GEER'-ray

Z

Abdul Salam Zaeef -- ahb-DOOL' sah-LAHM' zah-EEF'

Zapotec -- zah-puh-TEK'

Zamboanga -- zahm-BWONG'-gah

Panayiotis Zavos -- pan-eh-YOH'-tihs ZAH'-vohs

Zawar Kili -- ZOW'-ur kih-LEE'

Rehavam Zeevi -- reh-huh-VAHM' zuh-EH'-vee

Elias Zerhouni -- zur-HOO'-nee

Dieter Zetsche -- DEE'-tur TSET'-sheh

Zimbabwe -- zeem-BAH'-bway

Anthony Zinni -- ZIN'-ee

Zhang Yuan-Yuan -- zhahng yoo-ahn yoo-ahn

Abu Zubaydah -- ah-BOO' zoo-BY'-dah

SUSPECTED HIJACKERS

Here are the names of the suspected hijackers of the planes used in the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

Note that in Arabic, stressed syllables don't tend to be stressed "hard."

The pronouncers follow this format: Full name, name on second reference (in parentheses), pronunciation.

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11

Mohamed Atta, (Atta) -- moh-HAM'-ad AT'-ta

Wail Alshehri, (Alshehri) -- WAH'-eyel (close to the word "while") ahl SHEH'-ree (light stress on SHE)

Waleed M. Alshehri, (Alshehri) -- WAH'-leed ahl SHEH'-ree

Abdulaziz Alomari, (Alomari) -- ab-dool-ah-ZEEZ' ahl ohm-AR'-ee (very light stress on AR)

Satam al-Suqami, (al-Suqami) -- sah-TAHM' ahl soo-KAHM'-ee

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 175

Marwan al-Shehhi, (al-Shehhi) -- mar-WAHN' ahl SHEH'-hee

Fayez Ahmed, (Ahmed) -- FEYE'-ez AH'-med

Ahmed Alghamdi, (Alghamdi) -- AH'-med ahl HAHM'-ed-ee (HAHM more drawn out than stressed)

Hamza Alghamdi, (Alghamdi) -- HAHM'-zeh ahl HAHM'-ed-ee (HAHM more drawn out than stressed)

Mohand Alshehri, (Alshehri) -- moh-HAHN'-ed ahl SHE'-ree

AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77

Hani Hanjour, (Hanjour) -- hah-nee (both syllables equally stressed) han-joor (again, equally stressed)

Khalid Almihdhar, (Almihdhar) -- KHAL'-led al-meh-DAHR'(almost rolling the rr at end)

Majed Moqed, (Moqed) -- MAH'-jed (MAH stressed in the sense of drawn out) moo-KED'

Nawaf Alhamzi,(Alhamzi) -- nuh-WEHF' ahl ham-ZEE'

Salem Alhamzi,(Alhamzi) -- sah-LEEM' ahl ham-ZEE'

UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 93

Ziad Samir Jarrah, (Jarrah) -- ZEYE'-ed suh-MEER' jer-RAH'

Saeed Alghamdi, (Alghamdi) -- SAH'-eed ahl HAHM'-ed-ee (HAHM more drawn out than stressed)

Ahmed Alhaznawi, (Alhaznawi) -- AH'-med ahl HAS'-nuh-wee

Ahmed Alnami, (Alnami) -- AH'-med ahl NAH'-mee

SPORTS

A

Andre Agassi -- AG'-uh-see

Danielle Ammaccapane -- ah-mah-kah-PAH'-nee

Tony Amonte -- ah-MAHN'-tee

Isao Aoki -- ih-sah-oh ah-OH'-kee

Hicham Arazi -- HEE'-shuhm ah-RAH'-zee

Obafemi Ayanbadejo -- oh-bah-FEH'-mee eye-uhn-bah-DAY'-zhoo

B

George Bastl -- BAS'-tihl

Daja Bedanova -- DY'-yah bed-AN'-oh-vah

Jason Bere -- bur-AY'

Elena Berezhnaya -- behr-ehzh-NY'-uh

Jay Berwanger -- BUR'-wang-ur

Martin Biron -- beer-AHN'

Corie Blount -- BLUHNT

Philippe Boucher -- boo-SHAY'

Jeanne-Marie Busuttil -- boo-sih-TEEL'

C, D, E

Guillermo Canas -- kah-NAH'

Patrick Carpentier -- pa-TREEK' kahr-pen-tee-AY'

Helio Castroneves -- EHL'-ee-oh kas-troh-NEH'-vehs

Guy Charron -- gee shah-ROHN'

Denisa Chladkova -- klad-KOH'-vuh

Ottavio Cinquanta -- oh-TAH'-vee-oh cheen-KWAHN'-tah

Kim Clijsters -- KLY'-sturz

Dorothy Delasin -- DEL'-ah-sihn

Elena Dementieva -- deh-mehn-tee-AY'-vah

Jelena Dokic -- yeh-LAY'-nuh DOH'-kihk

Tie Domi -- ty DOH'-mee

Ernie Els -- ehlz

Leomont Evans -- LEE'-ah-mahnt

F, G

Donald Fehr -- feer

Gonzalez Galdeano -- gahl-day-AH'-noh

Stewart Ginn -- jihn

Carlos Guillen -- GEE'-ehn

Tom Glavine -- GLAV'-in

H, I, J

Hazeltine -- HAY'-zuhl-teen

Roland Hemond -- HEE'-muhnd

Justine Henin -- EH'-nan

Nene Hilario -- NEE'-nay hih-LAH'-ree-oh

Scott Hoch -- hohk

Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- zih-DROO'-nuhs ihl-GOWS'-kuhs

Kazuhisa Ishii -- kah-zoo-HEE'-sah ee-SHEE'-ee

Allen Iverson -- EYE'-vur-suhn

Hideki Irabu -- hih-DEHK'-ee ih-RAH'-boo

K, L

Yevgeny Kafelnikov -- ehv-GEH'-nee kah-FEHL'-nih-kawf

Mi Hyun Kim -- mee hyoon kim

Jaan Kirsipuu -- yahn KEER'-sih-poo

Carin Koch -- KAHR'-in KOHK

Richard Krajicek -- KRY'-chek

Kelli Kuehne -- KEE'-nee

Gustavo Kuerten -- KEHR'-ten

Toni Kukoc -- KOO'-kohch

Igor Larionov -- lar-ee-AH'-nahf

Ashley Lelie -- leh-LEE'

Mario Lemieux -- leh-MYOO'

Arie Luyendyk -- AHR'-ee LY'-ehn-dyk

M, N

Iva Majoli -- EE'-vah mah-YOH'-lee

Shigeki Maruyama -- shih-GEH'-kee mahr-oo-YAH'-muh

Amelie Mauresmo -- AM'-uh-lee maw-REHS'-moh

Keenan McCardell -- mih-kahr-DEHL'

Mhairi McKay -- VAH'-ree muh-KY'

Shaun Micheel -- mih-KEEL'

Raul Mondesi -- MAHN'-deh-see

Dikembe Mutombo -- dih-KEHM'-bay moo-TAHM'-boh

Jerry Nadeau -- NAY'-doo

O, P

Se Ri Pak -- suh ree PAHK

Jesper Parnevik -- JEHS'-pur PAHR'-nek-vihk

Gwendal Peizerat -- PEH'-zeh-rah

Tony Pena -- PAYN'-yuh

Mark Philippoussis -- fihl-ih-POO'-sihs

Mike Piazza -- pee-AHT'-zah

Luis Pujols -- POO'-hohlz

Q, R, S

Jacques Rogge -- ROH'-geh

Marat Safin -- mah-RAHT' SAF'-in

Sammamish -- suh-MAM'-ish

Sarava -- suh-RAH'-vah

Sjeng Schalken -- SHEHNG SHAHL'-kehn

Patty Schnyder -- SHNEE'-dur

Aaron Sele -- SEE'-lee

Bud Selig -- SEE'-lihg

Tsuyoshi Shinjo -- soo-YOH'-shee SHIN'-joh

Anton Sikharulidze -- sih-kahr-OOL'-ihd-zeh

Vince Spadea -- SPAY'-dee-uh

Paradorn Srichaphan -- PEHR'-uh-dorn SREE'-shah-pan

Damon Stoudamire -- STOW'-duh-my-ur

T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Rachel Teske -- TEHS'-kee

Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov -- ah-LEEM'-zahn tohk-TAHK'-uh-nuhv

Kris Tschetter -- CHEH'-dur

Nikoloz Tskitishvili -- NIH'-koh-lahz skee-tish-VEE'-lee

Juan Uribe -- yoo-REE'-bay

Dajuan Wagner -- duh-WAHN'

Aeneas Williams -- uh-NEE'-uhs

Minny Yeo -- yoh

< Previous Story

Email Story

Print Story

Next Story >

Message Boards: Post/Read Msgs