alternative pronunciations (celebrities' names)

Question

Hi,Angelina JolieI have heard native speakers pronounce her last name either way, JOlie or JolIE.Can you give me more examples of this sort? Are there other celebrities (all kinds of them :-) whose last names allow alternative pronunciations?Thank you!mus-te

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I'm sure that Angelina is not happy with alternate pronunciations. The pronunciation of many 'English' family names is an ongoing conundrum for other people, while the 'real' pronunciation—and sometimes it can be quite counter-intuitive—lies ultimately in the mind of their bearers.

Anonymous · Answer

Jim Bowie (BOO-ee, BOW-ee)

Charlotte Bronte (BRON-tay, BRON-tee)

Tolstoy (TOLL-stoy, toll-STOY)

Theodore Roosevelt (ROSE-eh-velt, ROOZ-eh-velt)

MUSCOVITE · Answer

Thank you, Anonymous!

(1) I guess Picasso is yet another good example of this kind?
Have you heard English speakers pronounce this famous Spaniard's name as PicaSSO?
(2) One technical question.
Do I understand correctly that the first pronunciation pattern (as shown in your list) is "more common" than the second?
E.g. you can hear ROSE-eh-velt more often than ROOZ-eh-velt?

CalifJim · Answer

MUSCOVITEHave you heard English speakers pronounce this famous Spaniard's name as PicaSSO?

Yes, but that's the French pronunciation. He lived in France for much of his life.

MUSCOVITEROSE-eh-velt more often than ROOZ-eh-velt

I don't know how those were listed, but I hear ROSE uh velt almost exclusively. At least that's the way you always hear it in documentaries about the politics of that era. You often hear just ROSE velt as well.

CJ

MUSCOVITE · Answer

alternative pronunciations (celebrities' names)

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