Interesting Thing I Found From The AP - A Pronunciation Guide

AP | AP

[technomage]

I found this on the AP. I have left it formatted as they did. Not sure if they intended to have this out to the public. Posting it for informational purposes only.

K Ahmed Tejan Kabbah -- AH'-mehd TEH'-jahn KAH'-bah Kabardino-Balkariya --- kah-bahr-DEE'-noh bahl-KAH'-ree-ah Lech Kaczynski -- lekh kah-CHIN'-skee Kadima -- kuh-DEE'-muh Farouk Kaddoumi -- fah-ROOK' kah-DOO'-mee Lakshman Kadirgamar -- LAHK'-shmahn kuh-DEER'-guh-mahr Akhmad Kadyrov -- kuh-DEE'-ruhv Kalai-Zal -- kah-LAY'-zahl Jason Kamiya -- ka-MY'-uh Karabilah -- ka-ruh-BIL'-uh Radovan Karadzic -- RA'-doh-van KA'-ra-jich Karbala -- KAHR'-bah-lah Islam Karimov -- EES'-lahm kah-REE'-mahv Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye -- ahb-deer-uh-HAHM' ky-EED'-eh Raed Karmi -- RAH'-ed KAHR'-mee Karnei Shomron -- kahr-NAY' shahm-ROHN' Hamid Karzai -- HAH'-mihd KAHR'-zeye Qayum Karzai -- ky-OOM' KAHR'-zeye Anurag Kashyap -- AH'-noo-rahg KAHSH'-yahp Mikhail Kasyanov -- kah-see-AH'-nahf Katowice -- kah-toh-VEET'-suh Moshe Katsav -- moh-SHEH' kaht-SAHV' Jorma Kaukonen -- YOR'-mah KOW'-kah-nen Yoriko Kawaguchi -- yoh-ree-koh kah-wah-goo-chee Kazakhstan -- kah-zahk-STAHN' Kfar Darom --kuh-FAHR' duh-ROHM' Khabarovsk -- hah-BAH'-rohvsk Phan Van Khai -- fahn vahn keye Khaldiyah -- KAHL'-dee-yah Teresa Borcz Khalifa -- teh-REH'-zah borch kah-LEE'-fah Zalmay Khalilzad -- ZAHL'-may kah-LEEL'-zahd Ali Khamenei -- hah-meh-neh-EE' Abdul Qadeer Khan -- ahb-DOOL' kah-DEER' kahn Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan -- nah-EEM' nohr kahn Khaneqin -- hah-nah-KEEN' Kamal Kharrazi - kah-MAHL' kah-RAH'-zee Khartoum -- kahr-TOOM' Mohammad Khatami -- HAHT'-ah-mee Essid Sami Ben Khemais -- EH'-seed ... keh-MEES' Mikhail Khodorkovsky -- mih-hah-EEL' khoh-dohr-KAHV'-skee Khost -- hohst (heavy stress on first "h") Mwai Kibaki -- mwy kih-BAH'-kee Adam Kidan -- KIH'-dun Kim Jong Il -- kim jawng eel Nestor Kirchner -- KURSH'-nur Kiribati -- keer-ih-BAHS' Kirkuk -- keer-KOOK' or keer-KUK' Paul Klebnikov -- KLEHB'-nih-kahf Thomas Klestil -- KLAY'-steel Melania Knauss -- meh-LAH'-nee-uh kuh-NOSS' Takeru Kobayashi -- tah-kah-roo koh-bee-yah-shee Shosei Koda -- shoh-say koh-dah Mark Koenig -- KOH'-nig Koh Racha -- koh rah-chah Junichiro Koizumi -- joon-ee-chee-roh koh-ee-zoo-mee Valery Korzun -- val-uh-ree kohr-ZOON' Vojislav Kostunica -- voh-YEE'-slahv kosh-too-NEET'-zuh George Kouloheras -- koo-loh-HEHR'-us Sergei Krikalev -- SUR'-gay KREE'-kuh-lev Ryszard Krystosik -- RIH'-shahrd krih-STAW'-sehk Kok Ksor -- kahk kuh-SOHR' Bassam Salih Kubba -- BAH'-sahm sah-LIH' KOO'-bah Leonid Kuchma -- KOOCH'-mah Kufa -- KOO'-fah Ted Kulongoski -- koo-luhn-GAH'-skee Kunar -- ku-NAHR' (The vowel sound in "ku" is similar to the double-o sound in "took") Kunduz -- KUHN'-dooz Kushiro -- koo-shee-roh Kut -- koot Aleksander Kwasniewski -- kvahsh-NYEV'-skee Kyrgyzstan -- KEER'-gih-stan

L Hemant Lakhani -- HEH'-muhnt luh-KAH'-nee Lashkar-e-Tayyaba -- LAHSH'-kar ay TEYE'-buh Las Ramblas -- lahs RAHM'-blahs Mary Landrieu -- LAN'-droo Latifiyah -- lah-TEE'-fee-yuh Jorge Lazareff -- HOR'-hay Lee Hoi-chang -- lee hweh-chayng LaSalle Leffall -- leh-FAWL' Patrick Leahy -- LAY'-hee Mike Leavitt -- LEH'-vit Michael LeFever -- luh-FEE'-vur Joan Humprhey Lefkow -- LEF'-koh Robert Joseph Legendre -- leh-ZHAHN'-dray John Lehman -- LAY'-man Mike Leinbach -- LYN'-bahk Camp Lejeune -- lih-ZHOON' Daniel Libeskind -- LEE'-behs-kihnd Lien Chan -- LEE'-ehn jan Likud -- lee-KOOD' Lithonia -- ly-THOH'-nee-uh Scott Livengood -- LY'-vehn-gud Lodi -- LOH'-dy Lindsay Lohan -- LOH'-un Lonoke -- LOH'-nohk Pedro Santana Lopes -- lohpzh Ruud Lubbers -- rood LUH'-burz Sarah Lunde -- LUHN'-dee

M Wangari Maathai -- wan-GAH'-ree mah-DY' Madhya Pradesh -- MUH'-dyuh PRUH'-desh Mahawil -- mah-hah-WEEL' Imam Mahdi -- EE'-mahm MAH'-dee Ahmed Maher -- AHH'-mehd MAH'-ehr Mukhtar Mai -- mook'-TAR' my Deborah Majoras -- mah-JOHR'-us Malawi -- mah-LAH'-wee Maldives -- MAHL'-dyvz Yuri Malenchenko -- YOOR'-ee mal-ehn-CHEHN'-koh Chante Mallard -- SHAHN'-tay MAL'-urd Imran Mandhai -- im-rahn mahn-deye Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz -- KAH'-zhee-myehrsh mahr-cheen-KAY'-vihch Mirjana Markovic -- meer-ee-YAH'-nah mahr-KOH'-vich Khaled Mashaal -- HAY'-led mah-SHAHL' Aslan Maskhadov -- AS'-lahn mahs-HA'-dahv Roger Maynulet -- MAN'-yoo-leht Mazar-e-Sharif -- mu-ZAHR'-eh-sheh-REEF' Thabo Mbeki -- TAH'-boh um-BEH'-kee Javier Suarez Medina -- HAH'-vi-er SWAHR'-es muh-DEE'-nuh Megawati Sukarnoputri -- meh-gah-WAH'-tee soo-kahr-noh-POOT'-rih Ahmed Mehalba -- AH'-med meh-HAHL'-bah Detlev Mehlis -- DET'-lev MEL'-ihs Anwar Mehmood -- an-WEHR' mah-MOOD' Zeljko Mejakic -- ZHEHL'-koh meh-YAH'-kich Camilo Mejia -- kah-MEE'-loh meh-HEE'-ah Hipolito Mejia -- ee-POH'-lee-toh me-HEE'-yah Armin Meiwes -- AHR'-meen MY'-vays Fayssal Mekdad -- FY'-suhl MEHK'-dahd Charles Melancon -- mel-ahn-SOHN' Jean Charles de Menezes -- zheh-AHN' SHAR'-lehs deh meh-NEH'-zehs Idina Menzel -- ih-DEE'-nah mehn-ZEHL' Ismail Merchant -- ISH'-mayl Angela Merkel -- AHN'-geh-lah MEHR'-kuhl Khaled Meshaal -- MAH'-shahl Stipe Mesic -- STEE'-pay MEH'-sich Jean-Marie Messier -- zhan mah-REE' MEH'-see-ay Kweisi Mfume -- kwah-EE'-see oom-FOO'-may Joseph Micale -- mi-KAYL' Harriet Miers -- MY'-urz Mijailo Mijailovic -- mee-EYE'-loh mee-EYE'-luh-vich Bart Millard -- mil-AHRD' Slobodan Milosevic -- sloh-BOH'-dahn mee-LOH'-shuh-vich Milan Milutinovic -- mee-LAHN' mee-loo-TIN'-oh-vik John Mittleider -- MIHT'-ly-dur Amram Mitzna --AHM'rahm MITS'-nah Ole Mjoes -- OO'-leh MYEHS Ratko Mladic -- RAHT'-koh MLAH'-dich Shaul Mofaz -- shah-OOL' moh-FAHZ' Khalfan Khamis Mohamed -- KAHL'-fahn KAH'-mis moh-HAH'-med Mahathir Mohamed -- muh-HAH'-thihr moh-HAH'-med Khalid Shaikh Mohammed -- HAH'-leed shayk moh-HAH'-med Vladimiro Montesinos -- mon-tay-SEE'-nohs Evo Morales -- eh-VOH' mohr-AHL'-ays Mossad -- moh-SAHD' Mosul -- MOH'-sul Mounir el Motassadeq -- moo-NEER' el moh-tah-SAH'-dek Amr Moussa -- AH'-mer MOO'-sah Zacarias Moussaoui -- zak-uh-REE'-uhs moo-SOW'-ee Imad Moustapha -- ih-mahd moo-STAH'-fuh Marwan Muasher -- mahr-WAHN moo-AH-shur Hosni Mubarak -- HAHS'-nee moo-BAH'-rahk Robert Mueller -- MUHL'-ur Mujahedeen -- moo-jah-hih-DEEN' Mujahedeen Khalq -- moo-jah-hih-DEEN' kahlk Alan Mulally -- muh-LAL'-lee Frankie Muniz -- MYOO'-nihz Lachlan Murdoch -- LAHK'-lahn MUR'-dahk Timothy Muris --MYOOR'-ihs 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' Myanmar -- mee-an-MAWR' Abdelghani Mzoudi -- ahb-del-GAH'-nee muh-SOOD'-ee

N Javid Naghani -- jah-VEED' neh-GAH'-nee Ray Nagin -- NAY'-gin Ali Naimi -- NAH'-mee Najaf -- NAH'-jahf Nalchik --- NAHL'-chik Nasiriyah -- nah-sih-REE'-uh Hassan Nasrallah -- HAS'-ahn NAS'-ruh-lah Nauru -- NAH-roo' Joaquin Navarro-Valls -- wah-KEEN' nah-VAH'-roh vahlz Prince Nayef -- NY'-ehf Ahmed Nazief -- AHKH'-med ah-ZEEF' John Negroponte -- neh-groh-PAHN'-tee Neve Dekalim -- neh-VEH' deh-kah-LEEM' Michael Newdow -- NOO'-dow Thandie Newton -- TAN'-dee Bob Ney -- nay Nias -- nee-AHS' Niger -- nee-ZHEHR' Birgit Nilsson -- BEER'-git NEEL'-sun Imad Nimer -- NEE'-mer Soichi Noguchi -- soh-EE'-chee noh-GOO'-chee Elin Nordegren -- EE'-lihn NOHRD'-grihn Ayman Nour -- EYE'-muhn noor Krist Novoselic -- noh-voh-SEL'-ik Robert Nunes -- noonz Amrozi bin Nurhasyim -- am-ROH'-zee bihn noor-hah-SEEM' Yusuf Nuristani -- YOO'-sihf noo-ruh-STAH'-nee Nursultan Nazarbayev -- nur-sul-TAHN' nah-sahr-BAH'-yev Sari Nusseibeh -- noo-SAY'-buh Julius Nyerere -- ny-REHR'-ee

O Barack Obama -- buh-RAHK' oh-BAH'-muh Thoraya Obaid -- thohr-EYE'-uh oh-BAYD' Olusegun Obasanjo -- oh-LOO'-see-gun oh-BAH'-sahn-joh Mahdi Shukur Obeidi -- MAH'-dee shuh-KOOR' oh-BAY'-dee Rupinder Oberoi -- roo-PIN'-dur OH'-bur-roy Michael Uberuaga -- oo-buh-RAH'-guh Abdullah Ocalan -- ab-D00L'-uh OH'-juh-lahn Mohamed Sadeek Odeh -- sah-DEEK' oh-DAY' Ray Odierno -- oh-dee-EHR'-noh Peter Odighizuwa -- ah-dig-uh-ZOO'-wuh Dan Odom -- OH'-dum Dragoljub Ojdanic -- DRAH'-goh-loob oy-DAHN'-ich Hakeem Olajuwon -- ah-KEEM' ah-LAH'-zhoo-wahn Ehud Olmert -- EH'-hood OHL'-murt Omagh -- OH'-mah Oman -- OH'-mahn Mullah Mohammed Omar -- MOO'-lah moh-HAHM'-ed oh-MAHR' Yuri Onufrienko -- oh-noo-free-ENH'-koh Opus Dei -- OH'-puhs DAY'-ee Valerie Oskin -- OH'-skin Susanne Osthoff -- AH'-stahf

P Adnan Pachachi -- PAH'-chah-chee Jose Padilla -- hoh-ZAY' puh-DIL'-uh Juan Pio Paiva -- hwahn PEE'-oh pah-EE'-vuh Rolandas Paksas -- roh-LAHN'-dahs PAHK'-sahs Alan Pakula -- pa-KOO'-luh Ana Palacio -- AH'-nuh puh-LAH'-see-oh Rafael Palmeiro -- ra-fee-EHL' pahl-MEHR'-oh Georges Papandreou -- pah-pahn-DRAY'-oh Uzair Paracha -- oo-ZAYR' puh-RAH'-chuh Passaic -- puh-SAY'-ihk Pass Christian -- kris-CHYAN' George Pataki -- puh-TAK'-kee Paso Robles -- PAS'-uh ROH'-bulz Tim Pawlenty -- puh-LEN'-tee Marwyn Peaster -- PEE'-stuhr Nancy Pelosi -- puh-LOH'-see Richard Pena -- PEEN'-yah Suzie Pena -- PAYN'-yah Shimon Peres -- shee-MOHN' PEHR'-ehs Amir Peretz -- ah-MEER' PEHR'-etz Pernod Ricard -- pehr-NOH' rih-KAHRD' Goeran Persson -- YOH'-rahn PEHR'-suhn Peshawar -- puh-SHAH'-wuhr David Petraeus -- puh-TRAY'-uhs Philippi -- FIL'-ih-pee Picaridin -- pih-KAHR'-ih-din Augusto Pinochet -- pee-noh-CHET' Jeanine Pirro -- juh-NEEN' PEER'-oh Jaime Placencia -- HY'-mee plah-SIN'-see-yah Valerie Plame -- playm Bernard Planche -- plahnsh Biljana Plavsic -- BIHL'-yah-nah PLAHV'-shich Stephen Poaches -- poh-SHAY' Luis Posada Carriles -- loo-EES' poh-SAH'-dah kah-REE'-lays Haleigh Poutre -- HAY'-lee POOT'-ruh Rene Preval -- reh-NAY' preh-VAHL' Yevgeny Primakov -- yehv-GEH'-nee PREE'-mah-kawf Romano Prodi -- PROH'-dee Jan Pronk -- yahn prahnk Phuket -- poo-KET' Vladimir Putin -- POO'-tihn Pyongyang -- pyuhng-yahng

Q Abdul Qadir -- kah-DEER' Qaim -- KYM Qalqiliya -- kahl-KEEL'-yuh Entifadh Qanbar -- EHN'-tee-fahd KAHN'-bar Yunus Qanooni -- YOO'-nuhs kah-NOO'-nee Qatar -- GUH'-tur Qingdao -- king-DOW' Quantico -- KWAHN'-tih-koh Frank Quattrone -- kwah-TROHN' Quetta -- kuh-WEH'-tuh Quinnipiac -- KWIN'-uh-pee-ak Quran -- ku-RAHN' Ahmed Qureia -- AHK'-mehd kuh-RAY'-uh

R Burhanuddin Rabbani -- boor-HAHN'-uh-deen ruh-BAH'-nee Yasser Abed Rabbo -- YAH'-ser AH'-bed RA'-boh Yitzhak Rabin -- YIT'-sahk rah-BEEN' Ivica Racan -- EE'-vih-chah RAH'-chihn Amy Radin -- RAY'-dihn Rafah -- RAH'-fah Jean-Pierre Raffarin -- zhohn-pee-ehr raw-fuh-REH' Hashemi Rafsanjani -- hah-SHEH'-mee rahf-sahn-JAHN'-ee Mount Rainier -- ray-NEER' Prince Rainier -- ren-YAY' Jabril Rajoub -- jahb-REEL' rah-JOOB' Ramadan -- RAH'-mah-dahn Ramadi -- rah-MAH'-dee Ramallah -- rah-MAHL'-ah Ramapo -- RAM'-uh-poh Bill Rancic -- RAN'-sik Abdel Aziz Rantisi -- AHB'-duhl ah-ZEEZ' rahn-TEE'-see Nabil Abu Rdeneh -- nuh-BEEL' AH'-boo ruh-DIH'-nay Bill Readdy -- REE'-dee Maulana Fazal-ur Rehman -- muh-law-nuh fuhz-LOOR' VEH'-mahn Bryan Reichel -- RY'-kuhl Victor Renuart -- REN'-yoo-ahrt Ahmed Ressam -- AH'-med res-AHM' Sylvestre Reyes -- sil-VEHS'-tree RAY'-uhs Rhein-Main -- ryn-myn Riga -- REE'-guh John Rigas -- REE'-guhs Rimantadine -- rih-MAN'-tah-deen Richard Riordan -- REER'-den Riyadh -- rih-YAHD' James Roche -- rohch John Roche -- rohsh Roh Moo-hyun -- noh moo-hyuhn Rebecca Romijn-Stamos -- roh-MAYN' STAY'-mohs Josh Romanow -- ROH'-muh-now Zhu Rongji -- joo wrang jee Anton Rop -- AN'-tawn rohp Ileana Ros-Lehtinen -- il-ee-AHN'-uh raws-LAY'-ti-nin Mark Rosenker -- ROH'-sehn-kur John Rowland -- ROH'-lund J.K. Rowling -- ROH'-ling Ibrahim Rugova -- IHB'-rah-heem roo-GOH'-vah Jeffrey Runge -- RUHN'-gee (hard "g") Marla Ruzicka -- roo-ZEE'-kah

S Mikhail Saakashvili -- sah-kahsh-VIH'-leh Michel Sabbah -- mih-SHEHL' SAH'-bah Naji Sabri -- nah-JEE' SAH'-bree Muhamed Sacirbey -- SHAHK'-ur-bay Hafiz Saeed -- sy-EED' Omar Saeed -- sy-EED' David Safavian -- suh-FAY'-vee-uhn Mohammed Saffi -- SAH'-fee Sago -- SAY'-goh Edward Said -- sy-EED' Abuhena Saiful-Islam -- ah-boo-HAY'-nah SY'-fuhl IHS'-lahm Akihiko Saito -- ah-kee-HEE'-koh sah-EE'-toh Jorge Sampaio -- ZHOR'-zheh sam-PY'-oh Andrzej Samson -- AHN'-jay Imam Samudra -- ee-MAHM' suh-MOO'-druh Ivo Sanader -- EE'-voh suh-NAH'-dehr Fuad Saniora -- FOO'-ahd sa-nee-OHR'-uh Abdul Sattar -- sa-TAHR' Almutah Saunders -- al-MOO'-tuh Svetlana Savitskaya -- sah-VEETS'-kah-yah Iyad Sawalha -- ee-YAHD' suh-WAHL'-hah Abu Sayyaf -- AH'-boo sy-YAHF' Schadenfreude -- SHAHD'-ehn-froy-duh Jan Schakowsky -- shuh-KOW'-skee Jaap de Hoop Scheffer -- yahp dee hohp SKEHF'-ur Shira Scheindlin -- SHYND'-lihn Mike Scheuer -- SHOY'-ur Terri Schiavo -- SHY'-voh Peter Schoomaker -- SKOO'-may-kur Juergen Schrempp -- YUR'-gen SHREMP Jack Schuessler -- SHOOS'-lur Charles Schumer -- SHOO'-mur Philip Schuth -- shoof Richard Scrushy -- SKROO'-shee Kathleen Sebelius -- seh-BEEL'-yuhs Eugene Segro -- SEE'-groh Christopher Scott Seifert -- SIGH'-fert Audrey Seiler -- SEE'-lur Seisint -- SY'-zint Serono -- sur-OH'-noh Serostim -- SEHR'-uhs-tihm Mobutu Sese Seko -- moh-BOO'-too SAY'-say SAY'-koh Benon Sevan -- beh-NAHN' seh-VAHN' Chloe Sevigny -- SEH'-ven-ee Giuliana Sgrena -- zhoo-lee-AH'-nah ZGRAY'-nah Nabil Shaath -- nah-BEEL' shahth John Shadegg -- SHAH'-dihg Mohammad Zaher Shah -- ZY'-hehr shah Shah-e-Kot -- SHAH'-ee-kaht Jeanne Shaheen -- jeen shuh-HEEN' Silvan Shalom -- SIHL'-vihn sha-LOHM' Mohammad Zaher Shah - ZY'-hehr shah Faraj Shamkhi -- SHAHM'-khee Shamsi -- SHAHM'-see Shanxi -- shan-see Salizhan Sharipov -- SAL'-in-zahn SHAR'-ih-pahv Sharm el-Sheik -- shahrm ehl shayk Ariel Sharon -- ah-ree-EL' shah-ROHN' Cindy Sheehan -- SHEE'-han M. Night Shyamalan -- SHAH'-mah-lahn Aafia Siddiqui -- Ah-fee-ah Sih-dee-kee Shii Ann -- shee Shiite -- SHEE'-eyet Sinn Fein -- shin fayn Schiphol -- SHIP'-hohl Sialkot -- SEEL'-koht Rana Sidani -- RAH'-nah sih-DAH'-nee Imam Muzammil Siddiqi -- EE'mahm MOO'-zuh-meel suh-DEE'-kee Sidhi -- SID'-hee Sidon -- SY'-duhn Erika Sifrit -- SYF'-riht Norodom Sihamoni -- nor-oh-DAHM' see-ah-MOH'-nee Norodom Sihanouk -- nor-oh-DAHM' see-AHN'-ook Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- loo-EEZ' ee-NAH'-see-oh LOO'-luh duh Anibal Cavaco Silva -- ah-NEE'-bal ca-va-COO' SEEL'-vuh Costas Simitis -- sih-MEE'-tees Manmohan Singh -- MAHN'-moh-hahn SING Steve Sipek -- SIH'-pehk Walter Sisulu -- sih-SOO'-loo Michael Skakel -- SKAY'-kul Mohambedou Ould Slahi -- mahk-MOOD' oold slah-HEE' Mabel Wisse Smit -- WIH'-suh SMIT Balbir Singh Sodhi -- SHOH'-dee Mohammed Sohail -- soh-hayl Jan Sokol -- yahn soh-KOHL' Javier Solana -- hah-vee-EHR' soh-LAHN'-ah Songhua River -- soong-hwah Audra Soulias -- AH'-drah SOH'-lee-ahs David Souter -- SOO'-tur Soundarya -- sown-DAHR'-yuh Michael "Scott" Speicher -- SPY'-kur Spina bifida -- SPY'-nuh BIF'-ih-duh Steve Squyres -- SKWY'-urz Srebrenica -- SREH'-breh-neet-sah Srinagar -- SREE'-nuh-gur Dee Srinivasan -- srih-NIH'-va-san Milomir Stakic -- mee-loh-MEER' STAH'-kich Stare decisis -- STAHR'-ay dih-SY'-sihs Stefano Stefani -- STEH'-fah-noh steh-FAH'-nee Joseph Stephanides -- steh-fah-NEE'-deez John Styll -- stil Vlajko Stojiljkovic -- VLY'-koh stoh-yee-KOH'-vich Megawati Sukarnoputri --meh-gah-WAH'-tee soo-kahr-noh-POOT'-rih Sunni Muslim -- SOO'-nee Aung San Suu Kyi -- ahng sahn soo chee Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan -- shayk AKH'-med sah-'LEEM SWAY'-dahn Kwang Szuszka -- SHUSH'-kuh

T Antonio Taguba -- tah-GOO'-bah Rihab Taha -- rah-HAHB' TAH-hah Yasein Taher -- YAH'-seen TAH'-hayr Aref Taifour -- AH'-ref TY'-foor Tai Shan -- ty shawn Taji -- TAH'-jee Tajikistan -- tah-JEEK'-ih-stahn Takhar -- tah-KAR' Takur Ghar -- TAY'-kur GAHR Jalal Talabani -- jahl-LAHL' tahl-ah-BAH'-nee Taloqan -- tahl-uh-KAHN' Tamil -- TAM'-ihl Tang Jiaxuan -- tahng zhow-shwin Shahzad Tanweer -- shah-ZAHD' tan-WEER' Tanzania -- tan-zuh-NEE'-uh Salvador Tapia -- TAH'-pee-ah Jim Taricani -- teh-ruh-KAH'-nee Tarin Kot -- TAH'-reen KOHT Tashkent -- TAHSH'-kent Tbilisi -- tuh-BLEE'-see Susan Tedeschi -- teh-DES'-kee Telluride -- TEHL'-yoo-ryd Roger Tetrault -- TEH'-trahlt Jonathan Thacher -- THATCH'-ur Douglas Theuner -- THOO'-nur John Thune -- THOON Tschula -- CHOO'-luh Hashim Thaci -- HAH'-shihm THAH'-chee Thames -- temz Pete Theisinger -- TY'-sing-gur Tianjin -- tyan-jin Joseph Tiberi -- ty-BEER'-ee Tikrit -- tih-KREET' Tokage -- toh-kah-gay Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov -- ah-LEEM'-zahn tohk-TAHK'-uh-nuhv Mykola Tomenko -- MIH'-koh-lah toh-MEHN'-koh Martin Torrijos -- tohr-REE'-hohs Boris Trajkovski -- try-KAWF'-skee Robert Travaligni -- trav-ah-LEE'-nee Jasmine Trias -- TREE'-uhs Jean-Claude Trichet -- TREE'-shay Traunstein -- TROWN'-styn Yoshiaki Tsutsumi -- yoh-shee-ah-kee tsoo-tsoo-mee Stanley Tucci -- TOO'-chee Franjo Tudjman -- FRAHN'-yoh TOOJ'-mahn Tulkarem -- tuhl-KA'-rum Tunica -- TOO'-nih-kuh Turin, Italy -- TOOR'-ihn Lucyna Turyk-Wawrynowicz -- loo-see-nah too-rik vah-vrih-noh-vich Tutsi -- TOOT'-see Tutuila -- too-too-EE'-lah Lorna Tychostup -- ty-CHAHS'-tuhp Yulia Tymoshenko -- YOOL'-yah tee-moh-SHEN'-koh Tysabri -- ty-SAH'-bree Tyre -- TY'-ur

U James Ujaama -- oo-JAH'-mah Bjorn Ulvaeus -- byohrn ul-VAY'-uhs Umatilla National Forest -- yoo-muh-TIHL'-ah Umm el-Fahm -- oom el-fahm Umm Qasr -- oom KAHSR' or oom-KAH'-sur Alvaro Uribe -- oo-REE'-bay Uzbekistan -- ooz-bek-ih-STAHN'

V Atal Bihari Vajpayee -- ah-TUL' bee-HAH'-ree VAHJ'-py-ee Joran van der Sloot -- YOHR'-uhn VAN'-dur-sloht Chai Vang -- CHEYE Tonya Vasilev -- VA'-sih-lev Eloysa Vasquez -- ee-LOY'-sah VAZ'-kez Jaci Velasquez -- JAK'-ee Hendrik Verfaillie -- vehr-fy-YAY' Alexander Vershbow -- VURSH'-bow (rhymes with how) Viiv -- vyv (rhymes with five) Vaira Vike-Freiberga -- VY'-ruh VEE'-kuh FRAY'-behr-guh Antonio Villaraigosa -- vee-yah-ry-GOH'-sah Goran Visnjic --VEEZ'-nitch Pamela Vitale -- vih-TAL'-ee Doug Vogt -- VOHT Floyd Vrtiska -- VUR-tisk-uh

W Waziristan -- vah-ZEER'-ih-stahn Jim Weidmann -- WYD'-mun Anthony Weiner -- WEE'-nur Jeff Weise -- wees Lewis Welshofer -- WEL'-shoh-fur Katie Wernecke -- WUR'-neh-kee Elie Wiesel -- EL'-ee vee-ZEHL' Simon Wiesenthal -- VEEZ'-ehn-thahl Wen Jiabao -- win jhaw bow Michael Wenning -- VEH'-ning Kanye West -- KAHN'-yay Wiesbaden -- VEES'-bah-den Simon Wiesenthal -- VEEZ'-ehn-thahl Pharrell Williams -- fuh-REHL' Alexandra Wucetich -- woo-SET'-ich Wuer Kaixi -- wehr KY'-shee Kurt Wuethrich -- VOO'-trihk

X, Y Xian -- SHEE'-ahn Xie Chunren -- shee-YEH' trun-REHN' Xigris -- ZY'-grihs Xinping -- shin-peeng Xinhua -- shin-wah Moshe Yaalon -- MOH'-shuh YAH'-uh-lohn Yahzarah -- YAH'-zah-rah Daoud Yakub -- dah-OOD' YAH'-kuhb Yang Jianli -- yahng jen-lee Yang Jiechi -- yahng je-chur Yang Liwei -- yahng lee-way Yanjin -- yehn-jin Viktor Yanukovych -- yah-noo-KOH'-vich Jiang Yanyong --junhg yen-yawng Abdul Rahman Yasin -- ahb-DOOL' RAHK'-mahn yah-SEEN' Sheik Ahmed Yassin -- shayk AKH'-mehd yah-SEEN' Abdel Razak Yehiyeh -- yuh-HEE'-uh Stephen Yelovich -- YEL'-oh-vich Yemen -- YEH'-muhn Yuan -- yoo-AHN' Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -- SOO'-see-loh BAM'-bang yoo-doo-YOH'-noh Purnomo Yusgiantoto -- pur-noh-MOH' yoos-kee-AHN'-toh-roh Viktor Yushchenko -- yoo-SHEN'-koh

Abdul Salam Zaeef -- ahb-DOOL' sah-LAHM' zah-EEF' Mahmoud Zahar -- mahk-MOOD' zah-HAHR' Dov Zakheim -- duhv ZAK'-hym Ousmane Zango -- ooz-mahn ZHAHN'-goh Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero -- zah-pah-TEH'-roh Abu Musab Zarqawi -- AH'-boo MOO'-sahb zahr-KOW'-ee Zawar Kili -- ZOW'-ur kih-LEE' Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed -- moh-SEHN' yah-yah zy-EHD' Hoshyar Zebari -- HOH'-shayr zuh-BAH'-ree Rehavam Zeevi -- reh-huh-VAHM' zuh-EH'-vee Phil Zelikow -- ZEL'-ih-koh Elias Zerhouni -- zur-HOO'-nee Zhang Yuan-Yuan -- zhahng yoo-ahn yoo-ahn Zhao Ziyang -- zhow tzee-yahng or jow zuh-yahng Zhang Ziyi -- shang zee-yee Zhou Wen Zhong -- joh wen jawng Vladimir Zhirinovsky -- VLAD'-ih-meer zheer-ih-NAWF'-skee Zurab Zhvania -- zoo-rahb zhuh-VAHN'-yuh Robert Zoellick -- ZEL'-ik Jamal Zougam -- zow-GAHM' Abu Zubaydah -- ah-BOO' zoo-BY'-dah Jim Zupancic -- zoo-PAN'-sik

[Keith in Iowa]

Nothing interesting about these - they run them on the AP Rado/TV newswire at least once a day.

[cripplecreek]

In case you've ever wondered how the talking heads manage to get on the same page pronuciation wise.

[Publius6961]

What happened to A through J?

[technomage]

Nothing interesting about these - they run them on the AP Rado/TV newswire at least once a day.

Okay, I have never seen this list.

Nevermind.

[Petronski]

Gesundheit!

[pipecorp]

this is so the lsm knows how to pronounce the name of the person whos arse they're currently kissing

[MotleyGirl70]

I've heard all of these: I - rak, Uh- rak, Uh - rok, Ear - rak, Ear - rok, Ee-rack, or...

[Peace Is Coming]

Ka-BOOM