How to Pronounce Character Names

[lady_radiant]

I've just finished reading Elantris and throughout the book I kept changing how I pronounced character names in my head. This is largely due to the fact that I tend pronounce all vowel sounds as I would pronounce vowel sounds in Japanese (the language I am currently studying). I realised that my initial pronunciation was likely incorrect so I started playing around with other possible pronunciations that fit comfortably in my mouth, so to speak. After watching a Sanderson q&a in which he pronounces the name of Raoden in a way I hadn't even considered I suddenly became very curious about character name pronunciations. In short: is there an existing guide?

Also, the way Sanderson pronounced Adolin is not at all how I pronounce it  but I've read SA books twice now and I think it will take me a third time to get used to how character names are actually pronounced.

P.S.

Do you pronounce is JAS-nah or YAS-nah? I think there was a passage in WoR where Shallan is speaking to Pattern and mentions the Alethi J is pronounced like a Y, but I'll be damned if I can break the habit of wanting to pronounce it JAS-nah.

[maxal]

How do you pronounce Adolin? I specifically went to re-listen to Brandon state it and it basically is how I have always stated it, in my mind. I realize it may be because I am saying Adolin's name as a French would read his English name which happens to be the right way...

As for Jasnah, I initially said JAS-nah, but when I heard it had to be YAS-nah, I have corrected myself. I am fine with it now. Shallan, I still tend to say her name in French...

[Zoaez]

I have gotten a mix of the books in paper format and audio (which can be really confusing as apparently I butcher names horribly ).

I also pronounced Adolin's name wrong until I listened to WoR (never could get the book in the library, too many holds!) Listening to Adolin's name being said a thousand times corrected me. I used to say Ah-doh-lyn.

Just a few weeks ago I was trying to tell my husband to get caught up on the wax and Wayne books so he could read Kehz-ler's story and he could not tell who I was talking about until we figured out I meant Kel-seer or some such (I still can't say it right). xP Names in books are always hard unless there are keys at the back of the book!

Edited July 2, 2016 by Zoaez
Clarity

[Eccentric Hero]

Aonic names are the hardest for me. Here's a guide by Sanderson:

http://brandonsanderson.com/books/elantris/elantris/elantris-pronunciation-guide/

I mispronounce a lot of Sanderson names. The GraphicAudio pronunciation of Adolin threw me off.

I've fixed my pronunciation of Jezrien to Yezrien but can't/don't fix it for Jasnah. (I think it's because I've said it too many times in my head, so it's stuck.)

Edited July 2, 2016 by Eccentric Hero

[Rasarr]

I had a lot of problems with Aonic names as well, took me several times seeing Brandon write the proper pronounciation for the right one to stick. As for Adolin, what's the proper pronounciation, actually? I always read it as "Ah-doh-leen", but people keep on saying about surprising pronounciation of it, so I don't know... 

Funnily enough, I never had a problem with Jasnah - probably because where I live, "J" is pronounced as "Y", so I was quite relieved to hear that my pronounciation agrees with the official one. Also, because in Polish (and several other Slavic languages, I think) "jasna" - read "yasnah" - means "bright", so...  What are the chances this is on purpose?

[lady_radiant]

10 hours ago, Eccentric Hero said:

Aonic names are the hardest for me. Here's a guide by Sanderson:

http://brandonsanderson.com/books/elantris/elantris/elantris-pronunciation-guide/

I mispronounce a lot of Sanderson names. The GraphicAudio pronunciation of Adolin threw me off.

I've fixed my pronunciation of Jezrien to Yezrien but can't/don't fix it for Jasnah. (I think it's because I've said it too many times in my head, so it's stuck.)

thanks for the link!  I watched an interview with Sanderson and he pronounced Adolin as ADE-olin, and I had been pronouncing it Uh-doll-in, probably bc I live in Scotland and the Scottish accent makes it sound like that. I'm really going to have to get used to the pronunciation. 

[lady_radiant]

hey guys, that Elantris pronunciation guide was helpful, if counter-intuitive (at least for me ), is there a guide for SA as well.

***Below has a Cosmere spoiler so read only if you have read MB***

 

I think MB names are the easiest to pronounce, even if I do get Demoux and Renoux confused all the time; whilst rereading I kept asking myself 'how the hell is Renoux a member of the 17th Shard?! OreSeur CONSUMED him! But then I remembered it's Demoux *face palm*

[antgrgmn]

Someone should make a sticky with all of the characters pronunciation. I'll probably just keep pronouncing them in my own way, but it would be nice to know.

[Toaster Retribution]

Didn't Brandon state that he did not care how the names were pronounced?

[Botanica]

Here's the clarification for the pronunciation of letter J:

STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE

Question: The Rosharans seem to pronounce J as Y? Or is it only limited to Vorin nations?

Peter’s answer: So, this is a modern Vorin upper-class thing. But it might appear in some other countries as well…hard to say. Lower-class names like Jost and Jest would still be [dʒ]. Jezrien’s name in the Prelude would be pronounced with [dʒ], but by the modern day Jezerezeh is pronounced with y and Jezrien is also usually pronounced with y.

ELANTRIS

Question: About the pronunciation of letter J, here’s my understanding:

In Fjordell Empire, all J reads Y, like what we do in Jewish language. (Jaddeth, Jaador, Jalla.) While in other places, such as Jindo, it still reads [dʒ]. Is it correct?

Peter’s answer: Yes.