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Home > About NLS > Other Writings > The ABC Book, A Pronunciation Guide
Issued August 2012
(Note: Stressed syllables are in UPPER CASE.)
Ā, ā = able, rate
Ä, ä = father, wand
A, a = pat, marry
Â, â = air, prepare
Ē, ē = evil, reel
E, e = end, edit
Ī, ī = ice, ride
I, i = in, blister
Ō, ō = over, roll
O, o = on, rob
Ô, ô = off, audit
OO, oo = spoon, ooze
Ü, ü = book, foot
U, u = under, but
Û, û = urge, burn
YOO, yoo = unify, beauty
ə = affair, sofa (general "shwa" sound)
TH = thing, healthy
DH = there, weather
CH = chair, bleach
J = judge, edge
KH = Gutteral, as in German "ach", Scottish "loch".
OI = boy, poise
OU = shout, around
SH = ship, wish
ZH = pleasure, corsage
[D], [N], [R], etc. = As in French "bon". Suggested rather than said, with preceding vowel nasalized.
| Name and pronunciation | Item |
|---|---|
| Abacavir (ə-BAK-ə-vēr) | Medication |
| Absolut Vodka (ab-sə-LOOT) | |
| Absorbine Jr. (əb-ZÔR-bēn) | Hemorrhoid medicine |
| Acer Computers (Ā-sər) | |
| ACOG (Ā-kog) | Atlanta Committee for Olympic Games, ‘96 |
| ACORN (Ā-kôrn) | Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now |
| ACT-UP (AKT-UP) | AIDS activist group |
| Acura (AK-yə-rä | Car |
| A.D.A.P.T. (ə-DAPT) | Disability Rights Organization |
| ADIC (Ā-dik) | FBI Asst. Deputy Agent in Charge |
| Aetna (ET-nə) | Insurance/financial corp. |
| AFSCME (AF-skmē) | Amer. Fed. of State/County/Municipal Employees |
| AFTRA (AF-trə) | Amer. Fed. of TV and Radio Artists |
| AGVA (AG-və) | Amer. Guild of Variety Artists |
| Ahmanson Thtr. (Ä-mən-sən) | L.A. Theater |
| AID (A. I. D.) | Agency for Industrial Development |
| Aigner (e-NYĀ) | French shoe brand |
| Aiwa (Ā-wə) | Radio brand |
| Ajune (ä-ZHOON) | N.Y. Spa |
| Albert & Charles Boni, Inc. (BŌ-nī) | Publishers |
| Alberto Culver (al-BÛRT-ō) | Hair care/feminine hygiene |
| Aleve (ə-LĒV) | Pain medicine |
| Alfa Romeo (AL-fə rō-MĀ-ō) | Car |
| Al-Jazeera (AL-jə-ZĒR-ə) | Baghdad TV network |
| Allis-Chalmers (AL-is CHAL-mərz) | Processing/environmental prods. |
| Alltel (ÔL-tel) | U.S. regional telephone service |
| al Qaida (äl-KĀD-ə) | Islamic terrorist group |
| Amerada Hess (am-ə-RÄD-ə HES) | Integrated petroleum co., NY |
| American Cyanamid (sī-AN-ə-mid) | Medical/chemical prods. |
| Amex (AM-ex) | American Stock Exchange |
| AmFAR (AM-fär) | Amer. Foundation for AIDS Research |
| Amoco (AM-ə-kō) | American Oil Co., Chicago |
| Amstel (AM-stel) | Beer, ale brand |
| Amstrad (AM-strad) | Computers |
| Androstenedione (an-drə-STĒN-dī-ōn) | Nutritional supplement/hormone medication |
| Angostura (ang-gə-STÜR-ə) | Bitters |
| Anheuser-Busch (AN-hī-zər BUSH) | Brewery |
| ANSI/NISO (AN-sē NĪ-sō) | |
| ANWR (ÄN-wär) | Arctic Natural Resource Reserve |
| APEC (Ā-pek) | Pacific Economic Cooperation Agency |
| Aqua Velva (ÄK-wə VEL-və) | Aftershave |
| Aramis (AR-ə-mis) | Cologne |
| Aris Isotoner (AR-əs Ī-sə-tō-nər) | Glove mfr. |
| Arista (AR-i-stə) | Record co. |
| ASAC (Ā-sak) | FBI Asst. Special Agent in Charge |
| ASCII (AS-kē) | Amer.Standard Code for Info. Interchange |
| ASEAN (Ä-zē-än) | Assoc. of Southeast Asian Nations |
| ASP (ASP) | Astronaut Support Person |
| ASTAPOVO (ə-STÄ-pō-vō) | Organization |
| Asti Spumante (Ä-stē spoo-MÄN-tē) | Italian wine |
| Atari (ə-TÄR-ē) | Computers/video games |
| Atheneum (ath-ə-NĒ-əm) | Publishers |
| Au Bon Pan (Ô-BÔ[n]-PÄ[n]) | Restaurant chain |
| Aureole (ÔR-ē-ōl) | N.Y. Restaurant |
| Avon (Ā-von) | Cosmetics/jewelry |
| Name and pronunciation | Item |
|---|---|
| Quadriga Art (kwä-DRĒ-gä) | Fund raisers |
| Quatorze Bis (kä-TÔRZ BĒS) | NY bistro |
| QWERTY (KWÛR-tē) | Std. typewriter keyboard arrangement |
| Name and pronunciation | Item |
|---|---|
| Xoloitzcuintli (SHŌ-lō-ēts-KWĒNT-lē) | Mexican Hairless dog breed |
| Name and pronunciation | Item |
|---|---|
| Yaddo (YÄD-ō) | Writers' retreat |
| Yakuza (yä-koo-ZÄ) | Japanese Mafia |
| Yuenling (YING-ling) | Brewery, beer mfr. |
| Name and pronunciation | Item |
|---|---|
| Zena (ZĒN-ə) | Bluejeans brand |
| Ziagen (ZĪ-ə-gən) | Medication |
| Zoetrope (ZŌ-ə-trōp) | Film production co. |
| ZZYZZYVA Magazine (ZIZ-ə-və) |
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Posted on 2013-01-07