AP-News Pronunciation Guide S-Z
By Associated Press
Jul 5, 2008 7:05 PM CDT

S

Mikhail Saakashvili -- sah-kahsh-VIH'-leh

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

Naji Sabri -- nah-JEE' SAH'-bree

Muhamed Sacirbey -- SHAHK'-ur-bay

Ehsanul Sadequee -- EH'-suh-nool sah-DEE'-kee

Hafiz Saeed -- sy-EED'

Omar Saeed -- sy-EED'

David Safavian -- suh-FAY'-vee-uhn

Safed -- Safed -- tzfat

Mohammed Saffi -- SAH'-fee

Sago -- SAY'-goh

Sadiya Sahal -- suh-DEE'-yuh suh-HAHL'

Edward Said -- sy-EED'

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

St. Eustatius -- yoo-STAY'-shuhs

Imette St. Guillen -- ih-MET' saynt GEE'-yen

St. Lucia -- LOO'-shuh

Akihiko Saito -- ah-kee-HEE'-koh sah-EE'-toh

Barham Salih -- BAHR'-ahm SAHL'-uh

Paul Salopek -- SAL'-oh-pek

Sampaio -- ZHOR'-zheh sam-PY'-oh

Samson -- AHN'-jay

Imam Samudra -- ee-MAHM' suh-MOO'-druh

San Jacinto -- hah-SIN'-toh

Ivo Sanader -- EE'-voh suh-NAH'-dehr

Anucha Browne Sanders -- ah-NOOK'-kah

Fuad Saniora -- foo-AHD' sah-nee-OHR'-uh

Typhoon Saomai -- sow-my

Nicolas Sarkozy -- sahr-koh-ZEE'

Peter Sartain -- SAHR'-tihn

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'

Antonin Scalia -- AN'-toh-nihn skuh-LEE'-uh

Schadenfreude -- SHAHD'-ehn-froy-duh

Marc Schaffel -- SHAF'-ul

Jan Schakowsky -- shuh-KOW'-skee

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer -- yahp duh hohp SKEHF'-ur

Shira Scheindlin -- SHEER'-uh SHIND'-lin

Mike Scheuer -- SHOY'-ur

Terri Schiavo -- SHY'-voh

Mary Fackler Schiavo -- skee-AH'-voh

Hans Schlegel -- HAHNS SHLAY'-gul

Julian Schnabel -- SHNAH'-bul

Peter Schoomaker -- SKOO'-may-kur

Katharine Jefferts Schori -- SHOHR'-ee

Juergen Schrempp -- YUR'-gen SHREMP

Wolfgang Schuessel -- SHOO'-sel

Jack Schuessler -- SHOOS'-lur

Charles Schumer -- SHOO'-mur

Philip Schuth -- shoof

Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania -- SKOO'-kul

Richard Scrushy -- SKROO'-shee

Sderot -- sdeh-ROHT'

Kathleen Sebelius -- seh-BEEL'-yuhs

Eugene Segro -- SEE'-groh

Christopher Scott Seifert -- SIGH'-fert

Audrey Seiler -- SEE'-lur

Seisint -- SY'-zint

Patrick Selepak -- SEL'-uh-pak

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'

Nasser Shaer -- NAS'-ur shy-EHR'

Gilad Shalit -- gee-LAHD' shah-LEET'

Silvan Shalom -- SIHL'-vihn sha-LOHM'

Mohammad Zaher Shah - ZY'-hehr shah

Faraj Shamkhi -- SHAHM'-khee

Shamsi -- SHAHM'-see

Shanxi -- shan-see

Shariah -- shah-REE'-yuh

Justin L. Sharratt -- SHUH'-raht

Nawaz Sharif -- nah-WAHZ' shah-REEF'

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

Thaksin Shinawatra -- TAHK'-sin SHIN'-uh-wah

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

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor -- shayk MOO'-zah-fahr shuh-KOOR'

Sialkot -- SEEL'-koht

Sibir -- sih-BEER'

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

Mark Deli Siljander -- SIHL'-jan-dur

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva -- loo-EEZ' ee-NAH'-see-oh LOO'-luh duh SEEL'-vuh

Anibal Cavaco Silva -- ah-NEE'-bal ca-va-COO' SEEL'-vuh

Larry Silverstein -- SIL'-vur-steen

Costas Simitis -- sih-MEE'-tees

Manmohan Singh -- MAHN'-moh-hahn SING

Steve Sipek -- SIH'-pehk

Shahawar Matin Siraj -- SHAH'-hah-wahr mah-TEEN' sih-RAHJ'

Walter Sisulu -- sih-SOO'-loo

Dru Sjodin -- droo shoh-DEEN'

Michael Skakel -- SKAY'-kul

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

James Sliter -- SLY'-tur

Curtis Sliwa -- SLEE'-wuh

Mabel Wisse Smit -- WIH'-suh SMIT

Jacqui Smith -- JAK'-ee

Sochi, Russia -- SOH'-chee

Societe Generale -- soh-see-ay-TAY' zheh-neh-RAHL'

Balbir Singh Sodhi -- SHOH'-dee

Mohammed Sohail -- soh-hayl

Jan Sokol -- yahn soh-KOHL'

Javier Solana -- hah-vee-EHR' soh-LAHN'-ah

Raffaele Sollecito -- rah-fy-EHL'-ay soh-LEH'-chee-toh

Lazlo Solyom -- SHOY'-yahm

Songhua River -- soong-hwah

Sorbonne -- sor-BUHN'

Tiffany Souers -- SOW'-urz

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

Spokane -- spoh-KAN'

Steve Squyres -- SKWY'-urz

Srebrenica -- sreh-breh-NEET'-sah

Srinagar -- SREE'-nuh-gur

Dee Srinivasan -- srih-NIH'-va-san

Debbie Stabenow -- STAB'-ih-now

Leonid Stadnik -- LEE'-uh-nid STAD'-nik

Milomir Stakic -- mee-loh-MEER' STAH'-kich

Craig and Lisa Stebic -- STEB'-ik

Stefano Stefani -- STEH'-fah-noh steh-FAH'-nee

Heide Stefanyshyn-Piper -- HY'-dee stehf-uh-NIH'-shun PY'-pur

Charles Steger -- STEE'-gur

Joseph Stephanides -- steh-fah-NEE'-deez

Bobbie Jo Stinnett -- STIN'-net

Gerry Studds -- GEHR'-ee

Rick Sturckow -- STUR'-koh

John Styll -- stil

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

Parthasarathy Sudarshan -- pahr-thuh-sahr-uh-thee soo-dahr-shuhn

Steven Sueppel -- (SOO'-pul)

Suffolk, Virginia -- SUHF'-ihk

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

Sukkot -- soo-KOHT'

Sunni Muslim -- SOO'-nee

Susquehanna -- suhs-kwuh-HAN'-uh

Aung San Suu Kyi -- ahng sahn soo chee

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

Robin Szeliga -- zuh-LEE'-guh

Kwang Szuszka -- SHUSH'-kuh

T

Taepodong missile -- tay-poh-DONG'

Antonio Taguba -- tah-GOO'-bah

Rihab Taha -- rah-HAHB' TAH-hah

Yasein Taher -- YAH'-seen TAH'-hayr

Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar -- REH'-zah tah-ur-eh-ZAHR'

Aref Taifour -- AH'-ref TY'-foor

Tai Shan -- ty shawn

Taji -- TAH'-jee

Tajikistan -- tah-JEEK'-ih-stahn

George Takei -- tuh-KAY'

Takhar -- tah-KAR'

Takur Ghar -- TAY'-kur GAHR

Tal Afar -- tahl AH'-fur

Jalal Talabani -- jahl-LAHL' tahl-ah-BAH'-nee

Taloqan -- tahl-uh-KAHN'

Abdul Hakim Taniwal -- AHB'-dool hah-KEEM' tah-nee-WAHL'

TAM airlines -- tahm

Tamil -- TAM'-ihl

Tang Jiaxuan -- tahng zhow-shwin

Dan Tani -- TAH'-nee

Shahzad Tanweer -- shah-ZAHD' tan-WEER'

Tanzania -- tan-zuh-NEE'-uh

Salvador Tapia -- TAH'-pee-ah

Tata Motors -- tah-tah

Serdar Tatar --sur-DAHR' tah-TAHR'

Jim Taricani -- teh-ruh-KAH'-nee

Tarin Kot -- TAH'-reen KOHT

Tashkent -- TAHSH'-kent

Taybeh, Lebanon TY-buh

Tbilisi -- tuh-BLEE'-see

Tecate -- tay-KAH'-tay

Susan Tedeschi -- teh-DES'-kee

Tegucigalpa -- tay-goo-see-GAHL'-pah

Telluride -- TEHL'-yoo-ryd

Seth Temin -- TEH'-min

Terre Haute -- TEHR'-uh HOHT

Roger Tetrault -- TEH'-trahlt

Jonathan Thacher -- THATCH'-ur

Douglas Theuner -- THOO'-nur

John Thune -- THOON

Tschula -- CHOO'-luh

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

Pete Theisinger -- TY'-sing-gur

Tiananmen -- tyahn-ahn-mehn

Tianjin -- tyan-jin

Joseph Tiberi -- ty-BEER'-ee

Tikrit -- tih-KREET'

Tocopilla -- toh-koh-PEE'-yah

Tokage -- toh-kah-gay

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

Mykola Tomenko -- MIH'-koh-lah toh-MEHN'-koh

Judy Topinka -- toh-PIN'-kuh

Topsail Beach -- TAHP'-suhl

Martin Torrijos -- tohr-REE'-hohs

Ali Farka Toure -- TOOR'-ay

Boris Trajkovski -- try-KAWF'-skee

Traunstein -- TROWN'-styn

Robert Travaligni -- trav-ah-LEE'-nee

Kimberly Trenor -- TRAY'-nur

Jasmine Trias -- TREE'-uhs

Jean-Claude Trichet -- TREE'-shay

Nguyen Minh Triet -- win min trit

Lawrence Trujillo -- troo-HEE'-yoh

Melania Knauss Trump -- mih-LAH'-nee-uh NOWS trump

Yoshiaki Tsutsumi -- yoh-shee-ah-kee tsoo-tsoo-mee

Morgan Tsvangirai -- SVAHNG'-ur-eye

David Tuason -- TOO'-uh-sun

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

Michael Uberuaga -- oo-buh-RAH'-guh

UbiquiTel -- yoo-BIK'-wih-tel

Uighur Muslim -- WEE'-gur

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

Ursprache -- OOR'-sprah-kuh

Uttar Pradesh -- OOT'-uhr pruh-DEHSH'

Uzbekistan -- ooz-bek-ih-STAHN'

V

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

Vallejo -- vuh-LAY'-oh

Geoffrey van Cromvoirt -- JEHF'-ree vahn KRUMV'-furt

Joran van der Sloot -- YOHR'-uhn VAN'-dur-sloht

Chai Vang -- CHY

Laura VanRyn -- van-RYN'

Tonya Vasilev -- VA'-sih-lev

Eloysa Vasquez -- ee-LOY'-sah VAZ'-kez

Michel Veillette -- mee-SHEHL' vee-YEHT'

Jaci Velasquez -- JAK'-ee

Gianni Versace -- JAH'-nee vur-SAH'-chay

Hendrik Verfaillie -- vehr-fy-YAY'

Alexander Vershbow -- VURSH'-bow (rhymes with how)

Kaavya Viswanathan -- KAHV'-yah vis-WAN'-ah-than

Viiv -- vyv (rhymes with five)

Vaira Vike-Freiberga -- VY'-ruh VEE'-kuh FRAY'-behr-guh

Antonio Villaraigosa -- vee-yah-ry-GOH'-sah

Villas, New Jersey -- VIHL'-uhs

Matan Vilnai -- muh-TAHN' VIHL'-ny-ee

Pavel Vinogradov -- PAH'-vuhl vee-noh-GRAH'-dahv

Goran Visnjic -- VIHJ'-nich

Pamela Vitale -- vih-TAL'-ee

Jakub Voboril -- JAY'-kuhb VOH'-boh-rihl

Doug Vogt -- VOHT

Volusia -- voh-LOO'-shuh

Andrew von Eschenbach -- ESH'-ehn-bahk

Floyd Vrtiska -- VUR-tisk-uh

W

Kenneth Wainstein -- WAYN'-steen

Rex Walheim -- WAHL'-hym

Chitchai Wannasathit -- SHIT'-shy wahn-ah-SUHT'-eet

Waupun -- waw-PAHN'

Waziristan -- vah-ZEER'-ih-stahn

Cyril Wecht -- SIH'-ruhl wekt

Jim Weidmann -- WYD'-mun

Anthony Weiner -- WEE'-nur

Elliot Weinstein -- WYN'-styn

Jeff Weise -- wees

Lewis Welshofer -- WEL'-shoh-fur

Katie Wernecke -- WUR'-neh-kee

Rachel Weisz -- vys

Michael Wempe -- WEMP'-ee

Wen Jiabao -- win jah-bow

Michael Wenning -- VEH'-ning

Kanye West -- KAHN'-yay

Paul Weyrich -- WY'-rik

Wiesbaden -- VEES'-bah-den

Elie Wiesel -- EL'-ee vee-ZEHL'

Simon Wiesenthal -- VEEZ'-ehn-thahl

Wii -- wee

Olaf Wiig -- veeg

Wilkes-Barre -- WILKS'-behr-ee

Pharrell Williams -- fuh-REHL'

Genarlow Wilson -- jen-AHR'-loh

Worcester -- WUS'-tur

Alexandra Wucetich -- woo-SET'-ich

Wuer Kaixi -- wehr KY'-shee

Donald Wuerl -- wurl

Kurt Wuethrich -- VOO'-trihk

Frank Wuterich -- WOO'-tur-ich

Michael Wynne -- win

X, Y

Xian -- SHEE'-ahn

Xie Chunren -- shee-YEH' trun-REHN'

Xigris -- ZY'-grihs

Xinping -- shin-peeng

Xinhua -- shin-wah

Mahalia Xiong -- mah-hah-LEE'-ah ZHAHNG

Moshe Yaalon -- MOH'-shuh YAH'-uh-lohn

Adel Yahya -- AH'-dehl YAH'-yah

Yahzarah -- YAH'-zah-rah

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

Kristi Yamaoka -- yah-mah-OH'-kuh

Yang Jianli -- yahng jen-lee

Yang Jiechi -- yahng je-chur

Yang Liwei -- yahng lee-way

Yangon -- yan-GAHN'

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

Yogyakarta -- JOG'-juh-KAHR'-tuh

Yokosuka -- yoh-kus-kuh

Yuan -- yoo-AHN'

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono -- SOO'-see-loh BAM'-bang yoo-doo-YOH'-noh

Fyodor Yurchikhin (fee-YOH'-dur yur-CHEE'-kihn)

Purnomo Yusgiantoto -- pur-noh-MOH' yoos-kee-AHN'-toh-roh

Viktor Yushchenko -- yoo-SHEN'-koh

Z

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

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

Jean Ziegler -- zhahn ZEEG'-lehr

Zihuatanejo -- see-wah-tah-NAY'-hoh

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

Zune -- zoon

Jim Zupancic -- zoo-PAN'-sik