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{{trope}}
{{quote|'''Cutter''': Your real name can't be Mr. Jinx, can it?
'''Mr. Jinx''': No, sir, it is not. My name is unpronounceable in your language.
'''Cutter''': Say it anyway.
'''Mr. Jinx''': It is also unpronounceable in my language.
|[http://starslip.com/2005/07/01/starslip-number-30/ This] ''[[Starslip]]'' comic. }}
{{quote|
Foreign names can be difficult to pronounce for English speakers, but the [[Starfish Language|names of aliens and monsters are often worse still]].
In the mildest version, the character's name is simply [[Overly Long Name|unusually long]], set up with a phonetic maze like a tongue twister, or merely linguistically bizarre even given where it originates; [[Doctor Who|Romanadvoratrelundar]], [[The Simpsons (animation)|Nahasapeemapetilon]], [[Crossing Jordan|Vijayaraghavensatyanaryanamurthy]], [[Godzilla|Tatopoulos]], [[Alan Dean Foster|Abalamahalamatandra]], [[Transformers|Witwicky]]. Pronouncing names like these correctly is a sign of linguistic skill. Mispronouncing them is [[Hilarity Ensues|allegedly funny]].
In practice, most languages contain at least one sound, or sound combination, not allowed in English. Names containing such sounds will always be unpronounceable, though spelling may obscure this. Naturally, this works both ways. English has more sounds than most other major languages, and its speakers pile up consonants in ways which the rest of the world wouldn't dream of, so it is rich in unpronounceable names. Some languages even have linguistic variables that don't affect meaning at all in
Characters who are [[Starfish Aliens|seriously alien]], and/or members of [[The Legions of Hell]], get names genuinely unpronounceable in English. Mostly, they get names intended to be unpronounceable by a human mouth ''at all'', but guaranteeing that requires some familiarity with other languages than English.
Curiously, these same unpronounceable names can almost always still be ''written'' in the Latin alphabet: [[H.P. Lovecraft|Cthulhu]], [[Superman|Mxyzptlk]], [[Discworld|WxrtHltl-jwlpklz]]. They are more commonly seen [[Novels|in print]] than on screen, since most actors are not stunt linguists. When they do appear on TV, if the character is friendly they'll get called something [[Some Call Me... Tim|easier to say]]. Giving someone who is ''supposed'' to be awe-inspiring and mysterious a shortened and silly nickname is also a way of humanizing
At the more extreme end of the unpronounceable scale are names which aren't even recognizable as "words". You can't say them ''or'' write them down. These tend to appear either in [[Mohs Scale of Science Fiction Hardness|hard SF]], or as parody. The serious variants are often described as animal or other
Beyond even that are the names which aren't sounds at all -- [[Starfish Language|a flash of green light and the smell of roses]], [[Sliding Scale of Robot Intelligence|binary code]], [[Telepathy]], and so on.
When it's even possible, correctly pronouncing the most extreme names is often actually
Names which aren't even ''comprehensible'' are usually reserved for particularly [[Eldritch Abomination
See also [[Punctuation Shaker]] and [[Word Puree Title]]. Compare [[Some Call Me... Tim]] and [[My Name Is
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* Ayano's boyfriend, Shimotakatani, from ''[[High School Girls]]''. In episode 10 of the series, his name is mispronounced several times.
* The [[Big Bad]] demon in ''[[Captain Harlock|Captain Harlock: Endless Odyssey]]'' is canonically stated to have a literally unpronouncible name. For convenience's sake, it's refered to as The Noo.
* Parodied in a ''[[Lupin III]]'' [[Christmas Episode]], with the chief constantly getting Inspector Zenigata's name wrong: "Inspector Pennsylvania", "Inspector Epiglottis"...
* In the [[DCU]], Quislet of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes (
== Comedy ==▼
* The bicyclist from a sketch by Bavarian Karl Valentin.▼
{{quote| '''Policeman (Liesl Karlstadt in drag)''': What's your name?<br />▼
'''Bicyclist (Valentin)''': Wrdlbrmpfd.<br />▼
'''Policeman''': What?<br />▼
'''Bicyclist''': Wrdlbrmpfd.<br />▼
'''Policeman''': [http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_skuQKwhszvA/SmZB1kv6EoI/AAAAAAAAABI/KH0ThTlDsgk/s1600/Summer%2B09%2B225.JPG Wadlstrumpf]?<br />▼
'''Bicyclist''': Wr-dl-brmpfd!<br />▼
'''Policeman''': Talk understandably, don't mumble into your beard!<br />▼
'''Bicyclist''': ''(pulls down fake beard)'' Wrdlbrmpfd.<br />▼
'''Policeman''': [[The Comically Serious|What a stupid name!]] Get away!<br />▼
'''Bicyclist''': ''(while leaving)'' Oh, by the way, officer -- my sister wants me to tell you soem greetings!<br />▼
'''Policeman''': Your sister? But I don't know your sister at all!<br />▼
'''Bicyclist''': You don't? She's such a short, dumpy one...<br />▼
'''Policeman''': No, I don't know your sister -- what's her name?<br />▼
'''Bicyclist''': Her name is also Wrdlbrmpfd... }}▼
== Comics ==▼
* Also parodied in [http://web.archive.org/web/20070419044345/http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/images/dilbert2007041261835.jpg this ''Dilbert'' comic strip]. ▼
{{quote| '''Elbonian''': Hello, how may I help you? My name is Kruphnehdahpheweundikaniswalyniaphorganopop... I mean, Carl. }}▼
▲* In the [[DCU]], Quislet of the [[Legion of Super-Heroes (Comic Book)|Legion of Super-Heroes]] has a real name which is an unpronounceable glyph.
** Phantom Girl's home planet is named Bgztl. During the 2005 reboot, Karate Kid remarked that he wasn't sure if that was the planet's name or if she just sneezed.
** Also technically, Mr. Mxyzptlk would be on this page, if it weren't for the fact that we're given a good pronunciation for his name (and, as a result, a good way to tell how to pronounce any name that's all consonants)
*** In post-1986 continuity, "Mxyzptlk" is no longer his actual name. His real name is literally unpronounceable by humans (or, apparently, Kryptonians) so when he made his debut, he came up with a more human-friendly handle by conjuring up a giant typewriter and hitting the keys at random.
*** And to make things worse, in order to make him go away, you have to say his name
*** Oddly enough, there was a second version of his name — the original spelling was "Mxyz'''tp'''lk," which was eventually [[Ret Conned]] into a second entity entirely.
** Detective Chimp's real name is in chimpanzee language, and is best transcribed as "mostly three grunts and an incoherent shriek". It translation is much more understandable, meaning "Magnificent Finder of Tasty Grubs".
* The [[Marvel Comics]] superhero [[Sleepwalker]]'s actual name cannot be pronounced by humans. Since he's part of a race of Sleepwalkers, he simply has humans call him by his race's name when manifesting in the human world.
** ''[[Starjammers]]'' character Hepzibah's real name is a complex combination of pheromones, not only unpronounceable but unreproducable by humans who lack scent glands of that complexity. She doesn't like being called Hepzibah, but that's what Corsair called her and it stuck.
** On the subject of Starjammers, the team doctor is called Sikorsky due to his resemblance to a helicopter. But as he's insectoid, his real name is unpronounceable by humanoid tongues.
* In "The Badger", the full name of the Badger's ally Ham the Weather Wizard is Hammaglystwythkbrngxxaxolotl. This name is intended as, not alien, but fourth-century Welsh.
* In "Fall of Cthulhu", one of the gods speaks his name to a human, and this is represented with a jet-black speech bubble and "wind" coming from behind the god. (As for the human who heard it, he goes into the fetal position and cries.)
* In ''[[Doonesbury]]'', the country of Berzerkistan is led by Trff Bmzklfrpz. As explained in one comic, "Bmzklfrpz" is actually pronounced "Ptklm."▼
* In ''[[For Better or For Worse]]'', "Mtigwaki" is the First Nations village Liz once lived and taught in. The actual pronunciation (m-tigwak-eh) appears nowhere in the strip itself, leaving most not to even attempt spelling it, let alone saying it. People would refer to it as "Liz's village". The snarkier commenters would simply run with the unpronounceable nature ("Mtitikitavi", "Mtimtibangbang", etc.)▼
▲* In "Fall of Cthulhu", one of the gods speaks his name to a human, and this is represented with a jet-black speech bubble and "wind" coming from behind the god. (As for the human who heard it, he goes into the fetal position and cries.)
* In ''Halo and Sprocket'', Katie and Sprocket convince Halo (an angel) to tell them his real name. Cue a page of kaleidoscopic images followed by the two of them unconscious on the floor "..but you can continue to call me 'Halo' if you wish."
* ''[[Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic Universe]]'' features the [[Mad Scientist]] Dr. Fukurokov. No one, be they his enemies or his allies, could pronounce his name.
** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]]:
{{quote|
'''Antoine''': Maybe, but zey won't be able to pronounce it. }}
* Agent "!" in ''[[Doom Patrol]]''. One of the other characters wonders how you're supposed to pronounce it; he just says, "Simple: just '!'".
* When Buffy asks a fairy who she is in issue 5 of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' season 9, she answers Buffy couldn't pronounce her name.
{{quote|
* [[Lobo]]'s actual Czarnian name cannot be pronounced by humans. A rough translation it, "He Who who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it". Clearly a [[Meaningful Name]] in his case.
▲== [[Fanfic]] ==
* Notorious ficcer [[Ultamite Nineball]], among other [[So Bad It's Good|bizarre style choices]], named one of his supporting characters "Thrnos". If, as many suspect, he's actually a [[Troll]], it's possible that this is a homage of sorts to [[The Eye of Argon|Grignr]], or something similar.
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series
* Fred Yerfburger's demon familiar in the [[Original Flavor]] ''[[Ranma ½]]'' fic ''[[Girl Days]]'' by Rob "Kenko" Haynie, whose name is so far outside the ability of humans to speak that it appears as a different string of random consonants every time it shows up in the text.
* Both used and parodied at the same time by ''[[Men in Black (film)|Men in Black]]'' with the Twins, identical aliens that maintain the MIB database. One has a name that is completely incoherent (to one editor, it sounds like "beedlebeelep"; to another, it sounds more like "vrrweep".) [[Aerith and Bob|The other is "Bob"]] .
** It uses the infamous Welsh gurgle-sound, technically called a [[wikipedia:Voiceless alveolar lateral fricative|voiceless alveolar lateral fricative]].
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* Oddly enough, there was a character ''called'' Mr. Unpronounceable in the Matthew Broderick movie ''[[The Road to Wellville]]''. His real name is probably something Slavic.
* A running gag in the 1998 ''[[Godzilla]]'' remake is that no one can properly pronounce the name of worm expert Niko Tatopoulos ([[Tuckerization|the surname of the VFX designer]]). He is therefore usually just called "[[The Worm Guy]]".
{{quote|
* In ''[[Splash]]'', Darryl Hannah's mermaid character, Madison, is prompted to give her real name, despite stating that it's hard to say "in your language". When she finally says it, it sounds like highly amplified porpoise squeals and shatters the televisions in a nearby display.
* ''[[The 39 Steps]]'' has Scottish politician McCrocodile.
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* The real name of Draco from ''[[Dragonheart]]'' "can't be uttered in your tongue" and is presumably a mighty roar. He was named Draco by his friend as it is the name of a constellation that is the shape of a dragon.
* Disney's ''[[The Cat from Outer Space]]'' has "Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7"... but you can call him Jake.
* A running gag in ''[[The Man With Two Brains]]''. Steve Martin's character Dr. Hfuhruhurr calmly insists that his name is pronounced exactly as it's spelled. Various characters find many different ways to attempt it. Martin pronounces it like "Huff-haaaahhhhrrrrr." One of his bonding moments with Anne Uumellmahaye is that they're both able to say each other's name correctly on the first try.
* The Poleepkwa/Prawns' language in ''[[District 9]]'' is literally unpronounceable by human tongues, so when some of them landed in South Africa, they were given human names such as Christopher Johnson, Oliver and Paul (no, not [[Paul|that one]]). Given the nature of the movie, this is also meant to recall the practice of giving slaves European names as to erase their identity.
== [[Literature]] ==▼
▲== Literature ==
* In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', the Ents' real names would take hours to say, if humans could even vocalize some of the sounds.
** In a few cases, Treebeard used Elvish words and strung them together as he would in his own language, like Lorien = ''laurelindórenan lindelorendor malinornélion ornemalin''. Another example: Fangorn (transliterated into Elvish) = ''Taurelilómëa-tumbalemorna Tumbaletaurëa Lëmeanor'', "Forestmanyshadowed -- deepvalleyblack Deepvalleyforested Gloomyland". [https://web.archive.org/web/20130408032048/http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/entish.htm Actual Entish was probably impossible to render into any human language].
* Another ''[[Star Trek]]'' example; every single representative of the Q refers to himself as Q — the 17th letter of the alphabet apparently being the closest approximation of their names that the English language is capable of rendering.
** In one of the ''Spock vs. Q'' audiobooks, Q further states that his true name is about two light years long, [[Did Not Do the Research|which is a measure of ''distance'', not time]]. Whether he meant distance or time, both font size and speech tempo vary considerably, but even so, it's clearly still a long name.
** [[Diane Duane]]'s Rihannsu novels feature Romulan names that are not only [[Overly Long Name|really long]] but also apparently unpronounceable.
*** It makes sense - Vulcans' real names are impossible for humans to pronounce, so it would follow something similar would go for Romulans, as well.
* [[H.P. Lovecraft
** In fact, one of the fictional books mentioned in the Lovecraft Mythos is ''Unaussprechlichen Kulten'', which is translated by its creator as "Nameless Cults". The phrase translates more literally as "Unspeakable (in the sense of
* Fred the white hole's real name, which he's still not finished pronouncing when someone cuts him off after a full line of text in Diane Duane's ''[[Young Wizards|So You Want to Be a Wizard]]''. This joke is done again with Ed the Master Shark in the sequel, ''Deep Wizardry''.
** To be fair, Ed'Karashtekaresket isn't that hard, but in-universe it's meant to sound like the gnashing of teeth.
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** When humans discover a Thrint in stasis (the species that enslaved the Tnuctipun and who caused all sentient life to commit suicide a billion years ago) he is dubbed "Kzanol." When Kzanol-Greenberg believes himself to be a Kzanol and tries speaking, he nearly chokes himself trying to speak their language. Since they were incredibly powerful telepaths, you wonder why the Thrintun had a spoken language at all.
** Likewise, the Pierson's Puppeteers from ''[[Known Space]]'' have unpronounceable names, which is why they tend to take names from mythical centaurs. Nessus, the insane Puppeteer from the Ringworld sub-series, has a real name that sounds like a car crash set to music.
*** There are several different reference to the Puppeteer's
*** The reason given for this in the books is that the Puppeteers have two sets of vocal chords, and since they use their mouths as hands, their lips and tongues are more mobile and coordinated than a human's. They are also much more intelligent than other species and have been civilized for considerably longer, so their language has had much more opportunity to develop significant complexity.
** The central figure of the novel ''Protector'' is named Phssthpok. Say it with me, everybody! "Phssthpok."
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** Ironically, Andalites communicate through telepathy.
** Beaked Hork-Bajir and leech-mouthed Taxxons have similarly unpronounceable names; averted with the juvenile Hork-Bajir named Toby, after the human (sorta) Tobias.
* The eponymous character in [[Daniel Pinkwater]]'s children's book ''Borgel'' has a driver's license in the name of Borgel
** Another character gives his name as Pak Nfbnm* ("* ?" "Exactly."), but asks [[Some Call Me... Tim|to be called Freddie]].
* [[Roger Zelazny]]'s fantasy novel ''The Changing Land'' features a demon named Melbrinionsadsazzersteldregandishfeltselior. The long name is necessary for the invocation ritual, and if the sorcerer attempting it were to get as much as one syllable wrong, the demon would kill him. Understandably, wizards are reluctant to attempt it. Subverted inasmuch as one of the antagonists is a wizard named Baran, whose native tongue is a horribly complicated agglutinative language, so he has no problem pronouncing the name and using the demon for errands.
* On the [[Discworld]], demons are given names that look like they were selected by headbutting a keyboard; when the demon WxrtHltl-jwlpklz introduces himself in ''[[
* "Sir" in ''[[A Series of Unfortunate Events]]'' has a name that's "very long and complicated" when written down, and which is apparently so illegible that attempts at pronunciation seem entirely random -- "Mr. Bek-", "Mr. Sho-".
* An ancient [[Sufficiently Advanced Alien]] in Phillip Reeve's [[Steampunk]] [[Space Opera]] ''[[Larklight]]'' has a real name in a musical-sounding languages which the narrator says he can't possibly transcribe. And that's not even getting into names such as Ph'Ahrpuu'xxtpllsprngg, and the truly epic example from the third book that takes up almost five lines.
* From [[Roger Zelazny]]'s ''[[Book of Amber]]'' series, Strygalldwyrr. Or however you spell that. (That's Welsh, but still.)
* In [[Spider Robinson]]'s ''Time Travelers Strictly Cash'' from the ''[[Callahan's
** Which, incidentally, happens to be "Sweet Lover" with each letter incremented by one.
** He has another story featuring an evil wizard who has protected himself from [[I Know Your True Name|vulnerability through his name]] by subtly altering human evolution until their larynxes are physically unable to pronounce it.
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* In [[Larry Niven]]'s ''Warlock'' series, the eponymous character's real name was made unpronounceable on purpose. His parents summoned a demon who could pronounce things no human could say, had the demon name the boy, then trapped the demon into a tattoo on his back with a geas to protect the boy from harm if ever released. The idea was that knowing someone's real name gave you power over them, but you had to pronounce the name to use it.
* In ''[[Hard to Be A God]]'' by [[Strugatsky Brothers]], people from Earth are working undercover on another planet, inhabited by humanoids resembling Terrans very closely. One of them works as shaman to a tribal leader, whose name has ''45'' syllables.
* In [[Anne McCaffrey]] and [[Mercedes Lackey]]'s ''[[The Ship Who...]] Searched'', one of the graduate students Tia and Alex are taking to their archeological dig is a plantlike alien who goes by "Fred".
{{quote|
* In Anne McCaffrey's "Talent" series, an alien race called the Mrdini, whose names do not contain vowels, like "Prtglm".
* The demon from ''[[Artemis Fowl]]'': N* 1, which is apparently supposed to be pronounced 'Number one', but is still a pain to read aloud.
* [[Timothy Zahn]] loves unpronounceable names, both in his own original works and his [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]] series. In the latter, at one point during [[The Thrawn Trilogy]] Han Solo mentions the Imperials have attacked three planets -- "Bpfassh, and two unpronounceable ones"
* One of Italo Calvino's recurring characters is Qfwfq, an immortal entity who remembers everything he has ever done in every last of of his incarnations since before the beginning of the universe. The other entities he interacts with have names like this as well, such as his Granny Bb'b and his sister G'd(w)^n.
* The island of Qwghlm in Neal Stephenson's ''Cryptonomicon'' and ''The Baroque Cycle''. The Qwghlmian language has ''no'' vowels, and is basically a parody of everything English speakers find difficult about Welsh and Gaelic (although it's not a Celtic language, or related to any known languages at all).
* ''[[Wild Cards]]'': The Takisian scientist who tries (and fails) to stop the wild card virus from spreading on Earth has a name that covers his lineage for the past thousand generations. Most folks tend to refer to him as "Doctor Tachyon," a nickname that spread after he tried to explain how his ship worked.
* In one of the [[Dragaera|Vlad Taltos]] novels, Vlad and Morrolan visit a Serioli, whose name is only given as something sounding like "the last cough from a man with Joiner's Lung". Also, people from the Kanefthali Mountains, such as Hwdf'rjaanci, have names unpronounceable to Vlad, though some characters have no trouble saying them.
* In the ''[[Into the Looking Glass]]'' series, it's more likely than not for a member of any species with minimal or hostile contact with another to mispronounce the other's species name, let alone the names of its individuals. The Mreeee (basically a cat yowl) are almost pronounceable for humans, and the N!t!ch! (! is a tongue-click) might be manageable for members of certain African tribes, but the "Fivverockpit," as one human attempts to pronounce, aren't even given a fully romanized spelling for their proper name, with an @ symbol standing in for what one assumes must be [[Black Speech]].
* In Gordon Korman's ''Nose Pickers from Outer Space'', we are introduced to Stanley Mflxnys, an alien from Pan (a so-called "Pant", pl. "Pants"). He looks just like a person, but he eats paper, and has a computer inside his head where a person's brain would be (his real brains are behind his knees).
* In Jeff VanderMeer's ''[[Ambergris]]'' books, the Graycaps have a language consisting largely of clicks and whistles, and is so complicated that for longest time people were arguing if they really had a language at all. In ''[[Ambergris|Finch]]'' it's mentioned that their name for themselves is
* ''[[
* [[Alastair Reynolds]] tends to name his transhuman characters in this fashion. Many Conjoiners in his ''Revelation Space'' universe have names consisting of "a string of interiorised qualia" only comprehensible within Conjoiner [[Hive Mind|collective consciousness]]. Those who have to interact with baseline humans tend to use one-word
** And the Slashers in the standalone novel ''Century Rain'' have full names which include strange, musical trilling noises, thanks to their modified larynxes.
* J. H. Brennan, of [[Grail Quest]] fame, also wrote a series of gamebooks starring a barbarian named Fire*Wolf.
{{quote|
* Rock from ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'' by [[Brandon Sanderson]] is properly named Numuhukumakiaki'aialunamor. It has enough vowels to be pronounced but nobody but Rock even tries.
* In the book ''Changes'' of ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' Harry discovers that the latest monster trying to kill him is called an Ik'k'uox. Rather than bother trying to pronounce that, [[The Nicknamer|Harry]] decides to call it 'The Ick'.
* One of the villains in ''Alcatraz Smedry Versus the Knights of Crystannia'' is referred to as [[No Name Given|She Who Cannot Be Named]]. This is because only one of the good guys is capable of pronouncing Kangchenjunga Sarektjakka.
* ''[[Lord Toede]]'' in the Dragonlance universe has Crystityckol'k'kq'q. They call him [[Some Call Me... Tim|Jugger]]. He also doesn't like those "new" folks at the Abyss with pronounceable names, like Judith. According to him, the real professionals had names that shattered crystal fifty paces away.
* Zzyzx, the great demon prison in the ''[[Fablehaven]]'' series.
* ''[[The Eye of Argon]]'' features Grignr the barbarian battling the evil Prince Agaphim and his equally evil advisor Agafnd. Agafnd later becomes Agfnd, which does not go un-riffed in the famous [[
{{quote|
* In Vernor Vinge's story "Conquest by Default", the humanoid aliens have the ability to close their nostrils, and their language accordingly has nostril consonants. The author hoped they could be printed as 'p̃' [p tilde] and 'ṽ' [v tilde]; his editor said "Sure, if you want to pay for special type." Even today they are printed as % and #.
* Inquisitor Ligeia, from the first ''[[Grey Knights]]'' novel, spends much of her time babbling incomprehensibly when she was being interrogated for helping the rogue Inquisitor, Valinov escape. As it turns out, she helped Valinov escape as part of a [[Xanatos Roulette]] so that they could actually find the demon they were looking for, Ghargatuloth, and her babbling as she was being interrogated was Ghargatuloth's [[True Name]].
* In the short novel ''Realty Check'', (yes, ''realty'', not ''reality'') the female protagnoist briefly encounters a female alien whose name is written out in random
* The [[Land of Oz|Oz book]] ''The Magic of Oz'' centers around a formula for instant shapeshifting. You must pronounce correctly the word ''Pyrzqxgl''. Takes amazingly few tries for the characters.
* ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' has an interesting variation in the case of the names of the wolves, as first described by Elyas Machera in ''The Eye Of The World'' for the wolf referred to as Dapple:
{{quote|
* In the ''[[Red Dwarf]]'' novel "Last Human", many of the GELFS have long, hard to pronounce names (One even has the title "The Unpronounceable" following his).
* [[Isaac Asimov]] seemed to be peculiarly fond of telling his readers exactly how to pronounce the names of his characters, even if the pronunciation wasn't that unusual. Although he usually only did this when the way the name is pronounced was going to be relevant to the story at some point.
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* The aliens who show up in book three of the ''[[Captain Underpants]]'' series discuss using [[Applied Phlebotinum]] to make the students "grow to the size of Xlequispf<ref>or something to that effect</ref> trees."
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* ''[[Star Trek]]'' examples:
▲== [[Live Action TV]] ==
** In one episode of ''[[Star Trek: The
*** Story editor D.C. Fontana wrote a letter to a ''Trek'' fanzine saying that an English approximation of Spock's family name was "Xtmprsqzntwlfb", and much early fanfic ran with it.
** In ''[[Star Trek: The
** In the ''[[Star Trek]]'' New Frontier books, the main character changes his name from M'k'n'zy to Mackenzie to make it easier to pronounce. His brother keeps the name Dn'dai.
*** He doesn't change it, the guy at Starfleet Academy registration refused to learn how to pronounce and spell it properly. He arbitrarily assigned Mac the name of Mackenzie Calhoun (Calhoun was the name of his tribe, "M'k'n'zy of Calhoun") to avoid having to figure out the real name.
** The [[Mysterious Backer| enigmatic Traveler]] from ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' goes by that moniker because his name is unpronounceable by humans.
*
* ''[[The Fast Show]]'' featured a spoof of ''The Untouchables'' called "The Unpronounceables", in which both the mobsters and "good guys" struggle with each other's long and complicated names.
* From ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'', and taken by a political person in real life, Mr. Tarquin fim-tim-lim-bim-win-bim-lim-bus-stop-f'tang-f'tang-olé-biscuitbarrel.
** Can't forget the Very Silly candidate from Harpenden in the same sketch, whose name includes all manner of sound effects, including a whistle and a gunshot:
{{quote|
** Why is it the world never remembered the name of Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern -schplenden -schlitter -crasscrenbon -fried -digger -dangle -dungle -burstein -von -knacker -thrasher -apple -banger -horowitz -ticolensic -grander -knotty -spelltinkle -grandlich -grumblemeyer -spelterwasser -kürstlich -himbleeisen -bahnwagen -gutenabend -bitte -eine -nürnburger -bratwustle -gerspurten -mit -zweimache -luber -hundsfut -gumberaber -shönendanker -kalbsfleisch -mittler -raucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.
** How can anyone forget the Knights Who Say Icky-cky-icky-icky-kapang-zoop-boing?
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** According to Jon Stewart, 'Ahmadinejad' is Farsi for 'unpronounceable'. According to [[Stephen Colbert]], [[Running Gag|that's not his name]].
*** Colbert's [[Running Gag]] of [[Mad Libs Catchphrase|inserting different words into "Ahmadinejad"]] began in [http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/69109/may-15-2006/ahmadinejad-s-letter this episode] when he simply pronounced it without fanfare the first time, then apologized for [[Take That|failing to follow the accepted journalistic protocol of making a huge deal out of how unpronounceable it is]] and promised never to say it right again.
{{quote|
** [http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=83700&title=Word-Failure This] toss takes it to the extreme.
*** An [http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-april-21-2003/the-new-iraq earlier segment] that likewise [[Overly Long Gag|forced Stephen to wrestle with difficult names]] ended up subverting this amusingly:
{{quote|
** There's also his hilarious attempts to pronounce ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's name. It tends to come out as "Rod Blah-GOOJEWHOSYWATSIT" or something.
* In ''[[Farscape]]'', Pilot's native language is so complex that one sentence can convey hundreds of ideas. The [[Translator Microbes]] can't keep up unless he carefully dumbs down his speech for others. This is probably why we never learn his real name.
** And let's not forget all the alien names that have to be shortened for John: Joolushko Tunai Fenta Hovalis (Jool), Utu Noranti Pralatong (Noranti), Sikozu Svala Shanti Sugaysi Shanu (Sikozu). While these names are all technically pronounceable, they are pretty complex.
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* Early in ''[[Bewitched]]'', while Darren is still trying to be polite to Endora, he asks her what her last name is. She flatly replies, "Forget it, you'll never be able to pronounce it."
* In ''[[The Middleman]]'' episode "The Flying Fish Zombification", an energy drink is named "!!!!", which you pronounce by stomping your right foot, doing "jazz hands" and grinning. The characters then proceed to use the name through an entire scene (and occasionally throughout the rest of the episode) as if it were an ordinary name.
* In ''[[That '70s Show]]'', Fez's real name is unpronounceable — that's why everyone calls him Fez. (Apparently it's actually "Fes", which stands for "Foreign Exchange Student".)
* ''[[That's So Raven]]'' had Raven hiring a pair of child models from Africa with long and complicated first names. As for their last name, everyone simply referred to it as "Unpronounceable".
* ''[[The Wire]]'' gives us Roland Pryzbylewski, referred to as either "Prez" or "Prezbo".
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*** SG-1 and other members of the SGC later started shortening the Goa'uld (Go-ah-ooh-l-duh) to "Gould" (goo-ld).
** The fact that many Goa'uld (alien) terms are hard to pronounce or are very/overly long is lampshaped in the Season 3 episode "Deadman Switch":
{{quote|
'''Teal'c:''' Taks.
'''O'Neill:''' Tak'nik'tels?
'''Teal'c:''' (very fast) Takunitagaminituron. (Pause) Taks. }}
* ''[[The Day Today]]'' expanded the name of real-life reporter Brian Hanrahan for the character Peter O'Hanraha-Hanrahan.
* Canadian comedy team [[Wayne and
* The mermaid in ''[[Sanctuary]]'' has a name, but Will and Henry consider it unpronounceable, and have instead christened her Sally.
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Xander and Spike are tracking a demon that's poisoned Buffy when it suddenly leaps out at them.
{{quote|
'''Xander:''' That's 'cause I can't say Glarma-- ''(demon [[Talk to the Fist|hits him]])'' }}
* ''[[Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger]]'' seems to be toying with this, giving names like Shibuyaseitakaawadachisouhidenagaaburamushi to the [[Monster of the Week]], and a villain whose name is written as "©Na"(subverted in that it's pronounced Marushina/ Malseena).
== [[Music]] ==▼
* For several years, recording artist [[Prince]] [[The Trope Formerly Known as X|changed his name to a glyph]]
▲== Music ==
* The band [[wikipedia:
▲* For several years, recording artist [[Prince]] [[The Trope Formerly Known as X|changed his name to a glyph]] resembling O(+ > in order to work around the terms of a record deal.
▲* The band [[wikipedia:chr(21)chr(21)chr(21)|!!!]]. It's supposed to be pronounced "click-click-click" like in Southern African languages.
* The Czech [[Grindcore]] band, !T.O.O.H.!
* Witch House, a microgenre with band names that look like they should have Zalgo as a frontman. More prominent acts include ~▲†▲~ and ▲⃝ ▲⃝ ▲⃝
* The song "..." by the Crash Test Dummies.
* The album ''( )'' by [[Sigur
** The band has referred to it as "The Bracket Album".
* The album ''LOL <(^^,)>'' by Basshunter, partly pronounceable at best.
** Totally pronouncable! Lawl happy-kirby hug!
* The fourth [[Led Zeppelin]] album's name consists of the four band-members' symbols. It is sometimes called ''Zoso'', after the Latin letters the first symbol (that used by Jimmy Page) resembles, but more often simply ''Led Zeppelin IV''.
** Their
*** Further complicating the matter, "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp'' was misspelled as 'Bron-Y-Aur Stomp' in the initial album release.
* The "Symbols" album by KMFDM. The five symbols supposedly represent a censored swear word; one of the fan nicknames for the album is "Curse". The symbols appear in the liner notes for "Down and Out", but the word is bleeped out in the recording.
** KMFDM also have the album UAIOE, though the band claims it's supposed to be pronounced as 'a scream or something', rather than be spelled out or called "Vowels".
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* Drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig of [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]]. The "Colm" part is easy, but it's best if you ask for help from your Irish friends when it comes to the family name.
* [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]]'s first album was titled ''(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)'' as an aid to pronunciation.
* Aphex Twin has a song whose title is a complicated calculus equation.
** [[The Other Wiki]] gives that track's name as "(
** His album ''Selected Ambient Works Volume II'' has the song "Blue Calx" and 24 other songs that use photographs as their titles.
* Autechre's later albums have a few songs that fit the bill: "Cep puiqMX", "P.:NTIL" and "O=0", for example.
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* The trance artist Trance[]Control.
▲*
▲{{quote|
▲* In ''[[Doonesbury]]'', the country of Berzerkistan is led by Trff Bmzklfrpz. As explained in one comic, "Bmzklfrpz" is actually pronounced "Ptklm."
▲* In ''[[For Better or For Worse]]'', "Mtigwaki" is the First Nations village Liz once lived and taught in. The actual pronunciation (m-tigwak-eh) appears nowhere in the strip itself, leaving most not to even attempt spelling it, let alone saying it. People would refer to it as "Liz's village". The snarkier commenters would simply run with the unpronounceable nature ("Mtitikitavi", "Mtimtibangbang", etc.)
== [[Recorded and Stand Up Comedy]] ==
▲* The bicyclist from a sketch by Bavarian Karl Valentin.
▲'''Policeman''': [http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_skuQKwhszvA/SmZB1kv6EoI/AAAAAAAAABI/KH0ThTlDsgk/s1600/Summer%2B09%2B225.JPG Wadlstrumpf]?
▲'''Bicyclist''': ''(while leaving)'' Oh, by the way, officer -- my sister wants me to tell you soem greetings!
▲'''Bicyclist''': Her name is also Wrdlbrmpfd... }}
== [[Theater]] ==
* In [[George Bernard Shaw]]'s ''Caesar and Cleopatra'' (a satiric [[Prequel]] to [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''Antony and Cleopatra''), none of the Romans can pronounce the name of Cleopatra's nurse Ftatateeta.
{{quote|
'''Caesar''': Nobody can pronounce it, Tota, except yourself. }}
* In ''Misalliance'', also by Shaw, there's a running joke of no one being able to pronounce (or spell) Lena Szczepalowska's last
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* The Tau from ''[[Warhammer
** Tau lanquage however isn't nearly as hard to prnounce as some other examples. It is however quite different from the human lanquage, consisting of long flowing series of syllables. An example of a Tau name would be Shas'O Vior'La O'Kais Mont'Yr O'Shovah (meaning Commander Farsight, the skilled and the bloodied, of the sept Vior'La).
** Also in 40K, there are several examples of Daemon names in the style of
*** It should be known that if you happen to roll correctly on the generator table, you might get a Knornate daemon named [[Fail O'Suckyname|"Deathdeath the Deathbringer"]]
** The chaos god Tzeentch has at least three pronounciations to his name none of which Games Workshop claims is right.
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''
* There is a horselike race in ''[[Fading Suns]]'', whose members' names can look like "Aluuuraloooraaaa" or "[long, fading whistle]". The creators cared enough to avert [[Rubber Forehead Aliens]] and point out several races (this one as well as bird- and bugpeople) have their voice apparatus working differently than that of primates.
* Yu-Gi-Oh Card Game: The Earthbound Immortals all have weird names. ''Ccapac Apu'' and ''Ccarayhua'' deserves a mention.
* ''[[Dungeons
** R.A. Salvatore's ''Sellswords'' series has the dragon colloquially known as Hephaestus. His real name is Velcuthimmorhar.
*** Also by R.A. Salvatore, [[The Legend of Drizzt|Drizzt Do'Urden]] [[Try to Fit That on A Business Card|of D'aermon Na'shez'baernon]]. It seems not even Salvatore himself is entirely sure how to pronounce it. (For the record, it's officially "Drist".)
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*** The same book has the red dragon Mistinarperadnacles. This has been known to be mangled out-of-universe into something like "mister nerple-dinkles".
** See also ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' and ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'', below.
* This is the logical conclusion of pre-recording equipment era Black Spiral Dancers in [[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]. The Book of the Wyrm states that BSDs are named after the first sound they make after they exit the [[Mind Screw|Black]] [[Go Mad
* The alien race the Kyz, described in the [[Role
== [[Video Games]] ==
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* One area in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' is named the Temple of Uggalepih, sometimes referred to by fans as the Temple of Unpronounceable. Also, the area simply known as Pso'Xja.
** FFXI uses tab to complete words for auto-translation. Various hard to spell/remember or hard to pronounce things are often shortened by writing out the "tab". For instance, a body armour called Pahluwan Khazagand simply being referred to as "Pahltab body".
* Dragons in games based on ''[[Dungeons
** ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' had Thaxll'ssylia and Nizidramanii'yt.
** ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'' featured Akulastraxas and the Guardian White Dragon, or Ma'fel'no'sei'kedeh'naar.
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** This is also what the [[Final Fantasy II|Emperor]] cries out when he is killed. Of course, in this instance, it is hilarious and more than a little narmy.
*** It's "Ubwa".
* In ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', most players will not know how to pronounce C'thun or R'khem without reading their article in the wiki.
** Murlocs speak in some weird language that consists of MRRGLE sounding things, however, when you learn their language in an area of Borean Tundra, you can understand them, but they have the same overly long, hard-to-pronounce names.
*** The Murloc language, also shared by the lobster-like Makrura, is called Nerglish. It's one of the few languages that there are no real translations for at all. Some of them have completely unpronounceable names, such as Mmmrrrggglll.
* The gnome in ''[[King's Quest I]]'' who asks the player to guess his name, which turns out to be [[Guide Dang It|Ifnkovhgroghprm]].
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Pokémon]]'', each glitch is given a [[Fan Nickname]], like 'M or Q, due to those letters being the only salvageable things in the mess of miscellaneous symbols and boxes that is its name.
** In ''Gold and Silver'', your rival introduces himself by saying, "[[My Name Is
* A more Meta example, any MMO, or general Online game that allows you to make Characters/Accounts with letters with umlauts or tildes in and around the letter and trying to pronounce it properly.
* In ''[[Mega Man Star Force]]'', Geo's wave alien pal Omega-Xis tells him to call him "Mega" instead since "humans get it all wrong."
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* The ''[[Digimon]]'' games feature a character named Moon=Millenniummon. Yes, that's an equals symbol.
** Although considering that equals symbols are basically equivalent to showy hyphens in Japanese, this trope only kicks into effect for non-Japanese audiences. For instance, the American book ''[[Catch-22]]'' is often referred to in Japanese as "キャッチ=22".
* ''[[
* One of the game's in Capcom's 1940's series of shoot em ups is called "19XX". So, is that "Nineteen Hundreds", "Nineteen ekks ekks", "19 variable variable", "Sometime in the 1900's"...?
* Nrvnqsr Chaos from ''[[Tsukihime]]''. Someone needed to buy that vampire some vowels.
* ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' has the Viera Mjrn (pronounced in-game as something like "me-ern"), Krjn, Ktjn, and Jote (pronounced "yo-tay").
* The La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo in the ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' series is a Japanese attempt at this, as the lack of an L sound in Japanese (the source of the infamous "Ls replaced with Rs" stereotype of Asians) makes their name essentially unpronounceable in Japanese. Unfortunately, the English dub obviously has no difficulty with it and it just sounds [[Narm|dumb]].
== [[Web Comics]] ==
* The side-comic "Tempts Fate" from ''Goblins'' has a brilliant subversion. There is a dragon who's name coincides with the D&D dragons being unpronounceable, but to the point that if you utter it, any who hear it would be sent to the abyss. The dragon elects to des{{spoiler|troy}} him instead.
* The demon K'Z'K, also known as "'The Vowelless One" of ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''. Commonly called "Kizke" by the main cast of the strip, though he repeatedly indicates this is a completely wrong pronunciation.
** During the "Oceans Unmoving" Arc, this gets ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20160130123218/http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=051103 subverted]'' and then ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20100527161832/http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=051207 played straight]''
* Subversion: in ''[[Starslip Crisis]]'', Jinx, a Cirbozoid, tells Cutter that his real name is unpronounceable in English. When Cutter says he'd like to hear it anyway, Jinx mentions that it is also unpronounceable in Cirbozoid.
* The names of the Demon and his brother in ''[[Friendly Hostility]]'' are depicted as random symbols and cause nosebleeds and spontaneous combustion, respectively.
* ''[[8-Bit Theater
{{quote|
'''Cleric''': The God of Undeath.
'''Black Mage''': The God of Undeath has a name of twenty-seven syllables spoken simultaneously by six ever-screaming mouths.
'''Cleric''': Yeah. ''Or'' Jessie to his friends. }}
** Also, saying Darko's true name would cause a brain to eat itself.
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* In ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'', several characters are unable to pronounce "Xykon" correctly. He can hear it when people say "Zykon" instead, and gets angry about it.
*** Actually it was more like a "spelling" problem than a "pronunciation" one. (the joke being that Xykon can "hear" the wrong spelling).
** Also from Start of Darkness there is a lizard man who Xykon calls "Scaly", who informs Xykon that his name is Ekdysdioksosiirwo, Viridian lord
* [[Planet B]]: "Hexaditidom". [https://web.archive.org/web/20110908062353/http://djtrousdale.com/planetb/pb0141/ Everybody] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110901052348/http://djtrousdale.com/planetb/pb0137/ gets it] [https://web.archive.org/web/20110909094926/http://djtrousdale.com/planetb/refurbishments-05/ wrong]. Well, [https://web.archive.org/web/20110907174700/http://djtrousdale.com/planetb/zanko-for-playing-03/ almost everybody].
* ''[[Niklas And Friends]]'' has a character named Martin Czrnczinsky, although the issue of the pronounceability of his surname is never brought up in the comic itself. When asked about the correct pronunciation, [[Word of God|the author]] replied to "pronounce it any way you like".
* ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'': Tagon's Toughs employ a chef by the name of "Ch'vorthq."
{{quote|
** Corporal "Legs" real name is Leelagaleenileeleenoleela.
* In ''[[Housepets]]'', [http://www.housepetscomic.com/2008/11/19/sylvan-glen/ Pete] was given the name for this reason.
* ''[[
* ''[[Slightly Damned]]'''s Angels tend to have difficult names. Case in point, one of the main characters is called Kieri Suizahn. The angelic disposition towards the common language is generally that it's something that happens to other people.
* ''[[Tamuran]]
* In ''[[Darken]]'', Mink's full name is revealed to be "Minknarperadnacles"
* ''[[Freefall]]'': [[All There in the Manual|Supposedly]],
* In ''[[Planescape Survival Guide]]'' [http://planescapecomic.com/42.html "Fred"] claims he can't pronounce his real name (Frd'gl'fn'd'pq'zter, after his mother's great-grand-uncle)
* ''Network Adventure Bugsite'', a lesser-known [[Mon]] game, has an entire evolution family of these: ***@, ***#, ***♪, and ***★. Keeping in mind that all the Bugs have computer-related names, the intention may have been for their names to resemble passwords.
== [[Web Original]] ==▼
▲== Web Original ==
* Lizardwoman "Hissy" in ''[[Tales of MU]]'' has a real name that's a combination of hisses and rattles. The nymphs in the same series are identified by sensory impressions of sun and wind; the pair who elect to go to college name themselves after their fields, becoming Amaranth and Barley.
* Vilhjalmur Sigurbjornsson from ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]''. Given that the medium is written, it might be more apt to call him 'The Unspellable'. Also notable in that his author intentionally picked a name that would be as obnoxiously difficult to spell and pronounce as possible.
** I would like to point out that this is a common Icelandic name and I happen to know a
* ''[[SCP Foundation]]'' object [http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-913 SCP-913], a sentient tree named Rschcrtstsch.
** Also, [http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/drclef-member-page Dr. Clef], who "maintains that its true name is that of an A major chord played on a ukelele."
* [[Whateley Universe]] example: in "Ayla and the Grinch", Phase fought a demon from a hell dimension {{spoiler|and lost}}. The demon was named ''' ''BKCRMWDJVG'' ''' which apparently can't be pronounced properly using a human mouth and throat.
* Detective Randall from [[The Lazer Collection]] is made out the way, with his superior and a helicopter pilot trying and deciding to just call him Detective Randall.
** {{spoiler|It's revealed that his full name is Randall Octogonapus, as in [[Luke, I Am Your Father|the son of]] [[Big Bad|Doctor Octogonapus]]}}
▲* [[Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series|Marik]] can't pronounce the name of [[Spell My Name with an "S"|Akhnaten/Akunadan/Just Forget It]] [[The Lion King|(Hakuna Matata?)]]. He eventually decides to just call him [[Everything's Better with Bob|"Bob"]].
* Fhqwgads (full name fhqwhgadshgnsdhjsdbkhsdabkfabkveybvf) was the sender of the [[Homestar Runner|Strong Bad Email]] [http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail9.html i love you]. Strong Bad comments that in the time that it took him to say that, he could've painted a picture of a big guy with a knife.
* Although ''almost'' pronounceable with some effort, [[ToyHammer]] gives us 'Shas'ui Fi'rios Yon'anuk Eldi'myr' which means 'Fire cast veteran trooper of the Fi'rios colony, flying-hunter winged-knife'. AKA 'Sergeant Talon'.
* The entire Centaurian ''language'' in [[The Pentagon War]] is unpronounceable, due to Centaurians having four mouths.
* In the old AD&D parody ''[[The Intercontinental Union of Disgusting Characters]]'', the heroes plan to trick the [[Big Bad]] into following them onto the plane of Fordinchuarlikomfterrablaxxuuuuuchh'chh'chh-pt. The last part after the u's sounds like an [[Transformers Generation 1|Autobot]] transforming, followed by someone spitting.
* N'Ktane's name in ''[[Tasakeru]]'' is supposed to look and sound alien. It's actually fairly simple to pronounce: ''knock''-tain, with a long 'a' sound.
* ''None'' of the ''[[That Guy With The Glasses]]'' crew can pronounce the name of actor Tone Loc, though its [[The Nostalgia Critic]] who has the problem first.
** Neither seem to detect the macron above the 'o' in Lōc as his name is displayed and is there for a reason.
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* Subverted in ''[[Red vs. Blue]]: Reconstruction''. Two characters both with the name Jones, but pronounced in seemingly difficult ways. The first Jones is continually dismayed by the fact that his team mispronounce his name as "Jo-En-Es". To continue the joke a character whose name is thought to be Jones, but is actually pronounced as Jo-En-Es was introduced for one scene.
* C'thulu, in the [http://youtu.be/-DsgZ4JXXB8 first episode] of the [[YouTube]] series "Calls for C'thulu", refuses to help a caller pronounce his name.
{{quote|
* In ''[[Pay Me, Bug!]]'', one character is named "Ktkt'tkkt'kktt'tkkk'tktk'ttkt'tkkk'kktt'kktk'tk" ("Ktk" for short).
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* Subverted in the Disney version of ''[[Hercules (
* Subverted in the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "Why Must I Be a Crustacean In Love", when an old acquaintance of Zoidberg's refers to him as "Dr. (unintelligible slurping/gurgling noise)."
{{quote|
'''Zoidberg''': You didn't have to call attention to his speech impediment. }}
** Used straight in "The Day The Earth Stood Stupid", where Nibbler tells Leela that "in the time it would take to pronounce one letter of my true name, a trillion cosmoses would flare into existence and fade into eternal night." One wonders how they communicate with each other.
Line 412 ⟶ 406:
*** 'Zizz-witch'. Or, if you wanted to get into ''real'' Polish, 'Zizz-vitch'.
** From the Treehouse of Horror episode "Hungry Are The Damned"
{{quote|
'''Serak the Preparer''': To pronounce it correctly, I would have to pull out your tongue. }}
** Also subverted in "Missionary: Impossible", where Homer is sent as a missionary to an island of aboriginals:
{{quote|
'''Homer''': What was that?
'''Qtoktok''': Oh. We call that Wrrrkp Gwrkkagkh Kkkakakhakgkkoighr. Sorry, fishbone in my throat. We call that earthquake. }}
* Parodied in ''[[Freakazoid!]]!''. In trying to track down a Cthulhu-like monster, Cosgrove says he can't pronounce their next destination. Prof. Jones, however, finds 'Romania' easy to say.
* Also parodied in ''[[Spliced]]''. The name of the species of bird Lord Wingus Eternum belongs to can't be pronounced; it has to be expressed as a laser dance show.
* Toys for [[Toy Story (franchise)||Buzz Lightyear's]] nemesis Zurg said his home planet was Xrghthung. But in ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'', it's just "Planet Z".
==
* As a general note for examples below: Slavic languages and languages from the Caucasus (Georgian, Chechyen, etc.) permit very long consonant clusters, which are often hard to pronounce for nonnative speakers, and are usually half-assed even by natives. Take, for example, the Russian word ''vzglyat''<ref>"look" or "glance", also "eyeglasses" in some dialects</ref> or Georgian ''gvprtskvni''.<ref>"you peel us"; as a metaphor it means "you're making us spend a lot of money".</ref>
** All of the are put to shame by Ubykh. It features a record high of 84 consonants without featuring click sounds. And as for how many vowels is has? A mere two. It is nothing but [[Shaped Like Itself|clusters of consonant clusters.]]
* Most Southeast Asian languages such as Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Lao, and Khmer are very heavy on the vowels and do not feature consonant clusters at all, rendering all European languages more or less unpronounceable to them. To a Vietnamese, imagine the horror that is learning Russian.
Line 466 ⟶ 459:
** No wonder Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili decided to re-name himself as Iosif Vissarionovich Stalin. Well, aside from the whole "Man of Steel" propaganda value...
* La-a. Pronouced 'la-dash-a' [http://www.babynamewizard.com/archives/2009/10/ledasha-legends-and-race-part-one (though it's most likely an urban legend)].
* [[wikipedia:Titin|Titin]] (full name is [http://luminaryuprise.wikidot.com/longest-word here])
** That's about as close to [[Futurama|Nibblonian]] as human languages can get. ''189,819 letters long, people!''
* When Mrs. Anneli Jäätteenmäki became Finland's Prime Minister some years back, she was supposedly reported in the British radio as Mrs. Unpronounceable.
Line 484 ⟶ 477:
** In the UK, there are the villages of Wymondham and Garbaldisham in Norfolk (That's Win-dam and Garb-ee-sham to you).
* Conflated phonemes can cause this without resorting to long names or strange characters. The most well known example is that Japanese contains neither L nor R sounds but rather a sound that is a mix of the two (though accepted to be closer to R) making words that contain Ls very difficult to pronounce.
* The Hmong language, due to a weird transliteration system, has a lot of these, including the name of the language itself in Hmong, "Hmoob", pronounced "mung". Just read [https://web.archive.org/web/20100528101256/http://forums.hmoob.com/showthread.php?t=47241 this thread]: there's someone on there named "Nkauj Xwb".
* Tibetan, in the Wylie transliteration, is pretty bad about this too: there is a Tibetan Buddhist sect named "Bka' brgyud", pronounced "Kagyu".
** That's a common problem in transcription, namely whether to follow the written or spoken language. Wylie preferred an accurate representation of Tibetan as written, there's another common transcription based on the usual pronunciation. See also Thai Prime Minister ''ABHISIT Vejjajiva''
* [[wikipedia:Wolfe
** Taking it apart and translating it, however, [http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/weblog/permalink/worlds_longest_surname/ makes it look like a hoax that got past the radar]. And anyway, wouldn't a name that cumbersome have been rejected by authorities?
* Even Irish people struggle to pronounce Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh ("blaw-nid nee khuffigh")
** The Gaelic languages in general are a nightmare to sound out until you know something about the phonetics (which are weird and vaguely resemble Russian), and Scots Gaelic has a lot of unnecessary (i.e. no longer pronounced) letters that Irish got rid of in spelling reforms. Even then, the consonants aren't too bad, but the vowels can be... inscrutable (the only time a vowel is unambiguously itself is when it has an accent on it). Overall, Scots and Irish Gaelic spellings are a barely-comprehensible mishmosh of historical and phonetic spellings... and then you have Manx Gaelic, whose spelling is mercifully based on English phonetics... from four centuries ago. Old Irish spelling resembles modern spelling simplified, but is mercifully phonetic and nowhere near as tangled as its descendants. [[I Need a Freaking Drink|Still, it's best taken with a bottl o da fookin' wiskie.]]
* A train station in Wales is known by the name [[wikipedia:File:UK longest railway sign.jpg|Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerchwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch]].
** Welsh. Just Welsh.
* The volcanic glacier that has ruined air travel in Europe is named Eyjafjallajökull. Admittedly, not unpronounceable for someone from Iceland, but [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jq-sMZtSww for everyone else it's quite difficult]... For the record, it's approximately AY-a-fyat-la-yer-kuttle, with the T-sounds pronounced very lightly.
** When Seth Meyers reported on the disaster for [[Saturday Night Live|Weekend Update]], he [[Lampshaded]] and [[Subverted]] it by referring to it as "Iceland's -- I hope I'm saying this right: ''volcano''."
** Slightly easier on the tongue is another Icelandic volcanic glacier, and until recently a more famous one, Snæfellsjökull.
* Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, [[wikipedia:Squamish people|a group of indigenous people]] from southwestern British Columbia. Also mercifully called Squamish, which according to Wikipedia is probably the closest to the pronunciation (which is roughly sk-HU-mesh, with the h being pronounced like a Spanish J).
** [[wikipedia:
** And [[wikipedia:
* Nuxálk (a Native American language up in the Pacific Northwest) has the word ''xłp̓x̣ʷłtłpłłskʷc̓''. Means "he had in his possession a bunchberry plant". Not only are there no vowels, there's nothing that could even function as a vowel. And yet, people can still say it.
* Prince, when his name consisted of nothing but a symbol.
* Dolphins are thought to have
** This theory was possibly alluded to in ''[[Splash]]'' (see entry under Film).
* When the Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld became Secretary-General of the UN he told reporters that it was OK for English-speakers who had problems pronouncing his name to use the direct translation of it and simply call him [[Awesome McCoolname|"Mr. Hammershield"]].
* Some drugs and medicines have chemical names that are ridiculously long and hard to pronounce. Of course, the formal names are for the benefit of doctors and technicians who need to know exactly what they're handling, but they can be quite unwieldy for laypeople.
* The host in a radio program about etymology: "This word goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root which cannot be written with our alphabet, and I also cannot pronounce it." Eh... But at least, [[Take Our Word for It|he knew what it was]].
** Although this is less
* The "Chef Boyardee" line of prepared Italian foods was named that by Ettore Boiardi, because he feared his name's real spelling would be subjected to this trope. Most rural Americans in the 1920s were unfamiliar with Italian names.
* Spend just a few minutes at a zoo's exhibit of native Mongolian wild horses, and you'll hear every conceiveable pronunciation of "Przewalski". Except, perhaps, the correct one ("sher-wall-ski").
** Note that "sher-wall-ski" is only "correct" in English. A Pole (or other Slavic-speaker) would be able to handle that consonant cluster, and possibly recognize the "w" for the "v" that it is.
** Can you pronounce Wojciechowski correctly? Commonly incorrectly pronounced "woj a house key". (Pronounced correctly: "Voytsiehkhovski", more or less).
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** Short Ö is like the E in "bet" with the lips rounded; long is close to the AI in "bait" with rounded lips. Short Ü is a rounded version of the I in "bit"; long like a rounded EE in "beet." And the "soft" (default— the hard counterpart only appears after A, O, U or AU without umlauts) CH is like the H in "huge" for those people who don't pronounce the word as "uge."
** A lot of native speakers do not make the soft ch sound as you describe. I've heard ich pronounced most frequently as eesh. However, there are people who insist that it's pronounced like ik. It's probably a dialect and accent thing.
* There's a ''reason'' our [[Aztec Mythology]] page is full of footnotes with pronunciation
** And if there's an "X" in an Aztec name, it's only there because the Spaniards couldn't pronounce the natives' version of "sh" and used "X" (pronounced rather like an "H" in Spanish) as a transcriptional approximation.
*** Not really. The /ʃ/ sound (the "sh" sound) did exist in Old Spanish and was written as "x". It is still written that way in other languages spoken in the Iberian peninsula - namely in Portuguese, Galician, Basque and Catalan. There was a shift in the Spanish sibilants that made /ʃ/ disappear and a later spelling reform so that the letter "x" represents a variety of ''other'' sounds in modern Spanish. So, in all, the name of Mexico was pronounced something like "me-''sheeh''-coh" in 16th century Spanish, "''me''-khi-coh" in modern Spanish... and "''me''-ksi-co" in English. Quite strange come to think of it.
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* Based on anatomical reconstructions done by archaeologists, it is believed that the Neanderthals were completely incapable of pronouncing the letter E. Basically, that means that most of our languages would have been completely unpronounceable to them.
* Kyrgyzstan.
* You can thank [[Aristophanes]] for [[wikipedia:Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphioparaomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon|this one.]]
* When Mount Ruapehu ("roo-uh-pay-hoo"), an active volcano in New Zealand, started re-erupting in 1995, various news anchors in America were visibly linguistically challenged in the process.
* [[wikipedia:Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu|Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu]], the longest place name in the world according to the Guiness Book of Records, is located in the Hawkes Bay region of New Zealand. And that's just the short form.
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[[Category:Naming Conventions]]
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