Character Name Pronounciation

blackbird · Jul 25, 2006

On first glance, how would you pronounce this character's surname:

Craig Rhodin

Short "o" sound: (Rod-in)
Long "o" sound: (Rode-in)

It seems to me that a lot of my beta readers are mispronouncing this name, although it is correct as spelled (I know because an ex-boyfriend of mine had this surname, and his name was pronounced the same as my character's). I know in the grander scheme of things I probably have much bigger fish to fry with this novel, but still, it's a little irritating to hear so many readers mispronounce the name. Just out of curiosity, I wanted to see which of the above pronounciations most of you go with, on first glance. Later, after I've gauged the results, I'll let you know which is my correct (or intended) pronounciation, and maybe you guys can help me figure a way to better cue readers to the intended pronounciation.

maestrowork · Jul 25, 2006

Rhode as in Rhode Island.

FloVoyager · Jul 25, 2006

Long "o" (Rode-in) is the first thing I thought of.

My-Immortal · Jul 25, 2006

maestrowork said:
Rhode as in Rhode Island.

That's what I thought too. Long "o".

alleycat · Jul 25, 2006

Ro-din.

brianm · Jul 25, 2006

Being from N. Ireland I pronounce it Rod-in. I would assume most Americans would pronounce it Rode-in, like the state, Rhode Island. If you are so concerned with it's pronunciation... spell it the way you want it said. I doubt your character will take offense.

rugcat · Jul 25, 2006

Most people are going to pronounce it with a long "O," because that's how similar words are pronounced. I don't have a dictionary handy, but off the top of my head there's Rhode Island, of course, a Rhodes scholar, rhododendron, the Greek letter "rho."

If you want it pronounced another way, maybe a brief paragraph early on at how annoyed the character gets over how many people mispronounce his name, or misspell it when he verbally gives it, or something like that.

She looked at his card. "Mr. Rhodin," she said, mispronouncing it as usual. "Rod-in," he corrected. "As in spare the rod."

Anonymisty · Jul 25, 2006

People read according to the grammar rules they've been taught in school, in which case "Rhodin" would be pronounced "road-in". But grammar rules don't apply to proper names.

If it's important enough to you that readers know how you pronounce it, then I like Rugcats suggestion.

TheIT · Jul 25, 2006

Because there's only one "d", I would pronounce Rhodin to rhyme with Odin, the Norse god. With two d's, I would probably pronounce the name with a short "o": Roddin, Rhoddin. Gene Roddenbery also comes to mind (short "o").

Jamesaritchie · Jul 25, 2006

blackbird said:
On first glance, how would you pronounce this character's surname:

Craig Rhodin

Short "o" sound: (Rod-in)
Long "o" sound: (Rode-in)

.

Rho-din. Long O. Just like Rhodan.

reph · Jul 25, 2006

I'd like to buy a long "o," Vanna

I was thinking "Rhodes, rhododendron, Rhodin" even before I saw rugcat's post.

But:

rugcat said:
She looked at his card. "Mr. Rhodin," she said, mispronouncing it as usual. "Rod-in," he corrected. "As in spare the rod."

This might confuse readers who subvocalized "Rod-in" the first time.

CaroGirl · Jul 25, 2006

reph said:
This might confuse readers who subvocalized "Rod-in" the first time.

Really? I think that objection underestimates the reader. I think rugcat's suggestion corrects those who pronounce it incorrectly, and reinforces those who pronounce it correctly. I don't see any confusion.

And, as an aside, it's pronunciation, not pronounciation (with a "nun" in the middle, not a "noun").

blackbird · Jul 25, 2006

Actually, brianm has a valid point, which is that it may be that either is correct; it could very well be a regional thing.

I've been pleasantly surprised that it looks like the majority of you have guessed it correctly (Rode-in, or Road-in, as in Rhode Island). The pronounciation of most of my beta readers has been Rod-in (short "o" sound). Anyway, this was the way my ex-boyfriend's family both spelled and pronounced their surname, and that's where I got the idea for the name (though there's no relation whatsoever between my ex-boyfriend and the character, other than that I just found it an interesting name).
I have heard some families around here call themselves by "Rodin" with the short "o" sound, but I'm not sure if it's spelled the same way. At any rate, it is most likely the same name, just that somewhere down through the years some may have branched off and adopted a slightly different spelling/pronounciation (the fluidity of surnames never ceases to amaze me).

My biggest concern was that I may have been doing something wrong by spelling it the way I have. Your responses have most graciously put that fear to rest. Thanks!

Jamesaritchie · Jul 25, 2006

blackbird said:
Actually, brianm has a valid point, which is that it may be that either is correct; it could very well be a regional thing.

I've been pleasantly surprised that it looks like the majority of you have guessed it correctly (Rode-in, or Road-in, as in Rhode Island). The pronounciation of most of my beta readers has been Rod-in (short "o" sound). Anyway, this was the way my ex-boyfriend's family both spelled and pronounced their surname, and that's where I got the idea for the name (though there's no relation whatsoever between my ex-boyfriend and the character, other than that I just found it an interesting name).
I have heard some families around here call themselves by "Rodin" with the short "o" sound, but I'm not sure if it's spelled the same way. At any rate, it is most likely the same name, just that somewhere down through the years some may have branched off and adopted a slightly different spelling/pronounciation (the fluidity of surnames never ceases to amaze me).

My biggest concern was that I may have been doing something wrong by spelling it the way I have. Your responses have most graciously put that fear to rest. Thanks!

If it's supposed to be pronounced rod-in, I hope you're not writing a romance novel.

davids · Jul 25, 2006

I like the long o-in one of my books a character had the last name of Wadhams-try that one out for fun-I gave up and changed it to Bloomenpatch

blacbird · Jul 25, 2006

I actually knew a person with a closely similar surname (Rhoden), and it was pronounced with a long o[i/], Ro-din. If you wanted to force the other pronunciation, use a double d: "Rhoddin".

But it brings to mind another point: Character names ought to be easily pronounceable to a reader, barring some external reason to make them otherwise. You fantasy/SF folks take heed: a name like "Txgalfqomflbaaaa" doesn't work.

caw.

blackbird · Jul 25, 2006

blacbird said:
I actually knew a person with a closely similar surname (Rhoden), and it was pronounced with a long o[i/], Ro-din. If you wanted to force the other pronunciation, use a double d: "Rhoddin".

But it brings to mind another point: Character names ought to be easily pronounceable to a reader, barring some external reason to make them otherwise. You fantasy/SF folks take heed: a name like "Txgalfqomflbaaaa" doesn't work.

caw.

The long "o" sound is what I intended. Thanks!

Bayou Bill · Jul 25, 2006

blackbird said:
The long "o" sound is what I intended. Thanks!

If the pronunciation is important to you, then spell it out for the readers. You could have someone mispronunce it early in the story so the protag can correct them, or the protag might think about the pronunciation.

As you indicated, regional differences do exist. In New York, HOUSTON STREET is pronounced HOUSE-TON, while the big town in Texas is HUE-STONE. And while on the subject of dwellings, everyone knows how to pronounce HOME, unless the subject is a former UK PM whose faimly name was pronunced, HUME.

Bayou Bill

zeprosnepsid · Jul 26, 2006

This is an interesting topic =) My friends and I are often surprised when movies get made and character's names are pronounced different. I have a friend who still says 'Her-me-own' for Hermione in Harry Potter....

There'll always be people who misread, but I think in both your case and Hermione's, you can assume people will read it correctly.

Cat Scratch · Jul 26, 2006

I'm having a similar problem with my readers who can't pronounce the French name of my villain. I'm trying to figure out a way to correct it in the ms toward the beginning without appearing as if I'm doing so. Tricky, that. But rather than pronouncing it wrong, my readers aren't pronouncing it at all (when we discuss it they say "the bad guy--how do you say his name?"), so I think a road map is in order. Or maybe I should change it altogether... Hmmm...

Just thinking out loud.

Jamesaritchie · Jul 26, 2006

pronunciation

It really isn't important how readers pronounce names. There's no law that says they have to pronounce them as you want them to, and no matter what names you use, some readers are going to pronounce them "incorrectly."

The only rule is to use names readers can pronouce in some logical fashion, whether that fashion is "correct" or not.

NightWynde · Jul 26, 2006

I'm of the opinion that it doesn't really matter if the readers can pronounce the character's names as long as they keep buying the books.

Or, another way to put it, as Annette Funicello quoted Walt Disney, "Don't change the name (her last name). People will remember it better than they'll remember one that's easier to say." (Ok, so maybe it's not a precise quote, but you get the point).

Then again, my real name is Brigitta, so what the heck do I know?

Bayou Bill · Jul 26, 2006

There's an old joke that when faced with some incomprehensible Russian name in a novel such as War and Peace, readers should just, "Call it John and move on."

Bayou Bill

Character Name Pronounciation

How would you pronounce this surname on first glance?

Craig Rhodin (Long "o" sound, as in Rode-in

Craig Rhodin (Short "o" sound as in Rod-in

blackbird

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

FloVoyager

Will write for chocolate

My-Immortal

Mr. Invisible

alleycat

Still around

brianm

Brian Boru

rugcat

Lost in the Fog

Anonymisty

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Jamesaritchie

reph

Fig of authority

CaroGirl

Living the dream

blackbird

Jamesaritchie

davids

blacbird

blackbird

Bayou Bill

AW Ne'er-Do-Well

zeprosnepsid

Cat Scratch

The Peacock Next Door

Jamesaritchie

NightWynde

Bayou Bill

AW Ne'er-Do-Well