Sau-dərs: “sour”, not “super”

September 22, 2009 8:52 pm | 7 Comments

After my exhausting three part post on SpriteMe, I need a lighter one tonight. Often at conferences I’ll be introduced as Steve Sü-dÉ™rs (like “super”). The spelling is almost always correct, “Souders”, but most people mispronounce my last name, so I don’t say anything. But I wanted to get the official pronunciation out there: it’s Sau-dÉ™rs (like “sour”). Would I rather be “super” than “sour”? Yes. But that’s just the way this cookie crumbles.

I found out last week that Nicholas pronounces his last name Zā-kÉ™s, not Za-kÉ™s. If your name gets mispronounced, or you know someone else who’s name gets butchered, feel free to clear that up right here.

7 Responses to Sau-dərs: “sour”, not “super”

  1. RK | 23-Sep-09 at 1:04 am | Permalink |

    Just wanted to share that I’ve found this site helpful in finding pronunciations of unusual names –
    http://www.pronouncenames.com/

  2. Derek | 23-Sep-09 at 7:24 am | Permalink |

    John Resig, creator of jQuery. I’ve heard his name pronounced REE-sig, but when he says it, it’s more like REH-sig. Just FYI. :)

  3. Nels | 24-Sep-09 at 7:08 pm | Permalink |

    I’ve had to deal with this all my life. My name is not Nails, Neils, Niles, Nell, or Nelf. It’s Nels. Thanks to the father and son acting duo, everyone wants me to be a Sutherland, but its Setterlund. My wife recently got a memo at her office for Mrs. Setterlunch. Really, I’ve gotten quite used to it and sometimes I don’t even correct people (my old college roommate called me Niles for 6 months before someone else told him what how to pronounce my name). Anyway, thanks for the post, thought I would share.

  4. Nicholas C. Zakas | 25-Sep-09 at 11:51 am | Permalink |

    I pick my battles on that one, but thanks for spreading the word. :)

  5. Sergey Chernyshev | 26-Sep-09 at 7:49 pm | Permalink |

    Now, mispronounced is an understatement – usually people in America can’t finish pronouncing my last name and stumble somewhere in the middle.

    I considered shortening it to very popular word “Che” which is also funny as in Russian it can be interpreted as “what?” ;)

  6. Mark Jaquith | 13-Oct-09 at 9:56 am | Permalink |

    I’ve heard a third pronunciation of your name, like “soda.” Glad to know actual pronunciation!

    Mine is a tricky one too… JAY-kwith.

  7. "Cowboy" Ben Alman | 30-Nov-09 at 11:20 am | Permalink |

    It’s been better lately, but with a last name like Alman, I hear a fair amount of “rhymes-with-pal” instead of the way it should be, “rhymes-with-all”. Especially from telemarketers..

    And of course, whenever they get the pronunciation correct, there’s a really good chance I’ll get one of those “You one of the Allman brothers?” jokes.

    I just can’t win.