³ÉÈËÂÛ̳

A weekly guide to the words and names in the news from Martha Figueroa-Clark of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Pronunciation Unit.

This week, the Montgomeryshire Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik, pronounced LEM-bit OH-pick (-oh as in 'no'; -established anglicisation) announced that he has separated from his fiance Sian Lloyd (pronounced SHAAN) and is now dating the Romanian pop singer, Gabriela Irimia, whose name is pronounced gab-ri-ELL-uh irr-im-EE-uh (-i as in 'sit').

Lembit Opik was born in Northern Ireland to Estonian parents. When we spoke to him just before the 1997 general election, he told us that if he were to be elected, he might insist on the Estonian pronunciation LEM-beet OE-pick (-ee as in 'street'; -oe as in Fr. 'peu') but, although he was elected, the Estonian pronunciation is not in general use."

(For a guide to our phonetic pronunciations, click here.)

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