Pronunciation guide to flute makers

[Doc Jones]

The Recent mopani pronunciation thread got me to thinking about how many instrument makers names are being mangled because we type and read them all the time but have never actually heard them.

Here are a few I've needed correction on over the years:

Dave Copley is Cop-Lee not Cope-lee

Chris Abell is A-Bell not Able

Pat Olwell is All-well not Ole-well

I have no idea how to say Aebi (I say Ay-bee but am probably wrong)

I heard a Frenchman say Gilles Lehart and it came out something like
Zheeel LeArrrr

And how do you really say Rudall? Is it Rudd-el or Rude-ell

So, here's your chance. Enlighten us!

Doc

[Doc Jones]

By the way my own name is often troublesome when plurality or possesives enter the picture. Here's a guide to Jones

Jones is pronounced Jones.

All the variants below are pronounced the same way... Joneses.

Joneses More than one Jones

Jones' Single possesive...As in Doc Jones' house

Joneses' Plural possesive As in the Joneses' house

Jones's Contraction of Jones is...As in Doc Jones's a fine fellow.

[crookedtune]

By the way my own name is often troublesome when plurality or possesives enter the picture. Here's a guide to Jones

Jones is pronounced Jones.

All the variants below are pronounced the same way... Joneses.

Joneses More than one Jones

Jones' Single possesive...As in Doc Jones' house

Joneses' Plural possesive As in the Joneses' house

Jones's Contraction of Jones is...As in Doc Jones's a fine fellow.

Doesn't matter....I can't keep up with 'em anyway.

[Gabriel]

Gilles Lehart -> "Jill Le-Ar" I'd say (even though I never learned french)

Aebi -> "Ah-Eh-Bi." (A and E pronounced seperately, not as ae like "ey".

I say Ru-Dall...but I guess that everyone says it different

[Matt_Paris]

Gilles Léhart is hard to explain, the french "G" has neither english nor german equivalent. "Jill" or "jeel" is not too far, but the "j" is not attacked the same way: it's a "j", attacked like a "z".

Léhart is something like "lay-ar", "h" is never pronounced in french.

For Aebi, I say Ay-bee... he understands But I never asked him the correct pronounciation. "Ae" in German should sound like "Ä", pronounced a bit like "Ay"... But he's not german so I don't actually know.

[Guinness]

Gilles Léhart is hard to explain, the french "G" has neither english nor german equivalent. "Jill" or "jeel" is not too far, but the "j" is not attacked the same way: it's a "j", attacked like a "z".

Yeah, it's a drawn out soft j. But then the French interchange j and g, so what does that tell you?

[ChristianRo]

Aebi -> "Ah-Eh-Bi." (A and E pronounced seperately, not as ae like "ey".

Really? I think it's pronounced äähbee (as in abbey, but with a long first vowel) at least he turns around when you call him this way

[Doug_Tipple]

Tipple rhymes with nipple or fipple (strange word). My junior high school students thought that it was hilarious to address me as Mr. Nipple. Now, at age 63, I am having to endure a diminutive, "Dougie", with my first name. There was a time when that would have bothered me, but now I think of it as a term of endearment.

[AaronMalcomb]

Léhart is something like "lay-ar", "h" is never pronounced in french.

Léhart would seem awkward to pronounce had I not lived near LeHavre.

We anglophones are taught to treat "h" like a vowel when learning French so seeing "le" before an "h" in instead of "l'h---" throws a wrench into the works.

As for "Rudall" I always thought it should rhyme with "noodle."

[brotherwind]

Aebi -> "Ah-Eh-Bi." (A and E pronounced seperately, not as ae like "ey".

Really? I think it's pronounced äähbee (as in abbey, but with a long first vowel) at least he turns around when you call him this way

Yep, I concur.

[Cubitt]

Interesting that this should come up. I take my screen name from the maker of my vintage eight-key, William Duncan Cubitt. How would you pronounce it?


No, it's not CUBE-it, it's CUB-it. Funny how so many get this one wrong.

[Rob Sharer]

Down here in Cackalacky, the celebrated flute from Nelson County, VA is know as an "awl-well."

Acording to legend, Fintan Vallely, upon learning the price of a keyed model of same, once pronounced the maker's name "Patrick Oil-well."

Sour grapes.

Rob

[sturob]

I recently bought a Firth, Hall, and Pond flute off eBay.

Interestingly, the makers' names are pronounced Firth, Hall, and Pond.



Stuart

[Cubitt]

I recently bought a Firth, Hall, and Pond flute off eBay.

Interestingly, the makers' names are pronounced Firth, Hall, and Pond.



Stuart

Ah, but in each name, which syllable gets the accent?

[jim stone]

Very funny.

Anyhow it isn't pronounced Patrick Olwell;
it's Patrick Owl.