Thread: last names pronunciation

Well, they are always such a big trouble, those last names, especially non-standart ones. For now I need to transliterate two names in Russian:
Martin Wnek and Chris Monge. How do you think they might be pronounced and thus translitrated in Russian: Нек and Монг? (Монж, Мондж, Монджи?)

May be someone of you knows a good site with English names pronunciation? I've tried to search, but there's a lot of irrelevant results -- Celtic-origin names, Irish-origin names... I just need more or less English last names wich are commonly used in the English-speaking countries.

I can suppose, but I'm not sure, that the the surname Monge is sounds Мондж. Because I think, that this isn't an English surmane, but French. And with accordance to English - Russian letters, I'd write this surname in this way.

What about Wnek..... I would write this name as Нэк.

May be I'm mistaken, but it's my opinion.

Originally Posted by Propp

May be someone of you knows a good site with English names pronunciation? I've tried to search, but there's a lot of irrelevant results -- Celtic-origin names, Irish-origin names... I just need more or less English last names wich are commonly used in the English-speaking countries.

Take a look at this dictionary. I know it's not a site but maybe it'll help.
Unfortunately they don't have this dictionary online or on a CD.

PS: here's a pronunciation of "Monge"- http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/Monge

Внек and Мондж. (Monge is fully Anglicized, as are most French surnames.)

Originally Posted by Jeff

Внек and Мондж. (Monge is fully Anglicized, as are most French surnames.)

I agree with jeff about not leaving out the W. So it sounds like a V-so what, it is the only substitute to deletion. We know W is not a sound over there and it is understood that V is the proper substitute (accepted rather). At least........