I think WhoMan is right. You can't expect ordinary people to pronounce every foreign name "correctly". The arbitrary spelling of the word Iran hasn't helped. Had it been spelt IRUN most people would have pronounced it right. In any case, many Iranians who are ashamed of their implied association with the current regime of mullhas are at pains to point out that they are Persians. Now that is a can of worms I wouldn't want to open!
- By: CANTOR on February 3, 2005

I second WhoMan's comment. Country names are relevant, depending on the language. American English among 35+ year old adults has it that Iran is "I ran"; but younger, better educated Americans will pronounce it somewhat properly.
- By: Murph on February 2, 2005

the thing I find hilarious, and very disturbing about the CNN commerical is that Amanpour is STILL pronouncing Iran wrong. It's e-rahn, not e-ran...
- By: pappi on January 28, 2005

You might want to read this about Hersh. http://www.latimes.com/la-oe-boot27jan27,0,50014.column?coll=la-home-utilities
- By: marc on January 28, 2005

It works both ways. Afterall dont Iranians and others in the middle east always scream "Death to Amrika".
- By: sydaus on January 27, 2005

Well, a lot of people in the US of A pronounce Iran like eye-ran. Canadians seem to be more conscious and try not to offend people of other nationalities by mispronouncing the name of their countries. But Americans, you know, they don't care. They look at all those "Arab" counties with their camel-riding habits, and then they say lets humiliate them by calling their country by a weird name. You have heard all those American soldiers in Iraq, calling the country "Eye-raq", like it's a little filthy place and they have been sent to clean it up. I think it all started with the late Shah (Shahe Faghid) who after leaving the country wrote a book called "I ran." Any way, joking aside, normally the uneducated ones pronounce Iran that way, and I didn't expect an educated person like Seymour Hersh to mispronounce the name.
- By: Jahangir on January 24, 2005

Why is it important? Next time you pronouce the name of Germany in Persian, remind yourself it is not the way that the local say it. It is Deutschland. Next time you pronouce France, remind yourself it is not the way locals say it. It is (La) France. Next time you .... and the list goes on and on.
- By: WhoMan on January 24, 2005