How to pronounce
country names
correctly

and avoid
common mistakes

 

Test yourself
Do you know
how to pronounce
these country names?

I've heard more than a few travelers make the pronunciation blunders listed below. It can be embarrassing, I know. I made my fair share (and still do).

Use my guide to learn how to pronounce country names correctly.

Azerbaijan: azz-uhr-beh-JAHN

ah-zhur-BYE-jan

Bahrain: bah-RAIN
BAH-rain

Belarus: bell-ah-ROOZ
beh-LARE-us

Brunei: Brew-NEE

Brew-NAY

Burkina Faso: buhr-KEE-neh fah-SOU

BURK-ee-nah fah-SEW

Burundi: boo-ROON-dee
boo-RUN-dee

Comoros Islands: KOHM-uh-roze
koh-mohr-us

Djibouti: jeh-BOO-tee
dee'JEH-boot-ee

Eritea: urh-uh-TREE-UH
eh-REE-tee-ah

Gabon: gah-BONE

gah-BAHN

Guinea-Bissau: GIHN-ee beh-SUE

GIHN-nee-ah Bis-sowh

Kazakhstan: KAH-zak-stahn

kah-ZAK-stahn

Kyrgyzstan: KUR-jee-stahn
kur-GIZ-stahn

Lesotho: luh-soh-toh

leh-soh-tho

Liechtenstein: LICK-tuhn-stine
LEECH-tuhn-stine

Maldives: MOHL-deeves

MAL-dives

Mauritius: moh-REESH-us
mohr-uh-TEE-us

Moldova: Mahl-DOH-vuh

mold-DOH-vah

Myanmar: my'ahn-MAHR
mee-AHN-mahr

Namibia: nah-MIB-ee-ah

nah-MIH-bee-ah

Nevis: NEE-vus
NEH-vus

Paraguay: pare-uh-GW'EYE
pare-uh-GWAY

Qatar: KUT-uhr

kah-TAHR

Seychelles: say-SHELL

SAY-SHELLS

Tajikistan: taj-JEEK-eh-stahn

tah-JICK-eh-stahn

Thailand: TYE-land
THIGH-land

Uruguay: yuhr-uh-GW'EYE
uhr-ah-GWAY

Uzbekistan: ooz-BEHK-eh-stahn

ooz-BEH-kis-stahn

Now you know how to pronounce the country names with confidence.

Click

What country names mean

Renamed travel destinations

English vs foreign spellings

for more pointers

Hillman Wonders site map

World's Top 100 Wonders

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