College Wicca
Word Pronunciations
Have you ever looked at a word and wondered how it was pronounced, but no one was around to tell you? You're not alone! These are some of the most common words you'll run across and have troubles with. This is how I pronounce these particular words (yup, that's the voice of Yours Truly! EEK!), so if you run across someone who pronounces them differently, neither I nor the other person are completely wrong. You must account for the fact of the spelling, the tradition, the location of where the word originated, and the location where it's being spoken. I heard these words pronounced this way, so that's how I picked them up, not just by making up the pronounciation. You may also want to take into account a slight accent on my part. (Born and raised in the Southern United States, with a Parisian twist. *g*) If you choose to pronounce them differently, no one will probably mind, but I believe these are the generally accepted versions of the words in America.

Note: I did not include any deity names because you can fill mega-site's worth of memory simply by doing pantheons! If you have any other words you'd like to see, and if I have the memory, be sure to e-mail me and I will try to put them on here.

Athame: This is one of the first words people have problems with. No, it's not pronounced like "A-frame" even though some other versions are accepted.

Besom: The magickal broom...it can be pronounced with a hard "S" or with a soft "S" ("Z" sound).

Boline: You probably won't hear this one often...some traditions require it, but not always. I've heard it as "Bowl-in" and "Bowl-een."

Celtic: This one's for the girls I saw in Wicks 'n' Sticks and Brentano's Bookstore. It's pronounced with a hard "C" ("Keltic") not "Seltic"! That's the basketball team! *grin*

Coven: Pronounced like "oven" with a "K" sound attached to it, not "Coh-ven."

Deosil: I've heard this one as both, "Day-o-sil" and "Dee-o-sil." For the record, Silver Ravenwolf has it written as being pronounced "Jezz-il"

Esbat: This one has either a hard "S" or a "Z" sound, depending on how you speak.

Qabala (Kaballah, Cabala): Here's another you won't find often unless you're Alexandiran or into Ceremonial Magick. There are many spellings, but they're all pronounced approximately the same.

Sabbat: I threw this one in there for the heck of it. You never know how others will pronounce it, so this is one way.

Sidhe: The Sidhe are a type of faerie...you may see "Beansidhe" as well, but that's the same as "Banshee." Take off the "Bean" (pronounced "Ban") and you have the Sidhe!

Talisman: Pronounced like it's spelled, but I had troubles with this one when I was younger.

Tarot: This is for a girl I know who always pronounced the "T" on the end, even after you repeated the correct form after her. Here's to you, Em!

Widdershins: This is also pronounced like it's spelled, but it can be confusing. It's "Wid-der-shins."

Zephyr: Ah, the West Wind of Greek and Roman myth! This is for 'Manda...it's a name I used a long time ago, too!

Holidays: In alphabetical order, not chronological order:

Bealtaine: An alternate, not often used pronunciation. You'll find it used like this in Britain more than in America.

Beltane: This is the more popular spelling and pronunciation found in America. Neither is incorrect.

Imbolc: You may also see Imbolc spelled "Imbolg." It can either end with the hard "G" sound, the hard "C" sound, or end silently with the "L" as in "Im-boll." For the record, I've heard others pronounce it "Eew-milk."

Lammas: Another, easier word for Lughnasadh! :) (Note: I've been an idiot and didn't notice the mistake here for a long darn time..."Litha" is another word for Summer Solstice or Midsummer! I think I have too many pages to keep up with sometimes!)

Lughnasadh: I've seen this spelled in different ways, as well. It generally sounds like "Loo-nah-sar" but I've also heard it "Loo-nas-ah."

Mabon: This is generally easy...though it's pronounced "May-bun" rather than "Mah-boon."

Ostara: Think "Easter" when you pronounce this one...it's where we get the word "Easter," anyway!

Samhain: This is a common pronunciation, though you may also hear it as "Sow-een," or "Sah-veen," depending on who you hear it from.

Yule: Not too hard, but it couldn't be left out! :)


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