PDA

View Full Version : Pronouncing 'Acererak'



Dust
2010-10-31, 04:09 PM
Thread title basically sums up the question. I find myself stumbling over the demilich's name pretty constantly, and when I do manage to include all of the syllables, I end up sounding like I've got a pretty thick, slurred accent.

Is it 'Uh-kurr-urr-ak?'?

dsmiles
2010-10-31, 04:12 PM
Don't expect much response. I don't think anyone else can say it either.

Personally, I think the first syllable is more like the A sound in "apple."

thompur
2010-10-31, 04:13 PM
I always pronounced it "ah-SEHR-ur-ak".

Rixx
2010-10-31, 04:14 PM
We usually use "Ass-sir-RARE-ack"

SurlySeraph
2010-10-31, 04:16 PM
I always pronounced it "ah-SEHR-ur-ak".

This is what I go with. I doubt there's an official answer, though.

Dr Bwaa
2010-10-31, 04:19 PM
I've always assumed it was obvious. I guess not, given that no one else has said my pronunciation yet. My group says "ace-er-AIR-ak."

WinceRind
2010-10-31, 04:19 PM
Thread title basically sums up the question. I find myself stumbling over the demilich's name pretty constantly, and when I do manage to include all of the syllables, I end up sounding like I've got a pretty thick, slurred accent.

Is it 'Uh-kurr-urr-ak?'?

I say it this way:

A-see-re-rakh, with emphasis on the first a.

Moriato
2010-10-31, 04:19 PM
Acer E-rack?
Ace Re-rack?
Acre E-rake?

Just call him Bob

Unrest
2010-10-31, 04:20 PM
/ə'særəræk/ ? Second /æ/ longer than the first, and making these trilling r's helps add more menacing quality? (In normal language, try saying "a certain rack" replacing "tain" with a reduced vowel like "eh")

Just a blind guess.

arguskos
2010-10-31, 04:21 PM
This is what I go with. I doubt there's an official answer, though.
A-ha, and you'd be wrong! There is an official answer, or as close as it gets, in the Dragon Compendium (yet another reason to love that book). It's given as "a-SER-ur-@k". The @ symbol is like the "a" in "Fat".

Greensleeve
2010-10-31, 04:21 PM
Acer E-rack?
Ace Re-rack?
Acre E-rake?

Just call him Bob

Bob it is! :smallbiggrin:

Erom
2010-10-31, 04:23 PM
We usually use "Ass-sir-RARE-ack"

I agree mostly with Rixx: Ass-ser-RARE-ack

Logalmier
2010-10-31, 04:25 PM
/ə'særəræk/ ? Second /æ/ longer than the first, and making these trilling r's helps add more menacing quality? (In normal language, try saying "a certain rack" replacing "tain" with a reduced vowel like "eh")

I have no idea what you just said.:smallamused:

Edge
2010-10-31, 04:27 PM
I go with Ass-ser-ruh-rak.

Swordguy
2010-10-31, 04:27 PM
I know of at least a few TSR employees (Jon Pickens, Kim Mohan) who pronounced it:

Eh - SEHR - ur - rack

According to Jon, the first syllable could be switched out, depending on the regional dialect of the speaker, for

Ah - SEHR - ur - rack

Either was considered correct. This is consistent with a Dragon Magazine I recall, though not the offhanded issue number.

EDIT: And there we go! Compendium instead of Magazine, but still...

BobTheDog
2010-10-31, 04:43 PM
Acer E-rack?
Ace Re-rack?
Acre E-rake?

Just call him Bob


Bob it is! :smallbiggrin:

Hey, I resent that! :smallannoyed:

Being Brazilian makes it very easy to pronouce Acererak, though I doubt it sounds anything near what you USAers would use...

SurlySeraph
2010-10-31, 04:54 PM
I'm surprised no one's suggested pronouncing it "Aw-sheet-ruhn-AW-ay" yet.

Dr Bwaa
2010-10-31, 04:58 PM
/ə'særəræk/ ? Second /æ/ longer than the first, and making these trilling r's helps add more menacing quality?

This is interesting. I kind of like it, but I can't make it flow with the front-stress though :smallfrown: On the other hand, trying to did lead me to an entertaining pronunciation with all hard consonants: /əkə'rəræk/ ("uh-KURR-ur-ak")


I'm surprised no one's suggested pronouncing it "Aw-sheet-ruhn-AW-ay" yet.

That would be a fair bit more appropriate, wouldn't it?

Cahokia
2010-10-31, 05:12 PM
I personally go with ah-SEHR-err-ack.

Logalmier
2010-10-31, 05:15 PM
Aw-sheet-ruhn-AW-ay

Gesundheit.

Sometimes I feel that WoTC really needs to come out with a pronunciation guide sourcebook...

Starbuck_II
2010-10-31, 05:16 PM
Thread title basically sums up the question. I find myself stumbling over the demilich's name pretty constantly, and when I do manage to include all of the syllables, I end up sounding like I've got a pretty thick, slurred accent.

Is it 'Uh-kurr-urr-ak?'?

"Ass-re-rak" is how I do it naturally.

tahu88810
2010-10-31, 05:16 PM
"Ah-cur-err-rah-ck"

Fax Celestis
2010-10-31, 05:17 PM
"Acer-ee-rack."

Elfin
2010-10-31, 05:20 PM
I always pronounced it "ah-SEHR-ur-ak".

This is how I pronounce it as well.

Heliomance
2010-10-31, 05:21 PM
I pronounce it a'-SERR-err-ack

Mando Knight
2010-10-31, 05:22 PM
I know of at least a few TSR employees (Jon Pickens, Kim Mohan) who pronounced it:

Eh - SEHR - ur - rack

According to Jon, the first syllable could be switched out, depending on the regional dialect of the speaker, for

Ah - SEHR - ur - rack

Either was considered correct. This is consistent with a Dragon Magazine I recall, though not the offhanded issue number.

EDIT: And there we go! Compendium instead of Magazine, but still...
Huh. My gut instinct on pronouncing it was "right."

JBento
2010-10-31, 05:26 PM
My group just calls it "that sadistic bastard", though sometimes we pronounce that as "AH (as in apple)-TCHE-REH-RAHK"

Morph Bark
2010-10-31, 05:29 PM
I've always gone with "ah-SEY-REH-rak".

A c before an e is spoke like an s, after all.

Lord_Gareth
2010-10-31, 05:30 PM
I pronounce it, "You see a floating skull."

dsmiles
2010-10-31, 05:30 PM
"Aw-sheet-ruhn-AW-ay"

My new personal pronunciation. :smalltongue:

Unrest
2010-10-31, 05:34 PM
My group just calls it "that sadistic bastard", though sometimes we pronounce that as "AH (as in apple)-TCHE-REH-RAHK"

Ah, like an Italian "CH" next to "e"? I had it while playing Ragnarok Online, and pronounced the name of a mob "so-lah-cheh" (simply Solace) just for the heck of it. Then forgot to pronounce it properly during a confusing crossfire, and got the whole party killed because they didn't get what they were supposed to look out for.

The Glyphstone
2010-10-31, 06:07 PM
Ah-cer-ak. The second "er" is silent.:smallbiggrin:

Roland St. Jude
2010-10-31, 06:15 PM
Throatwobbler mangrove.

Ah-cer-ak. The second "er" is silent.:smallbiggrin:
Actually, I also treat the second "r" as silent.

"Ass-er-ack" or "Az-er-ack" (emphasis on the first syllable either way)

The Glyphstone
2010-10-31, 06:17 PM
Throatwobbler mangrove.

Actually, I also treat the second "r" as silent.

"Ass-er-ack" or "Az-er-ack" (emphasis on the first syllable either way)

Studies show: 2/2 moderators agree, WotC is bad at names!:smalltongue:

arguskos
2010-10-31, 06:20 PM
I continue to lulz at how I actually posted the official expected pronunciation, and people apparently just ignored it. :smallbiggrin:

Personally, I like that one. Makes the name appropriately unnatural and torturous to say.

Private-Prinny
2010-10-31, 06:20 PM
I've always pronounced it uh-SEH-rur-ack.

dsmiles
2010-10-31, 06:50 PM
Studies show: 2/2 moderators agree, WotC is bad at names!:smalltongue:

We needed to do a study to figure this out?

The Glyphstone
2010-10-31, 06:52 PM
We needed to do a study to figure this out?

No, but now it's official.

herrhauptmann
2010-10-31, 07:25 PM
Gesundheit.

Sometimes I feel that WoTC really needs to come out with a pronunciation guide sourcebook...

NO! BAD IDEA!!
It'll be another 40 dollar book they'll expect us to purchase just cuz they published it. Never mind just how useful/less it actually is.

AslanCross
2010-10-31, 07:35 PM
I always pronounced it "ah-SEHR-ur-ak".

This is the pronunciation I use.

dsmiles
2010-10-31, 07:37 PM
NO! BAD IDEA!!
It'll be another 40 dollar book they'll expect us to purchase just cuz they published it. Never mind just how useful/less it actually is.

Just because they build it, doesn't mean you have to come.

herrhauptmann
2010-10-31, 08:09 PM
Haven't bought any books in over a year. Have hardly even read the new ones in a year and a half. Some compulsion for the full set is not an issue, I just don't like how it feels they're expecting me to keep buying books, even if I'm happy with what I've got.
And I don't know the details, but it sounds a little like this 4.4 nonsense minimizes or invalidates (at least partially) most of what I've learned regarding 4E. Not that it matters, I'd rather poke my eyes out than play a game with any of the 4E players that I do know in town.

Oh yes,
Ass-er-rack
Ah-sir-rack

Beelzebub1111
2010-10-31, 08:13 PM
Ahs-ruh-RAAK

Thurbane
2010-10-31, 08:33 PM
One of the old, old issues of Dragon had a D&D pronounciation guide...can't remember if Acererak was in it or not...

DragonOfUndeath
2010-10-31, 08:38 PM
i pronounce it ace-ur-rack

RandomLunatic
2010-10-31, 08:44 PM
Ah-sehr-e-rack.

Or tee-pee-kay for short.

Amiel
2010-10-31, 08:46 PM
I usually pronounce it as "ohce-ri-rock"

Valameer
2010-10-31, 09:08 PM
Kudos to the people actually trying to get that second R in there. I never could.

Ass-ur-rack.

My players sometimes call him by his impolite 'nickname' when he comes up though :smallannoyed:.

Rhuadin
2010-10-31, 09:15 PM
I was at PAX, where the WotC staff pronounced it as AE-ser-ack.

It was for a spelling bee.

Xefas
2010-10-31, 09:26 PM
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad91/bluejanus/AcererakPronounciationGuide.png

Dr Bwaa
2010-10-31, 10:36 PM
holy moly it's Dexter. O_O

Lhurgyof
2010-10-31, 10:40 PM
I pronounce it as such:

A-ser-er-rack With a long A.

Keld Denar
2010-11-01, 04:31 AM
See, I always thought of him as kinda a pervert, you know, the kinda lich that takes levels in Voyeristic Seer from BoEF.

That would mean his name is pronounced: "Ah See Her Rack"

dsmiles
2010-11-01, 04:51 AM
See, I always thought of him as kinda a pervert, you know, the kinda lich that takes levels in Voyeristic Seer from BoEF.

That would mean his name is pronounced: "Ah See Her Rack"

You, sir, win the thread.

Myth
2010-11-01, 06:23 AM
Since I'm Bulgarian i have no trouble reading it without the fancy-smancy English pronounciation you guys have beaten into your heads. I read it as

A (like in apple, not Adrian)
ser (like in seraph)
er (pretty sure there's only one way to pronounce er)
ak (with a clear ck sound, not a gurgligh ch like in chisel)

one word - Acererak.

Eldan
2010-11-01, 07:34 AM
Like that Myth, but with a different first "A". can't think of an english word with a normal "a" now, so let's just say "a as in the word Duck".

Hooray for languages with sensible and consistent pronunciation rules.

Yora
2010-11-01, 07:44 AM
My group just calls it "that sadistic bastard", though sometimes we pronounce that as "AH (as in apple)-TCHE-REH-RAHK"

I support this one. But with the fuzzy nature of the english language and completely made up words, who knows? :smallbiggrin: