Comprehensive Pronunciation Guide for Lectors (Year A)

Source: "A Lector's Guide and Commentary to the Revised Common Lectionary" (pp. 446-450) by J. Ted Blakley

When a lectionary reading contains names or words that are potentially unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce, phonetic pronunciations are provided in the Pronunciation Guide for each reading just after the Suggestions for Lectors. The following Comprehensive Pronunciation Guide contains pronunciations for all the names that occur in Year A readings and the names of all biblical books, regardless of their difficulty. 

A 
Aaron  (AIR-uhn)
Abba  (AH-buh)
Abel-meholah  (AY-buhl-mih-HOH-lah; AY-buhl-muh-HOH-lah)
Abinadab  (uh-BIN-uh-dab)
Abinoam  (uh-BIN-oh-am;
ab-ih-NOH-am)
Abraham  (AY-bruh-ham)
Abram  (AY-bruhm)
Achaia  (uh-KAY-yuh; -uh)
Adam  (AD-uhm)
Ahaz  (AY-haz)
Ai  (Ī; AY-ī)
Alas  (uh-LAS)
Alphaeus  (al-FEE-uhs)
Amorite  (AM-or-īt)
Amos  (AY-muhs)
Amoz  (AY-moz)
Andrew  (AN-droo)
Annas  (AN-uhs)
Apollos  (uh-POL-uhs; -ohs)
apostle  (uh-PAH-suhl)
Arabah  (AR-uh-buh; AIR-uh-bah)
Arab  (AIR-uhb)
Aram  (AIR-uhm)
Aramean  (air'-uh-MEE-uhn)
Archelaus  (ahr'-kuh-LAY-uhs)
Areopagus  (air'-ee-OP-uh-guhs)
Arimathea  (air'-uh-muh-THEE-uh)
Asia  (AY-zhuh)
Assyria  (uh-SIHR-ee-uh)
Athenian  (uh-THEE-nee-uhn; -nyuhn)
Augustus  (uh-GUHS-tuhs; aw-)

B
Baal  (BAY-uhl)
Babel  (BA-buhl; BAY-buhl)
Babylon  (BA-buh-lon'; -luhn)
Balaam  (BAY-luhm)
Balak  (BAY-lak)
Barabbas  (bah-RA-buhs; bahr-AB-uhs)
Barak  (buh-RAHK; BAIR-uhk)
Bartholomew  (bahr-THOL-uh-myoo)
Baruch  (bah-ROOK)
Beelzebul  (bee-EL-zih-buhl; -zuh-)
Beer-lahairoi  (beer'-luh-HĪ-roy; bihr'-)
Beer-sheba  (beer'-SHEE-buh; bihr'-)
beloved  (buh-LUV-uhd)
Benjamin  (BEN-juh-min)
Beor  (BEE-or)
Bethany  (BETH-uh-nee)
Bethel  (BETH-uhl)
Bethlehem  (BETH-luh-hem')
Bethlehemite  (BETH-lih-hem-īt;
BETH-lih-heh-mīt)
Beth-peor  (beth-PEE-or)
Bethphage  (BETH-fuh-jee; BETH-fayj)
Bethuel  (buh-THOO-uhl)
Bilhah  (BIL-hah)
bitumen  (bih-TOO-muhn; -tyoo-)
blessed  (adj., two syllables; BLES-id)
blessed  (vb., one syllable; BLEST)
brier  (BRĪ-er)
bulrush  (BOOL-ruhsh)

C 
Caesarea  (ses'-uh-REE-uh; sez'-; seez'-)
Caiaphas  (KĪ-uh-fuhs; KAY-uh-fuhs)
Canaan  (KAY-nuhn)
Canaanite  (KAY-nuh-nīt)
Cananaean  (kay-nuh-NEE-uhn)
Capernaum  (kuh-PER-nay-uhm; -nuh-)
Cappadocia  (kap'-uh-DOH-shuh)
Carmel  (KAHR-muhl; KAHR-mel)
centurion  (sen-CHUR-ee-uhn)
Cephas  (SEE-phus)
Chloe  (KLOH-ee)
Christ  (KRĪST)
Clement  (KLEM-uhnt)
Cleopas  (KLEE-oh-puhs)
Clopas  (KLOH-puhs)
cohort  (KOH-hawrt)
Colossians  (kuh-LOSH-uhnz)
Corinth  (KOR-inth; KAHR-inth;
not koh-RINTH)
Corinthians  (kuh-RIN-thee-uhnz)
Cretan  (KREET-uhn)
Crispus  (KRIS-puhs)
crocus  (KROH-kuhs)
cubit  (KYOO-buht)
cypress  (SĪ-pruhs)
Cyrene  (sī-REE-nee; not sī-REEN)
Cyrus  (SĪ-ruhs)

D 
Damascus  (duh-MAS-kuhs)
Dan  (DAN)
David  (DAY-vid)
Deborah  (DEB-uh-ruh; DEB-ruh)
denarius  (dih-NAIR-ee-uhs)
Deuteronomy  (doo'-tuh-RON-uh-mee)
Dothan  (DOH-thuhn)

E 
Ecclesiastes  (e-klee'-zee-AS-teez)
Eden  (EE-duhn; EE-duhn)
Edom  (EE-duhm)
Egypt  (EE-jipt)
Egyptian  (ih-JIP-shuhn; ee-JIP-shuhn)
Ehud  (EE-huhd)
Elam  (EE-luhm)
Elamite  (EE-luh-mīt)
Eldad  (EL-dad)
Eli, Eli,…  (AY-lee, AY-lee,…)
Eliab  (ee-LĪ-uhb)
Elijah  (ee-LĪ-juh; ih-LĪ-juh)
Elisha  (ee-LĪ-shuh; ih-LĪ-shuh)
Emmanuel  (ih-MAN-yoo-el)
Emmaus  (eh-MAY-uhs; ih-MAY-uhs)
Ephah  (EE-fah)
Ephesians  (eh-FEE-zhuhnz; ih-)
Ephraim  (EE-free-uhm)
Esau  (EE-saw)
Ethiopia  (ee'-thee-OH-pee-uh)
Euodia  (yoo-OH-dee-uh)
Euphrates  (yoo-FRAY-teez)
Exodus  (EK-suh-duhs)
Ezekiel  (ee-ZEE-kee-uhl;
ee-ZEE-kyuhl)
Ezra  (EZ-ruh)

F 
frankincense  (FRANG-kin-sens)

G 
Gabbatha  (GAB-uh-thuh)
Gaius  (GI-uhs; GAY-uhs)
Galatians  (guh-LAY-shuhnz)
Galilean  (gal'-uh-LEE-uhn)
Galilee  (GAL-uh-lee)
Genesis  (JEN-uh-sis)
Gentile  (JEN-tīl)
Gethsemane  (geth-SEM-uh-nee;  geth-SEH-muh-nee)
Gibeon  (GIB-ee-uhn)
Gilead  (GIL-ee-uhd)
Gilgal  (GIL-gal)
Girgashite  (GER-guh-shīt)
Golgotha  (GOL-guh-thuh;
gol-GOTH-uh)
Gomorrah  (guh-MOR-uh)
Goshen  (GOH-shuhn)
Greek  (GREEK)

H 
Habakkuk  (huh-BAK-uhk)
Hades  (HAY-deez)
Haggai  (HAG-ī; HAG-ee-ī)
Hagar  (HAY-gahr)
Ham  (HAM)
Hamath  (HAY-math; -muth)
Hananiah  (han'-uh-NĪ-uh)
Haran  (person, HAY-ruhn)
Haran  (city, huh-RAHN)
Harosheth-ha-goiim  (hah-ROH-shuhth hah-GOI-eem)
Hazael  (HA-zuh-el')
Hazor  (HAY-zohr)
Hebrew  (HEE-broo)
Hebrews  (HEE-brooz)
Hebron  (HEE-bruhn; HEE-bron)
Herod  (HAIR-uhd)
Herodian  (hih-ROH-dee-uhn)
Hittite  (HIH-tīt)
Hivite  (HIV-vīt)
Ho  (HOH)
Horeb  (HOR-uhb; HOH-reb)
Hosanna  (hoh-ZAN-nuh; -ZAHN-)
Hosea  (hoh-ZAY-uh)
Hur  (HER)

I 
Immanuel  (ih-MAN-yoo-el)
irrevocable  (ih-REV-uh-kuh-buhl)
Isaac  (Ī-zik)
Isaiah  (ī-ZAY-uh)
Iscariot  (is-KAIR-ee-uht)
Ishmaelite  (ISH-may-el-īt)
Israel  (IZ-ree-uhl; IZ-ray-uhl)
Israelite  (IZ-ree-līt)

J 
Jabbok  (JAB-uhk)
Jabin  (JAY-bin)
Jacob  (JAY-kuhb)
James  (JAYMZ)
Japheth  (JAY-fuhth)
Jebusite  (JEB-yoo-sīt; JEB-yuh-sīt)
Jehu  (JEE-hoo)
Jeremiah  (jair'-uh-MĪ-uh)
Jericho  (JAIR-ih-koh; JAIR-uh-koh)
Jerusalem  (juh-ROO-suh-luhm)
Jesse  (JES-ee)
Jesus  (JEE-zuhs)
Jethro  (JETH-roh)
Jew  (JOO)
Job  (JOHB; not JAWB)
Joel  (JOH-uhl; JOHL)
John  (JAHN; JON)
Jonah  (JOH-nuh)
Jordan  (JOR-duhn)
Joseph  (JOH-sif; JOH-suhf)
Joshua  (JOSH-yoo-uh)
Judah  (JOO-duh)
Judas  (JOO-duhs)
Jude  (JOOD)
Judea  (joo-DEE-uh; joo-DAY-uh)

K 
Kedesh  (KEE-desh)
Kidron  (KID-rahn; KID-ruhn)
Kishon  (KĪ-shon; KISH-on)

L 
Lamentations  (lam'-uhn-TAY-shuhns)
Laban  (LAY-buhn)
Lappidoth  (LAP-ih-doth)
Lazarus  (LAZ-uh-ruhs)
Leah  (LEE-uh)
Lebanon  (LEB-uh-nuhn; -non')
lema  (LAY-muh)
lentil  (LEN-til; LEN-tuhl)
Levi  (LEE-vī)
Levite  (LEE-vīt)
Leviticus  (luh-VIT-ih-kuhs)
Libya  (LIB-ee-uh; LIB-yuh)
lintel  (LIN-tuhl)
Lo  (LOH)
Lot  (LOT)
Luke  (LOOK)

M 
Macedonia  (mas'-uh-DOHN-ee-uh)
Magdalene  (MAG-duh-leen; -lee-nuh)
Malachi  (MAL-uh-kī)
Malchus  (MAL-kuhs)
Mamre  (MAM-ree; MAM-ruh)
Manasseh  (muh-NA-suh)
Mark  (MAHRK)
Martha  (MAHR-thuh)
Mary  (MAIR-ee)
Massah  (MAS-uh)
Matthew  (MATH-yoo)
Medad  (MEE-dad)
Medes  (MEEDZ)
Meribah  (MER-ih-buh)
Mesopotamia   (mes'-oh-puh-TAY-mee-uh)
Messiah  (muh-SĪ-uh)
Micah  (MĪ-kuh)
Midian  (MID-ee-uhn)
Midianite  (MID-ee-uh-nīt')
Milcah  (MIL-kuh)
Miriam  (MIR-ee-uhm)
Moab  (MOH-ab)
Moreh  (MOH-ray; MOR-eh)
Moriah  (moh-RĪ-uh)
Moses  (MOH-zuhs)
myrrh  (MER)
myrtle  (MER-tuhl)

N 
Nahor  (NAY-hor)
Nahum  (NAY-uhm)
Naphtali  (NAF-tuh-lī)
Nazareth  (NAZ-uh-reth; not -rus)
Nazorean  (NAZ-or-ee-uhn)
Nebo  (NEE-boh)
Negeb  (NEG-eb; NEH-geb')
Nehemiah  (nee'-uh-MĪ-uh)
Nicodemus  (nik'-uh-DEE-muhs)
Nile  (NĪL)
Nimshi  (NIM-shī)
Nineveh  (NIN-uh-vuh)
Ninevite  (NIN-uh-vīt')
Noah  (NOH-uh)
Nun  (NUN)

O 
Obadiah  (oh'-buh-DĪ-uh)
Olives  (OL-ihvz)
Olivet  (OL-ih-vet)

P 
Paddan-aram  (PAD-uhn-AIR-uhm; PAD-uhn-AY-ram)
Pamphylia  (pam-FIL-ee-uh)
papyrus  (puh-PĪ-ruhs)
Paran  (pah-RAN; PAY-ran)
Parthian  (PAHR-thee-uhn)
paschal  (PAS-kuhl)
Pathros  (PATH-ros)
Paul  (PAWL)
Peniel  (puh-NĪ-uhl)
Pentecost  (PEN-tuh-kost)
Penuel  (pen-YOO-uhl)
Perizzite  (PAIR-uh-zīt; PER-)
Peter  (PEE-ter)
Pharaoh  (FAY-roh; FAIR-oh)
Pharisee  (FAIR-uh-see)
Philemon  (fī-LEE-muhn)
Philip  (FIL-ip)
Philippi  (FIL-uh-pī; fih-LIP-ī)
Philippians  (fih-LIH-pee-uhns)
Phrygia  (FRIHJ-ee-uh)
phylactery  (fih'-LAK-tuh-ree; fuh-)
Pilate  (PĪ-luht)
Pisgah  (PIZ-gah)
Pithom  (PĪ-thom)
Pontius  (PON-chuhs; -shuhs; -tee-uhs)
Pontus  (PON-tuhs)
prophecy  (n., PRAH-fuh-see)
prophesy  (vb., PRAH-fuh-sī)
proselyte  (PRAH-suh-līt)
Puah  (PYOO-uh; POO-uh)
Proverbs  (PRAH-verbz)
Psalm  (SAHLM)

Q 
Quirinius  (kwih-RIN-ee-uhs; kwuh-)

R 
rabbi  (RAB-bī)
Rabbouni  (rab-BOH-nī; -nee)
Rachel  (RAY-chuhl)
Ramah  (RAY-muh)
Rameses  (RAM-uh-seez')
Rebekah  (rih-BEK-uh)
Rephidim  (REF-uh-dim)
Reuben  (ROO-bin)
Revelation  (rev'-uh-LAY-shuhn;  not Revelations)
Romans  (ROH-muhnz)
Rome  (ROHM)
Ruth  (ROOTH)

S 
sabachthani  (sah-bahk-TAH-nee;
suh-BAK-thuh-nī)
sabbath  (SAB-uhth)
Sadducee  (SAJ-uh-see; SAD-yoo-see)
Samaria  (suh-MAIR-ee-uh)
Samaritan  (suh-MAIR-uh-tuhn)
Samuel  (SAM-yoo-uhl; SAM-yuhl)
Sarah  (SAIR-uh)
Sarai  (SAIR-ī)
Satan  (SAY-tuhn)
Saul  (SAWL; rhymes with Paul)
sentinel  (SEN-tuhn-uhl)
Shammah  (SHAM-uh)
Shaphat  (SHAY-fat)
Sharon  (SHAIR-uhn)
Sheba  (SHE-buh)
Shechem  (SHEH-kem; SHEE-kuhm)
Shem  (SHEM)
Sheol  (SHEE-ohl)
Shinar  (SHĪ-nahr)
Shiphrah  (SHIF-rah; ruh)
Shittim  (SHIT-ihm)
Sidon  (SĪ-duhn)
Siloam  (sih-LOH-uhm; suh-LOH-uhm)
Silvanus  (sil-VAY-nuhs)
Simon  (SĪ-muhn)
Sin  (SIN)
Sinai  (SĪ-nī; SĪ-nee-ī)
Sirach  (SĪ-rak)
Sisera  (SIS-uh-ruh)
Sodom  (SOD-uhm)
Solomon  (SAH-luh-muhn; SOL-uh-)
Sosthenes  (SOS-thuh-neez)
Stephanas  (STEF-uh-nuhs)
Stephen  (STEE-vuhn)
Sychar  (SĪ-kahr)
Syene  (sī-EE-nee)
Syntyche  (SIN-tih-kee)
Syria  (SIHR-ee-uh)

T 
Tabor  (TAY-buhr; TAY-bor')
Tarshish  (TAHR-shish)
Terah  (TER-uh; TEE-ruh)
Thaddaeus  (THAD-ee-uhs;
tha-DEE-uhs)
Theophilus  (thee-OFF-ih-luhs)
Thessalonians  (thes'-uh-LOH-nee-uhnz)
Thomas  (TOM-uhs)
Timothy  (TIM-uh-thee; -oh-)
Titus  (TĪ-tuhs)
Tyre  (TĪR)

W 
Wadi  (WAH-dee)

Z
Zarethan  (ZAIR-uh-than)
Zealot  (ZEL-uht)
Zebedee  (ZEB-uh-dee)
Zebulun  (ZEB-yuh-luhn; -yoo-)
Zechariah  (zek'-uh-RĪ-uh)
Zephaniah  (zef '-uh-NĪ-uh)
Zilpah  (ZIL-puh)
Zion  (ZĪ-uhn)
Zoar  (ZOH-ahr)