Comments on: How to pronounce “Aung San Suu Kyi”

By: kay

kay — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:05:25 +0000

There is no way to get ‘chee’ from Kyi in English. Perhaps we should change the English letters to Chee?

By: faye

faye — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:58:19 +0000

can someone please tell me the translation of ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’ and ‘free burma’ and ‘freedom’, i cannot get the font so it would have to be in picture form

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:58:11 +0000

Is there any way you can post a recording of someone saying her name properly? I know for myself at least, that would help with getting a better feel for the pronunciation. If you can’t, it’s no big deal. Very interesting site, by the way.

By: Roser

Roser — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:08:09 +0000

Excellent your post. I had also problems, or better said, any knowledge at all about its pronunciation.
I’ve just discovered your blog which I find it very very useful. Ms Suu Kyi’s son Alexander read a beautiful speech written by her on 1992, when the olympic flame arrived to the catalan coast. I discovered her and immediately after it the brutal regime your country has.I am deeply concerned to enlarge the knowledge of everything what’s happened in your country.
All of us, we have to use our freedom to promote
Birmania’s freedom.

By: absolutelybangkok

absolutelybangkok — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:24:30 +0000

Actually the regime calls her “Daw Suu,” as U Tin Oo had once told me. Her friends refrain therefore from calling her Daw Suu.

By: ZAungZ

ZAungZ — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:00:31 +0000

It can be shortened to Daw Suu ( daw being an honorific ) if desired : this is often used by those who know her . Otherwise Ms Suu Kyi is generally accepted as opposed to Ms Aung San which is not .

By: Dan Ford

Dan Ford — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 15:25:45 +0000

Thank you! So the correct usage is to say “(Ms) Suu Kyi” (acceptable) or use the whole name “Aung San Suu Kyi” (preferred)?

By: Aung Kyaw

Aung Kyaw — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:29:26 +0000

Dan Ford:

In Burmese tradition, there are no family names or surnames. I find it strange that WSJ would refer to ASSK as Ms. Aung San, because BBC and other media sources refer to her as “Suu Kyi” or “Ms. Suu Kyi,” which is strange, but is now accepted usage.

It’s wonderful that you visited Rangoon and Taungoo in the 1980s. My father’s family comes from a small town near Taungoo.

By: Dan Ford

Dan Ford — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 10:20:24 +0000

Thank you! But one more question:

Is Aung San a family name? I see the Wall Street Journal refer to her as “Ms. Aung San”, while the less buttoned-up wire services refer to her as “Suu Kyi”. It had been my impression that Burmese had but one name. However, Wikipedia notes that Suu Kyi (if that’s an acceptable usage) had brothers, both of whose names began Aung San after their father.

Blue skies! — Dan Ford (I visited Rangoon and Toungoo in December 1986, an unforgettable experience, while researching the American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers that trained in Burma and defended Rangoon, 1941-1942)

By: william rettig

william rettig — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:31:52 +0000

thank you very much for helping me with the proper pronunciation. i have been wondering how to say her name correctly. we owe her that honor.