History Main / TheUnpronounceable

* ''Anime/BeastWarsNeo'': Rartorata, one of the servants of Unicron. Not so much in-universe, but out of it... yes. The Transformers Wiki has an absolute field-day making fun of it.

* In the 2007 ''{{Film/Transformers}}'' movie, nobody can get the name "Witwicky" right. This is not a "funny foreign last name" thing, either, as they're portrayed as a fairly "normal" American family.

** ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': Mr. Mxyzptlk from the fifth-dimensional land of Zrfff would be on this page, if it weren't for the fact that we're given a good pronunciation for his name (and, as a result, a good way to tell how to pronounce any name that's all consonants.) The pronunciations usually given are "Mix-pih-tulk" or "Mixxie-plik". (Note that "y" is a vowel in some languages such as french.) In order to make him go away, you have to get him to say his name BACKWARDS. Oddly enough, there was a second version of his name — the original spelling was "Mxyz'''tp'''lk," which was eventually {{retcon}}ned into a second entity entirely. In [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Superman:_The_Ultimate_Guide_to_the_Man_of_Steel Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel]] they gave a pronunciation guide of "Mix-yez-pitl-ick," which likely can be considered the official [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] pronunciation.

** Franchise/TheFlash fought an evil alien computer program called Kilg%re (the official pronunciation is given as 'Kilgiear').
** ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]: The "gremlins" language and name do not really work for human pronuciation, so they're fine with being called gremlins and being given nicknames. "Glitch's" attempt to say his species name so some kids can understand ends up rendered L:fh'gsftgyyf#d.

* The eponymous Predator from ''[[Fanfic/PeterChimaerasDigimonTrilogy Digimon 3: Predator vs. Digimon]]'' introduces himself as Krlrkak. Most dramatic readings on Website/YouTube have trouble pronouncing it, while a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx1EMt_16bo film adaptation]] made in Garry's Mod makes the character himself having trouble pronouncing it, needing multiple takes to do so.
* ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'': Marik can't pronounce the name of [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Akhnaten/Akunadan/Just Forget It]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 (Hakuna Matata?)]]. He eventually decides to just call him "Bob".

* [[Wrestling/{{Aksana}} Former WWE Diva Aksana]]'s real name is Živilė Raudonienė. The Other Wiki doesn't even ''try'' to pronounce it.

* Detective Randall from ''WebAnimation/TheLazerCollection'' is made out the way, with his superior and a helicopter pilot trying and deciding to just call him Detective Randall. [[spoiler:It's revealed that his full name is Randall Octogonapus, as in [[LukeIAmYourFather the son of]] [[BigBad Doctor Octogonapus]]]].

* C'thulu, in the [[http://youtu.be/-DsgZ4JXXB8 first episode]] of the Website/YouTube series ''WebVideo/CallsForCthulhu'', refuses to help a caller pronounce his name.

* In the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' episode of The Completionist, neither Jirard or Greg can pronounce Agahnim. So they decide to call him [[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} Agrabah]].

-->'''WebVideo/HonestTrailers Narrator:''' Prepare yourselves for the most over-the-top Website/YouTube trailer for the channel that nobody knows how to pronounce. Introducing Muscle-K. ...moose, Moose-cleh. Moose-click? Missile launch? ''[groans]'' Who cares, it's a dumb name anyway.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' episode "Twisted Sister" the girls name their new sister Bunny after being unable to pronounce her mumbles.

See also PunctuationShaker and WordPureeTitle. Can lead to SpecialPersonNormalName. Can often cause ViewerPronunciationConfusion. Compare SomeCallMeTim and MyNameIsQuestionMarks.

See also PunctuationShaker and WordPureeTitle. Can often cause ViewerPronunciationConfusion. Compare SomeCallMeTim and MyNameIsQuestionMarks.

* ''Webcomic/{{Tamuran}}'': The Tree Creatures tend to have names that are this. Ex: Hhr’skhygh

* In ''Webcomic/AtomicRobo'', Doctor Dinosaur's real name is H'ssssk. This is yet another reason for Robo to slam his head into the wall while talking to him.

* The Japanese title of the fourth and final film in the ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' series is ''Shin Evangelion Gekijōban:𝄂''. No official Japanese pronunciation has so far been given for the symbol at the end, which is a symbol in musical notation that essentially means "Go back to the beginning and play the whole piece again". The official English release changes the title to ''Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.''.

* Greek-born NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo is often called "the Greek Freak" by English speaking fans. His Chinese fans ([[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff the NBA is huge in China]]) use the nickname 字母哥, which means something like "Alphabet Dude".

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/GastroPhobia https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/krphxywlps_2132.png]]]]

* In ''Webcomic/GastroPhobia'', there is the netherbeast called Krphxyzwlps. [[http://gastrophobia.com/index.php?date=2013-08-21 A whole comic is solely about Phobia's efforts to pronounce it,]] as seen pictured above. The about page now adresses this, saying it's pronounced as Ker-fixy-whelps (the z is silent).

** From ''Recap/StartOfDarkness'' there is a lizardman (that [[TheNicknamer Xykon]] calls "Scaly") who informs Xykon that his name is "Ekdysdioksosiirwo, Viridian lord of--" at which point the sorcerer zaps him with lightning, saying that it is too long to remember. This is what prompts Redcloak to give fake names for himself (Redcloak, of course) [[spoiler:and his younger brother, Right-Eye]].

* ''Film/{{Paddington2014}}'': Paddington's real name is a sort of roaring noise that humans can't manage. Mr Brown's attempt gets an InformedObscenity reaction from Paddington. Hilariously Paddington is seen giving Judy lessons in bear language and she's rather adept at it.

* ''Film/{{Paddington}}'''s real name is a sort of roaring noise that humans can't manage. Mr Brown's attempt gets an InformedObscenity reaction from Paddington. Hilariously Paddington is seen giving Judy lessons in bear language and she's rather adept at it.

** UsefulNotes/{{Wales}} is often the butt of jokes for how "unpronounceable" the language appears to be, some of the classics coming from such comedies as ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' or ''Series/RedDwarf''. A famous place in Wales is known by the name [=LlanfairPG=] or Llanfairpwyll. The full name looks like [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_longest_railway_sign.jpg this]].[[note]]The full name is a marketing tool, the reason it's known as [=LlanfairPG=] is because it's original name is Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll[[/note]]. {{Defied|Trope}} by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHxO0UdpoxM this British weatherman]], who stunned everyone by actually pronouncing the full name properly on live TV (even native Welsh speakers can have a tough time with this name).

*** Creator/SaoirseRonan's first name is a commonly joked about example of this trope. It's actually not difficult once you know the pronunciation[[note]]Seer-sha or Sur-sha - she uses the latter thanks to her Dublin accent, the former is more usual. It means "freedom".[[/note]] but good luck figuring that out from the spelling unless you already know the Irish diphthong "aoi" is pronounced "ee".

* ''LightNovel/MonsterGirlDoctor'': Sphwllympf is the real name of the SlimeGirl nurse working at the central hospital. Since non-slimes found it impossible to pronounce, she instead uses the nickname she got in medical school due to her favorite food, Lime.
* ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'': The title character calls herself [[Franchise/CthulhuMythos Nyarlathotep]] and [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname goes by Nyarko]], but her real name can't be spoken by human tongues. Even being able to comprehend her name is an incredible feat, one that would grant the person in question incredible insight into her being and bring them closer together.

* In ''ComicBook/TheBadger'', the full name of the Badger's ally Ham the Weather Wizard is Hammaglystwythkbrngxxaxolotl. This name is intended as, not alien, but fourth-century Welsh.
* In ''ComicBook/FallOfCthulhu'', one of the gods speaks his name to a human, and this is represented with a jet-black speech bubble and "wind" coming from behind the god. (As for the human who heard it, he [[BlackSpeech goes into the fetal position and cries]].)
* In ''Halo and Sprocket'', Katie and Sprocket convince Halo (an angel) to tell them his real name. Cue a page of kaleidoscopic images followed by the two of them unconscious on the floor "..but you can continue to call me 'Halo' if you wish."

* When Buffy asks a fairy who she is in issue 5 of ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' season 9, she answers Buffy couldn't pronounce her name.
-->'''Fairy:''' [[PsychicDreamsForEveryone Even on this side of dreaming]].
* ''ComicBook/TheSimpsons'': One issue deals with a country somewhere in Eastern Europe with a name no-one, not Bart, not Lisa, not U.S. Senators or Secret Servicemen seem able to pronounce. The last two make a valiant effort, at least ("I think that's a glottal stop..."), until eventually deciding [[SureLetsGoWithThat to go with]] "Kahkf" (Inspired by Bart choking after being strangled by Lisa for [[ItMakesSenseInContext ruining said country's economy]]).
* ''ComicBook/{{Copperhead}}'': a mild case with Budroxifinicus, who is dubbed Boo by Zeke and Clara within seconds of meeting him. No one else seems to have trouble with his name at all.

* The Hebrew theonym "יהוה‎" (often transliterated as "[[{{God}} YHWH]]"[[note]]Yodh "Y, I, J, or a vowel"; He "H, silent, or a vowel"; and Waw "W, V, or a vowel". The name may be derived from a verb that means "to be", "to exist", "to cause to become", or "to come to pass".[[/note]] in Latin letters), also known as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetragrammaton Tetragrammaton]], is not pronounceable in present days, as the original pronunciation was lost. The closest pronunciations people can come up with are "Yehweh", "Yehovah" or "Jehovah". Jewish tradition also forbids the others from [[IKnowYourTrueName misusing his name]].
** Although the name of the Jewish God is written as YHWH (which looks unpronounceable) that's due to it being a literal transliteration of the name from Hebrew, where it is written without vowels. This doesn't mean there ''are'' no vowels, just that they aren't shown (which is done often in Hebrew; vowel marks weren't added to the written language until the 9th century). However, God may have much longer mystical names (depending on the religious theories and interpretations) of up to seventy-two letters which have been lost at this point; these might fall into this trope.

** Also, it is actually forbidden to Orthodox Jews to pronounce God's real name. When reading the Torah (which is done aloud), one just replaces it with "adonai" meaning Lord (which is translated as all caps "[[CapsLock LORD]]" in some versions of Literature/TheBible, notably King James Version). This is the source of the word Yehovah, reading YHWH with the vowels from adonai. Filter this through French to get Jehovah, a pronunciation [[HollywoodJehovahsWitness witnessed at front doors worldwide]].
** In ''Literature/BookOfExodus'', God refers his name as "[[IAmWhatIAm I am who I am]]", which matches the above description.

Names which aren't even ''comprehensible'' are usually reserved for particularly {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, or the [[StarfishAliens REALLY seriously alien]].

* Franchise/TheDCU:

** Also technically, Mr. Mxyzptlk would be on this page, if it weren't for the fact that we're given a good pronunciation for his name (and, as a result, a good way to tell how to pronounce any name that's all consonants.) The pronunciations usually given are "Mix-pih-tulk" or "Mixxie-plik". (Note that "y" is a vowel in some languages such as french.)
*** In post-1986 continuity, "Mxyzptlk" is no longer his actual name. His real name is literally unpronounceable by humans (or, apparently, Kryptonians) so when he made his debut, he came up with a more human-friendly handle by conjuring up a giant typewriter and hitting the keys at random.
*** And to make things worse, in order to make him go away, you have to get him to say his name BACKWARDS.
*** Oddly enough, there was a second version of his name — the original spelling was "Mxyz'''tp'''lk," which was eventually {{retcon}}ned into a second entity entirely.
*** In [[http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Superman:_The_Ultimate_Guide_to_the_Man_of_Steel Superman: The Ultimate Guide to the Man of Steel]] they gave a pronunciation guide of "Mix-yez-pitl-ick," which likely can be considered the official [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] pronunciation.
*** And the backwards version is "Kel-tip-zex-im."
*** In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Clark sees the name and initially uses the "Mixxie-plik" pronunciation, only for Mxy to show up and give him the simpler way to remember it as "Mix-Yeez-Spit-Lick"

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'''s [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/drclef-member-page Dr. Clef]], who "maintains that its true name is that of an A major chord played on a ukelele."

* There is a Russian urban legend that some English speaker made a bet with a Russian that he will Russian faster than the latter will learn English. When the time came to check, the English speaker was indeed in the lead... but then the Russian told him to read out the sentence "Bereg byl pokryt vykarabkivayushimis'a iz vody l'agushkami" (the coast was covered with frogs climbing out of the water). He came to the fourth word and... well, the punchline is "he's still trying to ''climb out of'' that phrase".

See also PunctuationShaker and WordPureeTitle. Compare NoPronunciationGuide, SomeCallMeTim and MyNameIsQuestionMarks.

* When the Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld became Secretary-General of the UN he told reporters that it was OK for English-speakers who had problems pronouncing his name to use the direct translation of it and simply call him "Mr. Hammershield." For reference, it's pronounced "HA-mur-hweld", according to [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Sv-Dag_Hammarskj%C3%B6ld.ogg here]].

** [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] gives that track's name as (ΔMī¹=αΣDi[n][ΣFij[n-1]+Fexti[n̄¹]]).

* Music/PearlJam's song "[[color:red:●]]". [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] says it's read as "The Color Red". iTunes says "Red Bar". Sporcle's quiz on Pearl Jam's songs accepts "Dot".