The "Game of Thrones" television series contains literally hundreds of characters, so it's a wonder any fan could remember them all — let alone memorize the correct pronunciation.
To help fans out, HBO has released lists with phonetic spellings of people and places. But apparently even HBO gets some of them wrong. George R.R. Martin, the author of the original written series "A Song of Ice and Fire," has given many interviews about characters and their stories. As one Redditor pointed out, listening to Martin talk about certain characters reveals a distinct difference between his intended names and the show's pronunciations.
Is this the end of the world? No. Is it interesting to hear how the creator of the series intended his characters' names to be pronounced? Of course! Let's take a look at the three major differences.
1. Lysa Arryn
HBO: Lysa → "Lie-zah"
Martin: Lysa → "Lee-sah"
Fans will remember Lysa Arryn as the mentally unstable sister of Catelyn Stark and brief wife of Littlefinger. On the show, her name is pronounced "Lie-sah," as if there was a "z" in her name. But in this video about Lysa and Littlefinger, Martin clearly says "Lee-sah."
2. Cersei Lannister
HBO: Cersei → "Sir-see"
Martin: Cersei → "Sir-say"
The difference between Cersei's name on the show and Martin's way of emphasizing the "say" at the end is distinct. You can hear his pronunciation in this video about Cersei's accusations against her brother Tyrion.
3. Stannis Baratheon
HBO: Stannis → "Stan-iss"
Martin: Stannis → "Stah-niss"
Almost every fan thinks of Stannis's name starting with the name "Stan" as we know it (hence the "Stannis the Mannis" nickname). But in this video, Martin curiously refers to the would-be king twice as "Stah-niss," almost as if he's putting on a bit of an accent. However, just 30 seconds later in the same video, Martin actually says "Stan-iss" — just like the show. Maybe even he isn't firm on the best way the say Stannis. We think "Stah-niss" does have a rather regal ring to it, though.
