How Do You Pronounce It?

core-lee-own

OR

core-uh-lee-knee

My choice went for this pronunciation.

I've tried to listen to how they pronounce it in the movie, but it even varies among Corleone family members. I've heard Michael say "Cor-le-own" and Tom say "Core-uh-lee-knee."

I think as long as you don't pronounce it like Senator Geary did, you'll be ok.

It really depends on whether it's the american way or the italian way.

I really think DC is right. The Italian way would be with the "nee" at the end. Perhaps Vito went with Cor-le-own so it wouldn't sound so Italian, and felt it would give him more of a chance to be successful in America.


TIS

I always liked Senator Geary's way. "Cor-lee-on"

i pronounce it core-lee-own,but i've always had that question too. even between the family the pronunciation varies

I've never heard anyone say cor-uh-lee-knee. There's Core-lee-own, and core-lee-own-ee but nothing else that I have noticed. It seems that Core-lee-own is the most commonly said, but Core-lee-own-ee is used most often after the word Don, when refering to Vito. (Don Core-lee-own-ee)

As JGeoff would say...

WTF..???
(...and you can pronounce that any way you like)

It is pronounced the way everyone pronounces it throughout the films - except for Sen. Geary and that other Senator doing the questionning at the hearings - both of whose intentions are quite apparent.

Can't believe there's actually a poll over this.

Apple

there was one about are sexual preferences. I forgot who started that...


in my opinion, it's neither of the two choices because you fonetically misspelled one.

cor-uh-lee-knee (ends with a leenee sound???) must bee cor-lee-oh-knee (Geary style)

I prefer an authentic, Italian pronounciation

cor-lay-oh-nay

I remember that poll. Even there though, people could post their preference. In this one...all you have to do is watch the movies and hear how the name is pronounced, by those who know how. It doesn't really appear to be open to 'opinion', (though on second thought many seem to be getting it wrong anyway).

Incidentally....'cor-lay-oh-nay' is pretty much the way it's pronounced by Sen. Geary, when he's being sarcastic with Michael. So I'm not sure how that would make it the "...authentic, Italian pronounciation..." For that, just watch the scene where Vito returns to Italy to pay back Don Ciccio...

Apple

I confused the two versions...you're right


but anything ending with the eee sound (the English pronounciation) is my least favorite.

in Italy, it's corlayoh-nay, but they lived in America where it's spelled corlayohnee


the first one is the authentic one, indeed the Geary one (sorry for the misunderstanding)

in fact NOT Geary style

some of these pronunciations i've never heard....

i like the more italian way....core-lee-own-nay (nee)....i don't know how to write that last sound without an accent mark. anyway, sounds more powerful and more authentic. i figure in america they eased the pronunciation a bit. i like when the settings of the movies are in italy....how the natives pronounce the names. it sounds so much cooler to me.

i would have to go with 'cor-lay-O-nay,' as if that doesn't confuse things even more.

Mary in the Godfather III pronounces it "the Vito Cor-lee-own Foundation". Just my 2 cents!

she was of course heavily Americanized

Cor-lee-owe-neh - Authentic Italian/Sicilian (Not a strong -nay sound, but a short eh sound).

Cor-lee-owe-nee - Mispronounced. But being in America will do that.

Cor-lee-own - Americanized/English version. TIS is probably right, to make is sound less European, intentional or not. This is what the immigration officer called him, so I guess it stuck.

Cor-lee-on - Geary screwing it up on purpose, so no one suspects he and Michael have ties. He also calls Kay by the wrong name for the same reason. Later, when Geary's in Michael's office, he pronounces it correctly -- yet exaggerated -- so we know Geary and Michael have known each other.

the second part, the le from Corleone should in the authentic way be pronounced "lay"


I think it's verry funny how Geary mispronounces everything in his speech, especially when he says the "Vito Andolini foundation" and Vito is not Vee-To, but Vigh-To

Geary was a jerk - a "pezzonovante" in the truest sense of the word. He was ulimately a small, pitiable man who loved to exercise what he thought was the power he held over men. In the end, he got what he deserved; he became another penny in Michael Corleone's pocket.

Geoff has got it about right here (as usual). Like any word in any language it pretty much depends where you come from in the country and what your particular regional accent is. Compare someone from the Deep South of the USA speaking English to someone from Boston, or for a UK analogy someone from Newcastle speaking to someone from inner London. My own first name is pronounced quite differently in the South and north of Ireland but I accept both forms as "correct". The same goes for Italy. There are many regional accents and dialects. For advice on this I contacted my friend Enzo (not da baker) who comes from Ancona in the Marche region of Italy. He told me the "standard" Italian pronunciation would be:

Cor-lay-owe-nay (to rhyme with say or hay)

However as Geoff points out Sicilians tend not to favour the long 'e' (ay) sound particularly at the end of a word and go for a more 'eh' sound like the 'e' sound at the start of entrance or exit.

Cor-lay-own is just an Americanised/Anglicised version. Take the name Carmine. In the USA it's simply Car-mine (rhymes with shine). In standard Italian it's more like Car-mee-nay.

Maybe for OUR "standard" BB pronunciation we should go for how Calo says it when showing Michael the town of Corleone. Agreed??

Senza Mama! I have heard of the town of "Ancona". I have relatives with that last name. However, I don't believe they are from Ancona, but rather Sicily.


TIS

Yes TIS, I have heard it used as a surname. In the UK there is a well known female impressionist called Ronni Ancona (though she is Scottish).

Some info on the city of Ancona:

http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/A/Ancona.html

Core-lee-own-ee is my preference.