We’ve all been in this situation:  you are about to go to an interview and you have no idea how to pronounce the interviewer’s name.  Or, you have to give a presentation but have no clue how to pronounce a few of the key terms you need to discuss.  The end result of these types of situations can be pretty awkward.  

Luckily, the internet has plenty of solutions for these situations.  There are various sites that offer “audio pronunciations” for words, places, and names.  Here’s a list of a few popular sites that offer audio pronunciations:

•  Merriam-Webster Online – This is the old faithful of online dictionaries.  Fortunately for our generation, we are not required to lug around those think heavy dictionaries that our parents and grandparents had to use.  The most popular dictionary is now available online and it provides audio pronunciations for most of its words.
• inogolo – This simple, easy-to-use website offers a searchable database of pronunciations for names of people, places, and various things.
• Voice of America Pronunciation Guide – Provides audio pronunciation guides for names of people and places in current events.
• Say How? – This site provides a directory of pronunciation guides for names of public figures.  The site prides itself on providing guides for lessor known figures in addition to popular ones.
• How To Say That Name – This site offers an extensive audio pronunciation database for names.  The databse may be searched by entering the name or by searching by category.