D'urbervilles is a proper noun, used chiefly as a surname in literary contexts (most notably the family name from Thomas Hardy’s novels). It denotes an aristocratic, fictional lineage and is typically treated as a single-unit name. In pronunciation, the initial D’ is a softened, elided element, followed by a multi-syllabic cadence that preserves the distinctive surname cadence rather than a common word stress pattern.
Full pronunciation guide
