Pau Gasol (NBA)

Pronounce as /paʊ ɡəˈsɔl/. The first name uses the diphthong /aʊ/ like ‘now,’ and the surname places primary stress on the second syllable: /ɡəˈsɔl/ with a schwa before the stressed vowel. In US, UK, and AU, the final vowel is a short ‘l’ followed by a clear ‘l’ sound. Audio reference: [standard broadcaster pronunciation] to compare mouth positions for each segment.

Common errors: misplacing stress by saying ‘PAU GAsol’ (stress on Pau); mispronouncing Gasol as ‘gas-ol’ with a hard /gæ/ or ‘gas-oll’ with an Americanized vowel. Correction: keep /ɡəˈsɔl/ with a neutral schwa in the first syllable of Gasol and stress on the second syllable; ensure the final -ol sounds like /ɔl/ rather than /ɒl/. Practice by isolating /ən/ for the middle sounds and using a quick syllable pulse to align stress.

US: /paʊ ɡəˈsɔl/ with rhotic American ‘r-less’ in Gasol; UK: /paʊ ɡəˈsɔːl/ with lengthened final vowel and non-rhoticity; AU: /paʊ ɡəˈsɒl/ with broader Australian vowel in the final syllable. Note: rhoticity in US affects vowel color in 'Gasol' responses, while UK/AU adjust vowel length. Emphasize the second syllable of Gasol in all variants; the only differences are vowel quality and vowel length.

Difficulty stems from the Catalan name 'Pau' with a short ‘ow’ diphthong and the surname 'Gasol' with a stressed second syllable and a mid back vowel /ɔ/ in many accents. The combination of a gliding diphthong in the first name and the post-stress vowel in Gasol creates a two-name sequence that can be misaligned in fast speech. The name also negates anglicization tendencies, requiring careful articulation to avoid ‘Paw Gas-sole’ or ‘Pow Gas-ol.’

There are no silent letters in the standard pronunciation. The sequence /paʊ ɡəˈsɔl/ requires clear pronunciation of the /ə/ schwa in the second syllable of Gasol and a visible 'l' at the end. In rapid speech, some speakers may reduce vowels slightly, but the schwa should remain perceptible to preserve the second-syllable stress and overall intelligibility in broadcasts.