Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation

Both President Trump and Vice President Vance pronounce Iran as ‘Ih-RAN,’ not ‘Ih-RON.’ A linguist says that how the country’s name is pronounced may be a political choice.

By: Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada, Reno, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 24, 2026

Words: 1,207

Last Updated: 4 months, 1 week ago

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By Valerie M. Fridland, University of Nevada, Reno

With the war in Iran a topic on everyone’s lips, you might have noticed an inconsistency in the way that nation’s name is said, varying between a more native-like “Ih-ron” pronunciation and a more Americanized “Ih-ran” one.

An everyday listener might just chalk this up as being the result of regional differences or the version we learned growing up, like the alternate ways Americans have of …

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