President Obama had some pronunciation difficulties on his recent trip to Burma.While meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize winner and tireless democracy advocate, the president mispronounced her name repeatedly.
Ever gracious, Suu Kyi did not correct her American guest for calling her Aung YAN Suu Kyi multiple times during his statement to reporters after their meeting.
Proper pronunciation for the Nobel laureate’s name is Ahng Sahn Soo Chee.
The meeting came after Obama met with Myanmar’s reformist new President Thein Sein – a name he also botched.
As the two addressed the media, Obama called his counterpart “President Sein,” an awkward, slightly affectionate reference that would make most Burmese cringe.
Apparently, even the “smartest guy ever to become president” can make mistakes every now and again.