2016 NBA Draft: Hardest names to pronounce, ranked

7. Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah

In theory, Jakob Poeltl has no business appearing here. Among this group of 10 draft prospects, he’s the only one who’s virtually assured to be selected within the lottery. It’s also not as though he’s an obscure international prospect; he spent the past two years at Utah, where he averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a sophomore in 2015-16. In a draft field littered with international players, Poeltl is a well-known commodity, giving announcers no excuse for botching the pronunciation of his name whenever he’s inevitably selected.

Can they say it as it’s meant to be pronounced, though?

In a December 2014 interview with Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News, the Austrian seven-footer conceded “it’s pretty difficult for Austrians to pronounce it,” so American analysts working on draft night are already behind the eight ball. His first name, albeit slightly easier, also isn’t as straightforward as it might otherwise appear. As he discussed in a December 2014 video, the correct pronunciation sounds like “YAH-cub,” not “JAY-cub.”

On the bright side, since he’s a lock to be selected within the first 15 or so picks on draft night, analysts have plenty of time to prepare themselves for saying his name. They won’t be so lucky with many of the following prospects.

Next: 6. Zhou Qi