World Leaders: A Pronunciation Guide

This guide lists the names, titles, and pronunciations of a wide range of foreign political leaders in the following areas.¹

• Africa
• Asia
• Australia/Oceana
• Europe
• Middle East
• North America/Central America
• South America
• Multilateral Organizations

Africa

Egypt

Defense Minister:² Sedki Sobhi
(SIHD-kee )
Since: March 27, 2014

President: Abdel Fattah el Sisi
(AHB-dehl  FAH-tah ah SEE-see)
Since: June 8, 2014

Kenya

President: Uhuru Kenyatta
(oo-HOO-roo kehn-YAH-tah)
Since: April 4, 2013

Libya

Head of Unity Government: Fayez al Sarraj
(FAH-yehz al sahr-RAJ)
Since: February 15, 2016

Morocco

Head of State: King Mohamed VI
(mo-HAH-mehd)
Since: July 23, 1999

Nigeria

President: Muhammadu Buhari
(moo-HAH-mah-doo boo-HAH-ree)
Since: May 29, 2015

Rwanda

President: Paul Kagame
(kah-GAH-meh)
Since: March 24, 2000

South Africa

President: Cyril Ramaphosa
(SIH-ril Rahm-ah-FO-suh)
Since: February 15, 2018

Sudan

President: Omar al-Bashir
(OH-mahr ehl baa-SHEER)
Since: June 30, 1989

South Sudan

President: Salva Kiir
(SAHL-vah KEER)
Since: July 9, 2011

Zimbabwe

President: Emmerson Mnangagwa
(Em-mer-son M-nang-ga-gwa)
Since: November 24, 2017

Asia

Afghanistan

President: Ashraf Ghani
(ahsh-RAHF gah-NEE)
Since: September 29, 2014

Prime Minister: Abdullah Abdullah
(ahb-DUH-LAH ahb-DUH-LAH)
Since: September 29, 2014

India

Prime Minister: Narendra Modi
(nah-REHN-drah MOH-DEE)
Since: May 26, 2014

Burma

President: Htin Kyaw
(HOO-tin CHAW)
Since: March 30, 2016

State Counsellor: Aung San Suu Kyi
(AWN SAN SOO CHEE)
April 6, 2016

China

President: Xi Jinping
(SHEE JEEN-PEENG)
Since: November 14, 2013

Premier: Li Keqiang
(LEE KUH CHANG)
Since: March 15, 2013

North Korea

Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army: Kim Jon Un
(KIHM JAWNG-UHN)
Since: December 30, 2011

Indonesia

President: Joko Widodo
(JOH-koh WEE-doh-doh)
Since: October 20, 2014

Japan

Prime Minister: Shinzo Abe
(SHEEN-zoh AH-bay)
Since: December 26, 2012

Emperor: Akihito
(ah-kee-HEE-toh)
Since: January 7, 1989

Pakistan

Prime Minister: Nawaz Sharif
(nah-WAHZ shah-REEF)
Since: June 5, 2013

President: Mamnoon Hussain
(mahm-NOON hoo-SAY-N)
Since: September 10, 2013

Chief of Army Staff: Gen. Raheel Sharif
(ra-HEEL shah-REEF)
Since: November 27, 2013

South Korea

President: Moon Jae-in
(Moon Jay-een)
Since: May 10, 2017

Taiwan

President: Tsai Ing-wen
((t)S-EYE EENG WUHN)
Since: May 20, 2016

Australia/Oceana

Australia

Prime Minister: Malcom Turnbull
Since: September 15, 2015

New Zealand

Prime Minister: Jacinda Ardern
Since: October 26, 2017

Europe

France

President: Emmanuel Macron
(E-man-yoo-ell Ma-crohn)
Since: May 14, 2017

Germany

Chancellor: Angela Merkel
(ahn-GAY-lah M-AIR-kl)
Since: November 22, 2005

Greece

Prime Minister: Alexis Tsipras
(ah-LEHK-sees SEEP-rahs)
Since: September 21, 2015

Ireland

Prime Minister: Leo Varadkar
(Leo Var-ad-kar)
Since: June 14, 2017

Italy

Prime Minister: Giuseppe Conte
(Jee-u-zeh-peh Kon-te)
Since: June 1, 2018

Russia

President: Vladimir Putin
(vlah-DEE-meer POO-tihn)
Since: May 7, 2012

Poland

President: Andrzej Duda
(ahn-jay Doo-duh)
Since: August 6, 2015

Prime Minister: Mateusz Morawiecki
(Mah-tey-oosh More-ah-vyets-kee)
Since: December 11, 2017

Spain

Prime Minister: Pedro Sanchez
(Pey-dro San-chez)
Since: June 2, 2018

Head of State: King Felipe VI
(fay-LEE-pay)
Since: June 19, 2014

United Kingdom

Prime Minister: Theresa May
Since: July 13, 2016

Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II³
Since: June 2, 1953 

Middle East

Bahrain

King: King Hamad
(HAH-mahd)
Since: March 6, 1999

Iran

Supreme Leader: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
(Eye-ah-toe-LAH ah-LEE hahmehn-a-EE)
Since: June 4, 1989

President: Hassan Rouhani
(hah-SAHN roh-hah-NEE)
Since: August 3, 2013

Iraq

Prime Minister: Haider al Abadi
(H-EYE-dehr al ah-BAH-dee)
Since: September 9, 2014

President: Foouad Massoum
(foo-AHD mah-SOOM)
Since: July 24, 2014

Israel

President: Reuven Rivlin
(ROO-vihn RIHV-lihn)
Since: July 24, 2014

Prime Minister: Binyamin Netanyahu
(behn-yah-MEEN neht-an-YAH-hoo)
Since: March 31, 2009

Jordan

Head of State: King Abdullah II
(ahb-DUHL-lah)
Since: February 7, 1999

Lebanon

President: Michel Suleiman
(mee-SHELL soo-lay-MAHN)
Since: May 25, 2008

Secretary General, Hezbollah: Hassan Nasrallah
(HAH-sahn nahs-RAH-lah)
Since: February 16, 1992

Palestinian Authority

President of the PA: Mahmud Abbas
(mah-MOOD ah-BAHS)
Since: January 15, 2005

Saudi Arabia

Head of State: King Salman
(SAHL-mun)
Since: January 22, 2015

Syria

President: Bashar al-Assad
(bah-SHAHR ahl AH-sahd)
Since: July 17, 2000

Turkey

Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan
(reh- JEHP t-eye-YIHP ERR-doh-ahn)
Since: March 14, 2003

Yemen

President: Abdurabu Mansur Hadi
(AH-bd RAH-boh mahn-SOOR HAD-ee)
Since:  November 23, 2011

North/Central America

Canada

Prime Minister: Justin Trudeau
(Justin TROO-doh)
Since: November 4, 2015

Mexico

President: Enrique Peña Nieto
(En-REE-kay PAYN-yah nee-EH-toh)
Since: July 2, 2012

President-Elect of Mexico: Andrés Manuel López Obrador
(An-dres Mahn-WEHL Low-pez OBRA-dor)
Will be sworn in on December 1, 2018

Cuba

President: Raúl Castro
(rah-OOL KASS-troh)
Since: April 19, 2011

Nicaragua

President: Daniel Ortega
(dahn-YEHL or-TAY-gah)
Since: January 10, 2007

South America

Argentina

President: Mauricio Macri
(MORE-ree-SEE-o MAH-cree)
Since: December 11, 2015

Bolivia

President: Evo Morales
(E-voh moh-RAH-lays)
Since: January 22, 2006

Brazil

President: Michel Temer
(Mee-shell Te-mer)
Since: August 31, 2016

Chile

President: Sebastian Pinera
(Se-bas-tee-an Pee-nye-rah)
Since: March 11, 2018

Colombia

President: Juan Manuel Santos
(HWAHN mahn-WEHL SAHN-tohs)
Since: August 7, 2010

Peru

President: Pedro Pablo Kuczynski
(peh-bloh Pah-blo Koo-cheen-skee)
Since: July 28, 2016

Venezuela

President: Nicholás Maduro
(nee-koh-LAHS mah-DOO-roh)
Since: April 19, 2013

Multilateral Organizations

European Union

President, European Council: Donald Tusk
Since: December 1, 2014

International Monetary Fund

Managing Director: Christine Lagarde
(Krihss-TEEN lah-GAHRD)
Since: July 5, 2011

United Nations

Secretary General: Antonio Guterres
(Ahn-tohn-yo Goo-terr-ess)
Since: October 13, 2016

World Bank

President: Jim Yong Kim
Since: July 1, 2012

NATO

Secretary-General: Jens Stoltenberg
(YEHNS STOHL-tehn-behrk)
Since: October 1, 2009