Chances are you’ve been saying Roald Dahl’s name wrong your whole life: Here’s how to correctly pronounce it, according to the author himself
The magical children author's parents were Norwegian... and so is his name
HE'S one of the world's most loved children's authors - with millions of people pouring over his magical tales of flying peaches and wicked witches.
But it turns out we've been saying Roald Dahl's name wrong our entire lives.
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Ever since you first picked up a copy of the BFG or Matilda, you probably referred to the delightful author as 'Row-ald' or 'Roh-ld' - later teaching your kids to do the same.
But now, 26 years after his death, we have discovered that the correct, Norwegian, pronunciation of his name is 'Roo-al'.
The much-used British pronunciation of Roald's name has gone uncorrected for decades, even by his friends and family.
The history of his name
* Roald Dahl was born in Landaff, a small town outside Cardiff, to Norwegian parents.
* His name means 'powerful' in the Scandinavian country.
* As a child, Roald's grandaughter Sophie Dahl called the author 'Mold'.
* She told the Guardian: "I called him Mold, because when I was a toddler they tried to teach me the Norwegian pronunciation of his name but my baby tongue couldn’t get to grips with it, and instead Mold he was, ever after. Sometimes Moldy."
* Roald's daughter Lucy and wife Felicity have both taken part in interviews with English media using the common pronunciation of his name - and never corrected them.
In 1961, Roald hosted a 1961 science fiction TV show called Way Out.
As you can see in the first few seconds of this sixties clip, Roald's name is pronounced very clearly - as 'Roo-al'.
Over time, both ways of saying his name have become acceptable.
Roald died in 1990, after suffering from a blood disease called myelodysplastic syndrome.