GEE-zuh
Long i, soft s, stress on the first syllable; not with ts. In Egyptian Arabic el-GEE-sa, with a hard g.
Source: Wiktionary, entry Gizeh
The pronunciation of Giza is simpler than the spelling suggests, and almost everyone makes the same mistake.
The name is spoken with a long i and a soft s: roughly GEE-zuh, with stress on the first syllable. The z in the German spelling is not a German z. It does not stand for the consonant cluster ts as in 'Zange' (pliers), but for a voiced s as in 'Rose'. If you say Gitseh, you will be understood, but you will immediately give yourself away.
The g at the beginning is hard, like in 'gehen' (to go), not soft like in the English word 'gin'. This is no arbitrary choice, but has a solid linguistic reason, which is explained further down.
And something else catches many people's eye only upon second glance: The word appears on very many tables in Germany. A brand for cigarette paper has borne this name since 1920, and its logo shows the Sphinx with a pyramid behind it. For a large part of the German-speaking public, Giza is therefore first a packet of paper and only afterwards a place.
Four spellings of the same place
Which form is common where and how each sounds.
| Spelling | Common in | Pronounced roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Gizeh | the current German standard form | GEE-zuh, soft s |
| Giseh | older German literature, 19th and early 20th century | identical, just spelled more clearly |
| Giza | English and international | GEE-zah, also with a soft s |
| al-Dschiza, el-Giza | Transcriptions from Arabic | el-GEE-sa, with a hard g in Egyptian usage |
- Common in
- the current German standard form
- Pronounced roughly
- GEE-zuh, soft s
- Common in
- older German literature, 19th and early 20th century
- Pronounced roughly
- identical, just spelled more clearly
- Common in
- English and international
- Pronounced roughly
- GEE-zah, also with a soft s
- Common in
- Transcriptions from Arabic
- Pronounced roughly
- el-GEE-sa, with a hard g in Egyptian usage
All four refer to the same place. In German running text, Gizeh is the usual choice, though Giseh also appears in academic literature.
Why the g is pronounced hard
Why the g is hard leads to a peculiarity of Egyptian Arabic, and it is the most interesting part of this page.
The Arabic letter Jim is pronounced as a soft j sound in Modern Standard Arabic and in most dialects, similar to the g in 'Journal'. In Egypt, however, especially in the region around the capital, the same letter sounds like a hard g. Therefore, the place is called el-Giza there, not el-Djiza, and this is why the form with a hard g has prevailed in European languages: it comes from the mouths of the local people.
From a historical linguistics perspective, this is not an outlier, quite the opposite. Much suggests that the hard g is the older pronunciation and the soft variant is the later development. The Egyptian form would then have nothing to lose, but rather something to keep.
How to spell it in German
There are two questions regarding spelling in German that arise regularly.
The first concerns the place name itself. Gizeh is customary and recorded in dictionaries; the dictionary form lists Giseh and Gise as variants alongside it. All are readable, but if you must choose one, take Gizeh.
The second is the spelling of the Great Pyramid of Giza, and here the rule differs from English. Because the adjective is part of the proper noun, it is capitalized: the Great Pyramid, the Great Sphinx. However, if the adjective is used descriptively, it remains lowercase, such as in the sentence, this being the largest pyramid of the complex. Compounds with the place name get a hyphen: Giza Plateau, Giza Pyramids.
For the individual structures, the kings' names are customary in German, namely the Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Chephren, and the Pyramid of Mykerinos. These are the Greek forms of the names; the Egyptian ones are Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure and are encountered primarily in academic literature.
Two places, three hundred fifty kilometers apart
One confusion remains, which is surprisingly often searched for. Giza or Gaza is not a matter of spelling, but a question of two different places.
Giza is located in Egypt, immediately on the southwestern edge of the metropolitan area of the capital, and is the city at the foot of the plateau. Gaza is located about three hundred fifty kilometers further to the northeast, across the Sinai Peninsula, and does not belong to Egypt. The names also have nothing to do with each other: they derive from different Arabic roots and sound significantly more distinct in Arabic than in European transcriptions.
The similarity arises only in our writing, and it persists stubbornly because both names are short and begin with G. When people talk about the pyramids, they mean Giza.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Giza?
Roughly GEE-zuh, with a long i, hard g, and soft s. The z does not stand for the consonant cluster ts.
Is it Giza or Giza?
Both refer to the same place. Gizeh is the German form, Giza the English and international one.
Why is the g pronounced hard?
Because the Arabic letter Jim sounds like a hard g in Egyptian usage, unlike in Modern Standard Arabic and most other dialects.
Do you capitalize Great Pyramid?
Yes, when meant as a proper name. Used descriptively, the adjective remains lowercase.
Is Giza the same as Gaza?
No. Two different places, about three hundred fifty kilometers apart, in different regions, with different etymologies.