Most of Us Are Saying Mount Everest’s Name Incorrectly

Often regarded as the tallest peak on the planet, Mount Everest towers more than 29,000 feet above sea level. Situated in the Himalayas, it was officially named Mount Everest in 1865 by the Royal Geographical Society, honoring the Welsh surveyor and geographer George Everest.

Before this, George Everest had led the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India as its surveyor general, a project spanning decades beginning in 1802. This ambitious initiative aimed to meticulously map the Indian subcontinent using advanced tools, including a custom theodolite weighing over 1000 pounds. The team successfully charted the meridional arc from what was then known as “Peak XV” (now Mount Everest) to India’s southern tip. However, contemporary experts argue that the survey also served as a tool for asserting control over Indian lands and populations.

Everest’s successor proposed naming Peak XV after him, despite Everest’s preference for using indigenous names for geographical landmarks. The Royal Geographic Society overruled him, citing uncertainty about the mountain’s traditional name.

Even today, the mountain retains the name Mount Everest, though it is frequently mispronounced. The common pronunciation of “Mount Everest” does not align with how its namesake intended.

George Everest’s last name was correctly pronounced “EVE-rest,” with the stress on the first syllable, similar to the word peeve. However, in English, the mountain is almost always referred to as “EVER-est” or “EV-rest,” with a short e sound like in weather.

It’s also worth noting that Mount Everest has traditional, indigenous names. In Tibetan, it is called “Chomolungma,” which means “goddess mother of the world,” while its Nepali name, Sagarmatha, translates to “the head of the Earth touching heaven.”

Over time, language naturally changes, making it difficult to definitively label a pronunciation as correct or incorrect. However, to honor the Royal Geographical Society’s original intent, the world’s tallest mountain should ideally be called “Mount EVE-rest.”