kutamaka
Pronunciation Guide to Names
Vladimir Nabokov
Russian-American novelist

Name: Vladimir
Phonetic Pronunciation: vlah-DEE-meer
Audio Pronunciation:
Origin: Russian
Notes: a common, acceptable anglicization is VLA-duh-meer

Name: Nabokov
Phonetic Pronunciation: nuh-BO-kof
Audio Pronunciation:
Origin: Russian

Tags: author  russian  

Notes: source of pronunciation-- Oxford BBC Guide to Pronunciation

Regarding the pronunciation of his last name, in the BBC Guide it notes-- "Although the author's surname is often pronounced nab-uh-kof, he told the BBC that this [nuh-boe-kof] was his preferred English pronunciation, with the middle syllable stressed, and rhyming with 'smoke'."