` (UTC)   I don't know phonetic spelling, but try this    ``A`` - say it like ``ai`` in ``Aim``  ``m`` - like ``m`` in ``Aim``  so: so far we have ``Am`` spoken as though it were ``Aim``  the ``is`` in ``Amis`` is then not quite like the word ``is``, the principal difference being that the ``s`` in ``Amis`` is slightly softer, ie less like a ``z``  I suppose ``Amis`` is a bit like ``Amiss`` but with the first 2 letters more like ``Aim`` as set out above; that's not quite right either though because in ``Amiss`` there is more emphasis on the 2nd sylable than in ``Amis`` where the greater emphasis is on the first sylable (sorry about my spelling)   that's as good as I can do    re why is he English? well: his parents were English, he is English and he lives in England; he was educated in England and he also writes in English; he has an English name  his father happened to be teaching in Wales for a few short years at about the time that Martin Amis was born     11:08, 4 July 2010`