The spelling of the surname "Moloney" can be confusing to those unfamiliar with Irish Gaelic phonetics. In IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), it is pronounced as /məˈloʊni/. The "M" and "N" sounds are fairly straightforward, while the "O" is pronounced as a short "uh" sound rather than "oh." The "L" sound is followed by a glide sound, represented as the symbol /j/, which is similar to the "y" sound in "yellow." Finally, the "EY" at the end of the name is pronounced as a long "ee" sound.
Moloney is an anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Maoldhomhnaigh, which means descendant of Maoldhomhnaigh. This surname is derived from the Gaelic elements maol, meaning bald, and domhnach, meaning church.