Car name pronunciation

[calibrax]

Was just thinking about car manufacturers names and the different ways the are pronounced. Why is there such a difference primarily between US and the UK? Which pronunciations do the manufacturers themselves prefer?

Some examples...

Hyundai
UK pronunciation : High-un-dye
US pronunciation : Hun-day

Dacia
Top Gear pronunciation : Day-see-a
UK advert pronunciation : Datch-a

Audi
UK pronunciation : Ow-di
US pronunciation : Ar-di

Nissan
UK pronunciation : Niss-an
US pronunciation : Knee-sawn

Jaguar
UK pronunciation : Jag-you-are
US pronunciation : Jag-wahr

Mitsubishi
UK pronunciation : Mit-su-bishy
US pronunciation : Mit-su-bee-shee

[luke111s]

Porsche

Porsh or Porsh-uh?

[The Moose]

Pleb: porsh
Gentleman: porsha

[McSam]

In all of those cases, the UK or UK advert version is correct. It's only because foreign words become so horrendously disfigured by Americans that manufacturers accept they won't recognise the correct version, and use the local attempt in the adverts.

That's not me Yank-bashing, that comes from a PR company

And Porsche has an E on it for a reason, that reason is not so it can be neglected.

[Hackney]

Hyundai ad pronunciation was more Yunday (as in Sunday)

Skoda
we say Skow-da
My Slovakian ex girlfriend told me it was - Shkoda (which meant the Rapide was the Shkoda Rapidka)

Puurshow or pewjow or perrgow

[craigjm]

McSam said:

In all of those cases, the UK or UK advert version is correct. It's only because foreign words become so horrendously disfigured by Americans that manufacturers accept they won't recognise the correct version, and use the local attempt in the adverts.

That's not me Yank-bashing, that comes from a PR company

And Porsche has an E on it for a reason, that reason is not so it can be neglected.

Incorrect. The correct version of Hyundai is closer to The US version

[hedges88]

Hackney said:

Hyundai ad pronunciation was more Yunday (as in Sunday)

Skoda
we say Skow-da
My Slovakian ex girlfriend told me it was - Shkoda (which meant the Rapide was the Shkoda Rapidka)

Puurshow or pewjow or perrgow

The small "v" like accent atop of the S in Skoda does indeed mean it is pronounced as Shkoda. The word it Czech means "a pity/shame" (apparently)

[McSam]

craigjm said:

Incorrect. The correct version of Hyundai is closer to The US version

I suppose that one's halfway, as it would be pronounced "Hyun-day", wouldn't it? A very rapid "hee-un" at the start, but the American version omits that, while we get the end wrong.


Skoda was indeed made to be advertised by Sean Connery!

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

I have an annoying mate who calls Audis 'Or-dees...'

And I have also had my teeth put on edge by people who think Peugeots are 'pew-joes'


Worst of all though was an ex-work colleague who insisted my Skoda Octavia was an 'oc-tarr-via'

I nearly killed her to death over that...

[Funk]

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

I have an annoying mate who calls Audis 'Or-dees...'

A colleague of mine does this. I'll pronounce it the same way Audi themselves do...

[Digger]

Funk said:

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

I have an annoying mate who calls Audis 'Or-dees...'

A colleague of mine does this. I'll pronounce it the same way Audi themselves do...

there is a certain sense to that pronounciation considering the word audio.

[Funk]

Digger said:

Funk said:

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

I have an annoying mate who calls Audis 'Or-dees...'

A colleague of mine does this. I'll pronounce it the same way Audi themselves do...

there is a certain sense to that pronounciation considering the word audio.

But it rhymes with 'Saudi'.

[aw51 121565]

A previous chairlady of a car club, of which I was unfortunately also on the committee, referred to the "Aww-rrrr-stIN!" mumble rather than the Austin mumble .

Most annoying and irritating!!

[xRIEx]

Digger said:

Funk said:

Ray Luxury-Yacht said:

I have an annoying mate who calls Audis 'Or-dees...'

A colleague of mine does this. I'll pronounce it the same way Audi themselves do...

there is a certain sense to that pronounciation considering the word audio.

Except that in German, 'au' is always pronounced 'ow'.

[mercfunder]

craigjm said:

McSam said:

In all of those cases, the UK or UK advert version is correct. It's only because foreign words become so horrendously disfigured by Americans that manufacturers accept they won't recognise the correct version, and use the local attempt in the adverts.

That's not me Yank-bashing, that comes from a PR company

And Porsche has an E on it for a reason, that reason is not so it can be neglected.

Incorrect. The correct version of Hyundai is closer to The US version

As is the correct pronunciation of Nissan.

[young_bairn]

Iv heard people say Austin and assten in relation to Aston Martin.

[RDM]

Is the American pronunciation of Jaguar.....Jag-War.. not the correct way?

[craigjm]

Lancia is generally also wrong in most circumstances as it is actually said Lan-cha

[AC43]

RDM said:

Is the American pronunciation of Jaguar.....Jag-War.. not the correct way?

Depends where you are, In the US it rhymes with Austin Power's Shagwar. Here it doesn't.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar

[Engineer1]

Surely this is one of those foreign words getting anglisised differently, situations who really cares how the manufacturer pronounces the name if it is alien and uncomfortable for the customers and potential customers to pronounce