Hyundai - How do you pronounce it?
The English language has never claimed to be easy to pronounce. Because we’ve assimilated words from so many other languages into English, there is an ever widening gulf between what we say, and how things are spelled. Who would have thought that a word that looks like it should be spelled “segway” is actually spelled “segue”.
This brings us to the topic at hand. For most of my life, I had pronounced the name of the car company pictured to the left as a three-syllable word - something like “High-un-die”. But, after learning a bit of Japanese, and seeing that this company name (which is not Japanese) conforms to Japanese spelling conventions, I started pronouncing it as a two syllable word, sounding like “Hyoun-die”. The first part of the word rhyming with “soon”, but with the [y] pronounced as a consonant, like in the word “you”.
However, after hearing car commercials on the radio, I find that this company name is now being pronounced as “Hun-die”. So here’s my question: What’s going on with this “y”? Is it silent all of the sudden? Why did they even bother putting it there in the first place? Isn’t it enough that “y” is already being pronouced as “aye” (as in “fly”), “yuh” as in “yellow”, “i” as in “syllable”, and “ee” as in “easy”? Do we have to make it a silent letter in the middle of a word now? I have to ask “why?”
In the meantime, I’m going to keep driving my Honda. At least I know how to pronounce it.
Updated!
I have recently heard a new batch of Hyundai commercials on the radio, and have been presented with another pronounciation option: “Hun-day”. If this word continues to evolve, we may one day be calling these cars “Hoppledinks”.
Updated again!
Heard another commercial today (Nov 7, 2005) where they were pronouncing it “Hon-day”. The plot thickens…
Much like the “i” in FLORiDA….completely useless.. aside from seperating the R and D like they are squabbling siblings - or even slightly similar to how some folks say California, by pronouncing it “Cala-forn-eye-eh”. Wrong Wrong Wrong… on so many levels…
Comment by Issathehutt — October 13, 2005 @ 8:17 pm
Thanks for your comment, Issa! I don’t know you, but I like your comments!
Comment by Administrator — October 20, 2005 @ 11:27 pm
I totally have to say something here too!!! Tim and I have argued over the pronunciation of hyundai since I can’t remember when…!!! (All in good fun of course). Here’s my pronunciation hun-dee - I know, I know, ai doesn’t make the ee sound but I think I just said it that way too be annoying - or maybe I was getting Honda and “Hundee’s” mixed up… ANYWAY I think Tim argues for high-un-die or hun-die but I’ll have to get back to you on that one… If the friggin company doesn’t even know how to pronounce it then I don’t feel so bad about all my creative pronunciations!
Comment by Julie — November 3, 2005 @ 4:15 am
Funny how here in Canada we tend to pronounce the most current names (Nissan, Hyundai, Mazda) more like in England (across the Atlantic) than in the US (right next door). That said, when Hyundai first released the Excel in North America, their US ad said “rhymes with Sunday”. The Korean pronunciation does use the y - it would best be rendered as “hyun” (sounding as one syllable and sounding like shun) “deh” - not an eye or ay sound, but a dofter (non-Canadian) eh - like the ea in deapth or death.
Comment by Matt — April 13, 2006 @ 3:36 pm
fyi - it is pronounced hyun - dae and does not rhyme with ’soon’
Comment by Aaron — June 5, 2006 @ 9:38 pm