technomancyMar 16

what is it with americans thinking Hyundai is pronounced "hun day"

(or worse, "honda")

Show threadSam Stephenson
@technomancy “hun day” is how they pronounce it in TV ads in the US
Mar 16 at 9:35pmWeb
Show threadtechnomancyMar 16

@sstephenson really makes you wonder if the people filming these commercials for a korean car company have ever talked to a korean speaker

or whether they know what sound the letter Y makes?

Show threadoioiMar 16
@technomancy @sstephenson Wikipedia suggests [hjə́ːndɛ]. But this pronunciation is not obvious for me either.
Show threadSam StephensonMar 16
@technomancy I don’t have any evidence but it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s an intentional modification for the xenophobic American market