Correct way to pronounce "Nikon"?

[DVEous]

... Obsolete ...

[Geoff]

I reckon the right was is Nick-on. I've heard it pronounced ni kon in the speed of light CLS DVD but who really knows?

[LostDingo]

in America it is pronounced as "Ni-Kon" but that said I do not thinh=k that is correct and having several Japanese at work it is actually "Nick-On"

I still say "Ni-Kon" though

[NikonUser]

Depends on where you're from I think...

I've heard N-eye-kon in the 'Image Doctors' podcast from Nikonians

But I've always heard Australians say Nick-on

Paul

[DVEous]

... Obsolete ...

[cyanide]

Being "derived" from Japanese, the technically correct pronounciation is Nick-on.

[Geoff]

Makes sense to me

[phillipb]

The word nikon was made up from Nippon and Kogaku. Since Nippon is pronounced Nip-pon then it stands to reason that Nikon is pronounced Nik-on.
Try telling that to the Americans though.

[moggy]

When I lived in the UK we pronounced it NY_KON, I bet they still do over there. Here I pronounce it NIK-ON.

Bob.

.

[shakey]

vertigo/vertigo
vase/vase
aluminium/aluminium
Caribbean/Caribbean
Nikon/Nikon
Nestle/Nestle
Don Quixote/Don Quixote
chilli con carne/chilli con carne



Pronounciations become regionalised. If enough people start pronouncing it in one fashion it becomes "correct" for that region. Doesn't really matter much in my opinion.

[Nnnnsic]

Let's separate it as to how they're likely to spell it if we're doing it in phonetic Romanji shall we?:

Ni - ko - n

Ni = ni like "nitwit"

ko = ko like "cop"

n = n like... well... n... look, if you can't say this one right, you really are screwed.

Nikon, or yeah, like how others say suggesting "Nick-on" or "Nik-on".

It's just another brand the Aussies are likely to screw up the pronunciation of much like "Sega," except in the case of Sega, people just had to have been that bloody stupid because when Aussies said it as it was "See-ga" as opposed to the correct pronunciation of "Say-gah," they were ignoring the bleeding obvious fact that the girl at the beginning of Sega games were singing the bloody name for them.

[Grev]

All of my Japanese friends (many many) pronouce it as Ni-kon, not Nik-on as suggested by you guys.

[cyanide]

The Japanese character/spelling breakdown is actually Ni-ko-n, but I think you will find that there is a glottal stop after the 'i', which acts to emphasise the 'k'.... so it really doesn't matter whether you describe it as "ni-kon" or Nik-on", as long as you pronounce the 'i' as a short vowel (as Nnnnsic says, like in "nit"), and NOT "eye".... <shudder>....

[ozimax]

Sounds like my dog Phydeaux, pronounced "Fido".

[whiz]

Like you'd ask any American how to pronounce something.

I heard a tourguide over there talk about a "masering" system.

Took about ten minutes to figure that he was talking about a measuringing system.

And then, you go to Alabama.......

[thaddeus]

From Nikon's website:


The last three characters are katakana, which is a nicely phonetic "ni ko n"
Having lived in Japan I can advise that nnnsic's pronounciation is essentially correct.

whiz, it took me a while to figure out what a "measuringing" system was!

[Nnnnsic]

I knew I learnt (some) Japanese for a reason!

[Ivanerrol]

So how do they pronounce Nikon in Europe?
Since the letter i is equivalent to 'ee'over there is it pronounced Neekon?
Any English majors out there to explain the rules of English?

[Sheila Smart]

Its always difficult for me as when I lived in Canada and had a Nikon, I pronounced it Ni kon but now I live in Oz (and have done so for 30 years) I always say Ni kon first and then Nick-on (depending on whom I am talking to)

Cheers
Sheila PS I have always wondered why Australians pronounce the word maroon as marone! And the fish bream as brim - they don't pronounce team as tim, or seam as sim!

[LostDingo]

Oh well...I have always said Ni-Kon so I think I'll continue after reading this

[Colcam]

Until I sold my F3 with MD4 motordrive, I used to call it a "bloody heavy buggar of a thing"


That reminds me that when I was searching for the F3, one shop had a really demolished F3 for sale at a greatly reduced price. When I enquired, he said it worked fine, but the reason for the condition was that the Photo-journo used it as a weapon in Bosnia!
Yipes!
Col

[whiz]

whiz, it took me a while to figure out what a "measuringing" system was!

Buggah!
Never type while looking at the clock!

[LostDingo]

Like you'd ask any American how to pronounce something.

I heard a tourguide over there talk about a "masering" system.

Took about ten minutes to figure that he was talking about a measuringing system.

And then, you go to Alabama.......

hmmmm...I resemble that remark...born in Alabama and such...funny how the southern people are always portrayed in such a manner but I guess people don't take notice to some other familiar Southern well know objects such as NASA...I haven't noticed too many NASA locations here and typically don't try to point out.

And how about another very little known company and Southern invention called "Coca Cola".....but then again you may have notnoticed it either

[DVEous]

... Obsolete ...

[LostDingo]

Forest Gump!

that's right Always portrayed as Forrest Gump but never mention of such creativity as FedEx etc

[Jenno]

i think after yesterdays minimeet at Watsons Bay, Nnnnsic would have us believe it is pronounced NiKEN

[DVEous]

... Obsolete ...

[Greg B]

I'd say nay-dear

This reminds me of the great boke debate of '04. Then we even had two spelling variants, as well as multiple pronounciations.

English is a fickle beast. It seems that every english speaking country has different pronounciations and even meanings sometimes. I still remember my extreme mirth when I heard someone on an american sit com happily talk about someone's fanny.

Yes - English is a rich source of contradictions and curiosities.