Quit Mispronouncing These Car Brand Names

2 min read By eCompareMo on October 30, 2017

Your claim to fame may be a garage of real-life hot wheels, road beasts, and modified autos. But talking about a Chevrolet model and pronouncing it shev-ro-let nullifies your legitimacy as an auto aficionado.

Sound like a real car enthusiast by learning how to pronounce these auto brands the right way.

Audi

Correct pronunciation: Ow-dee
Frequent mispronunciations: Aw-dee, Ah-dee

It may seem like Audi is a word that anyone can pronounce right. However, that is not the case. Audi was founded in 1909 by August Horch. His surname, when translated in Latin, is the name if the brand.

Volkswagen

Correct pronunciation: Folks-vah-gun
Frequent mispronunciation: Volks-way-gen

In the German alphabet, “W” becomes “V”, and “V” becomes “F.” Popular for its classic trademark Beetle, Volkswagen when translated means ‘car for the people’ or people’s car.

BMW

Correct pronunciation: Bee-em-vee
Frequent mispronunciation: B-M-W

So, you thought this was a no-brainer car name? Think again. Bayerische Motoren-Werke is a German brand and, as mentioned above, the letter ‘W’ is a ‘V’.

Hyundai

Correct pronunciation: Hyon-de
Frequent mispronunciation: Hun-dey

According to the YouTube channel TalkToMeInKorean, the car brand name is pronounced as “Hyon-de”. The auto name is borrowed from the Korean word ‘hyeondae’ which means ‘modern times’.

Peugeot

Correct pronunciation: Poo-zho or Poo-jsho
Frequent mispronunciation: Peeyo-jot

Peugeot is one of the often-mispronounced European car brands. In other countries, the brand is pronounced as ‘pyoo-zho’ or ‘per-zho’.

Koenigsegg

Correct pronunciation: ko-nig-zeg
Frequent mispronunciation: ko-ni-seg

No matter how fast Hypercars are, many enthusiasts still slow down when talking about this one due to doubting the correct pronunciation of Koenigsegg. When saying the name of this Swedish car brand, don’t hesitate – or stumble over the extra letters – and just read as it is.

Porsche

Correct pronunciation: Por-shah
Frequent mispronunciation: Porsh

The brand is named after the company’s founder, Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. Dr. Porsche was also the automotive engineer who created the first gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle. That is why many Porsche enthusiasts are rightly aggravated whenever they hear the beloved founder’s surname being slaughtered.

Renault

Correct pronunciation: Re-no
Frequent mispronunciation: Re-nolt

Another French auto brand, Renault used to be known for manufacturing huge road monsters – from trucks to tanks. Give some respect when saying the name and keep the letters ‘L’ and ‘T’ on silent.

Scion

Correct pronunciation: Sye-on
Frequent mispronunciations: Sky-ahn, Skee-ahn

The word Scion’s etymology is from the Old French word ‘cion’ which means ‘descendant’. This makes sense as the auto brand was launched by Toyota to cater to the younger market.

Lancia

Correct pronunciation: Lan-cha
Frequent mispronunciation: Lan-sha

Although the car model names are fashioned after the Greek alphabet, Lancia is an automobile that Italians are rightly proud of. While the brand name has been causing confusion in terms of pronunciation, the Fiat CEO’s name Sergio Marchionne is more perplexing.

Plymouth

Correct pronunciation: Pli-muth
Frequent mispronunciation: Ply-mouth

This is affordable American brand is produced by Chrysler Corporation. But its name is pronounced the same way as that of the city in England.

Buick

Correct pronunciation: Byoo-wik
Frequent mispronunciation: Boo-ik

Another US brand, Buick has been manufactured by General Motors since 1908. Despite decades of being manufactured at home, many Americans still mispronounce the name.

Sources: TopGear Philippines, VroomVroomVroom, This Is Money, Deccan Chronicle, Autoportal

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