Even the president of Knipex North America seemes to be struggling with this pronunciation.
He pronounces Knipex two different ways within the first 15 seconds of this promotional video.
Just found this funny and thought I would share..
Knipex Pronunciation
- Thread starter Zinc2005
- Start date
Even the president of Knipex North America seemes to be struggling with this pronunciation.
He pronounces Knipex two different ways within the first 15 seconds of this promotional video.
Just found this funny and thought I would share..
Ign
Well-known member
That is pretty good LOL
I just say it like knife
I just say it like knife
FigureItOut
Well-known member
The first time I heard the correct pronunciation, I snickered a little at the speaker. That is until I watched a Kipex promo video in German. It is funny that he got it wrong the first time, at least he corrected it. I always thought it was it was "kni" like in "knife" until I learned better. I had an independent tool truck driver correct me once when I'd said it correctly, ended up winning a bet on it with him for a 20% discount on the pliers I wanted.
driftpin
Well-known member
The correct pronunciation is as they say in Monty Python, "In Search of the Holy Grail," when they are talking about those armor-wearing guys, "kuh-knee-git."
jallyn
Well-known member
Ny-Pex, Nip-Ex, Kuh-Nip-Ex, it don't matter... Best damn pliers.
You had it right initially..
rlitman
Well-known member
You and I would think so, reading that word as native English speakers, but this is incorrect.
The correct pronunciation would be kun-NIH-pex.
Hilariously, this guy also reverts to the incorrect pronunciation as the video goes on. These Knipex reps need to get it together...
Roobaix
Well-known member
I've heard multiple Knipex employees pronounce it multiple ways, so I don't believe there is a legit consensus in what's correct. That video is a perfect example.
Knipex should be embarrassed that nobody, including their own reps, can agree upon and correctly pronounce their name. It's a joke.
I continue to say nigh-pex because Knipex themselves don't seem to care so why should I?
Knipex should be embarrassed that nobody, including their own reps, can agree upon and correctly pronounce their name. It's a joke.
I continue to say nigh-pex because Knipex themselves don't seem to care so why should I?
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FigureItOut
Well-known member
Uh, no. The K is not silent.
Haha. Exactly. Particularly ironic for a company known for great quality control.
gipraw
Well-known member
Even the president of Knipex North America seemes to be struggling with this pronunciation.
He pronounces Knipex two different ways within the first 15 seconds of this promotional video.
Just found this funny and thought I would share..
He said the name three times. Once with a silent K, and twice without.
redwrench60
Well-known member
The problem with using the correct pronunciation in this country is no one knows what the **** you're talking about. Sure you'll sound smart to Germans but everyone here will think you're a *******.
I gave up on the correct pronunciation. got tired of the bewildered looks.
I gave up on the correct pronunciation. got tired of the bewildered looks.
The problem with using the correct pronunciation in this country is no one knows what the **** you're talking about. Sure you'll sound smart to Germans but everyone here will think you're a *******.
I gave up on the correct pronunciation. got tired of the bewildered looks
I gave up on the correct pronunciation. got tired of the bewildered looks
71goldss
Well-known member
^ +2
This is one of those names that is never going to have a right or wrong pronunciation. It's geographical and you will always be corrected depending on where you are. Same thing with Denon audio equipment.
This is one of those names that is never going to have a right or wrong pronunciation. It's geographical and you will always be corrected depending on where you are. Same thing with Denon audio equipment.
gdocktor3
Well-known member
Thank you for sharing that!
bwringer
Well-known member
I don't care that he mispronounces "Knipex" throughout the video in several different ways. I just want that wall o' pliers behind him.
If you speak German, the pronunciation is quite clear from the spelling, at least when you're speaking German (k-NEE-pex). The "k" is definitely pronounced, but it's not a stop -- it's a very soft, quick "k", more like k'NEE-pex. Definitely not "KUH-nee-pex". (The softness of the "k" varies a little depending on where the speaker learned German, but never mind that.)
This video is in English, but the pronunciation of Knipex is correct for German (first heard at :23):
All that aside, it's quite common for names to change pronunciation in different languages. The German version of Knipex sounds very strange in English (often causing sort of a blue screen crash effect), so people change it around in different ways in order to be understood.
I owned a VW a while back, and even the doofs at the dealer would sometimes give me blank looks when I said "folks-vagen" instead of "Volks-wagon". You'd think they would have heard that before...
The Germans probably don't really mind as long as you buy the pliers.
Most Japanese and Korean brand names also sound very different in their native languages.
I find this video concerning Japanese brand names relevant and interesting...
Some Korean brand names in Korean.
If you speak German, the pronunciation is quite clear from the spelling, at least when you're speaking German (k-NEE-pex). The "k" is definitely pronounced, but it's not a stop -- it's a very soft, quick "k", more like k'NEE-pex. Definitely not "KUH-nee-pex". (The softness of the "k" varies a little depending on where the speaker learned German, but never mind that.)
This video is in English, but the pronunciation of Knipex is correct for German (first heard at :23):
All that aside, it's quite common for names to change pronunciation in different languages. The German version of Knipex sounds very strange in English (often causing sort of a blue screen crash effect), so people change it around in different ways in order to be understood.
I owned a VW a while back, and even the doofs at the dealer would sometimes give me blank looks when I said "folks-vagen" instead of "Volks-wagon". You'd think they would have heard that before...
The Germans probably don't really mind as long as you buy the pliers.
Most Japanese and Korean brand names also sound very different in their native languages.
I find this video concerning Japanese brand names relevant and interesting...
Some Korean brand names in Korean.
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Ign
Well-known member
Deenastar or Dynastar
Maveek or Mavic
And who the hell knows about Louis Garneau LOL
The list goes on for cycling & skiing
It's all potato/potahto
Maveek or Mavic
And who the hell knows about Louis Garneau LOL
The list goes on for cycling & skiing
It's all potato/potahto
They got mad then we got mad. As I recall it did not end well for them. Their North American CEO can't make up his mind (see other video) and appears to still have his job. LOL. As long as you buy their pliers I'm sure they don't give a damn what you call them. Those electrician's pliers look like something I want.
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kctyphoon
Banned
I get a kick out of this - has come up several times before.. here's my stance.. HERE, in the USA, the "k" is silent.. we follow "our" language rules. So unless you're going to start pronouncing "Mexico" the way they do across the boarder, and pronounce every other foreign word they way it's pronounced in its own country- it seems kinda comical to me that people would pick out one German word and pronounce it the way they do in Europe..
Do you say "Jesus" or "Hey-Zeus" ????
Do you say "Jesus" or "Hey-Zeus" ????
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Sal Bandini
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2012
- Messages
- 994
^^ Agree to a point. It seems we do pick and choose which words we pronounce correctly.
How would you pronounce the Spanish name Jesus?
How come everyone pronounces the German Chancellor's name different from that of Angela Lansbury?
How about that Greek dish? No one pronounces it like gyro as in gyroscope.
Edit: I didn't see you last line about Jesus.
How would you pronounce the Spanish name Jesus?
How come everyone pronounces the German Chancellor's name different from that of Angela Lansbury?
How about that Greek dish? No one pronounces it like gyro as in gyroscope.
Edit: I didn't see you last line about Jesus.
I just googled knipex.de. That is the German site. Then I clicked on Deutsch for German. Then I clicked on a video. They say kNEE-pex with the k and the NEE as one sylable, with no pause. Go listen for yourself. Then prononounce it any way you like. We butcher the names of many foreign products and nobody gives a damn. The correct pronounciation of gouda cheese is ch(gutteral in back of throat) auda. There is no such word in Spanish as tamale. One is a tamal, more than one are tamales.
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kctyphoon
Banned
I expect you all to start pronouncing Volkswagen they way they do in Germany also then, "Folkswagen", along with every other imported car brand too..
I immediately demand the "ka-nip-ex" believers to start pronouncing all these in their "correct" German pronunciation as well... you can't have it both ways...
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Strouty
Well-known member
You should have quit when you were ahead. I just went to their German site and in their demo videos they say kNEE-pex. The k is blended into the NEE with no pause.
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Forget about American videos. Go to knipex.de (their German site). Click in Deutsch for German and listen to a demo video. They say kNEE-pex. There is no pause or separation between the k and the NEE. Accent on the NEE.
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Only half right. It is pronounced FolksVagen in German. Sorry, I couldn't resist.I expect you all to start pronouncing Volkswagen they way they do in Germany also then, "Folkswagen", along with every other imported car brand too..
I immediately demand the "ka-nip-ex" believers to start pronouncing all these in their "correct" German pronunciation as well... you can't have it both ways...
[emoji38]_hitti
Thank you for sharing that!
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to answer your questions, im born and raised in germany and we pronounce the letter K or any other letter unless its not there (duh) so its not nipex its Knipex, same for porsch or porscha, its porsche. i still wonder why you guys use letters that you dont pronounce? i think it would make more sense to leave them out but what do i know. took me awhile to get used to.
It is not just English. French is full of unpronounced letters Chevrolet, filet mignon. The British do say filet not filay as we do but they pronounce derby and clerk, darby and clark. Go figure. In German you manage to squeeze a whole sentence into one endless word. It all keeps things interesting. English is not consistent. Some letter combinations are pronounced differently in different words. In Spanish there are no dipthongs; two vowels together are pronounced separately. The same letters are pronounced differently in different languages. Well, that is my linguistics rant for today.
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FigureItOut
Well-known member
There are plenty. My Spanish vocabulary isn't what it used to be but off the top of my head are fuego, agua, guerre, fuerte, Juan, Tijuana, juego, aguacate, fuera, cuarto, quatro, seis...
FigureItOut
Well-known member
Sorry if my tone was a little snarkry, didn't intend that at all, your point is spot on though. What I do really like about Spanish is that the rules they have are generally consistent. If you can spell a word, you can pronounce it, and vise versa. That's definitely not the case in English.
No problem. That is what I like about Spanish, too. But it is wordy and takes up about 1/3 more space on the page than English. They have no 's.
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