To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

The "How is it pronounced" thread...

BirdMobile

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
588
Ever wonder how to correctly pronounce certain tool names and brands? I know I have. I'll start.

How do you pronounce "Knipex"? Is it Nip-ex, Nye-pex, Kun-ip-ex, Kin-ip-ex, Kun-uh-pex, Kin-uh-pex, or something else?

I know that in German, "Walther" (the gun) is pronounced "Vul-tour" - rhymes with cool-purr. "Sig Sauer" (also the gun) is pronounced "tZig tZow-uh" - rhymrs with "pig-pow-uh". I learned both pronunciations from a native German who liked guns and target shooting. Not surprisingly, he told me that English speakers mispronounce many German brand names.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

mtwaterguy

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Messages
3,518
Ever wonder how to correctly pronounce certain tool names and brands? I know I have. I'll start.

How do you pronounce "Knipex"? Is it Nip-ex, Nye-pex, Kun-ip-ex, Kin-ip-ex, Kun-uh-pex, Kin-uh-pex, or something else?

I know that in German, "Walther" (the gun) is pronounced "Vul-tour" - rhymes with cool-purr. "Sig Sauer" (also the gun) is pronounced "tZig tZow-uh" - rhymrs with "pig-pow-uh". I learned both pronunciations from a native German who liked guns and target shooting. Not surprisingly, he told me that English speakers mispronounce many German brand names.

If we were in Germany it might be a problem. Here in Montana, not so much.
 

Sal Bandini

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
994
The "k" is always pronounced in German.

Also Wera is "v" sound. Same with Wiha.

If you really want to pronounce them right you need to learn to roll your R's.
 

shanny19

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2014
Messages
1,209
Location
PNW
This should be fun, given the number of people on here that believe their toolbox has "draws".
 

dj_110

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
163
Location
New Holstein, WI
so Po-tae-toe not Po-ta-toe? or Ta-may-toe or is it Ta-ma-toe? XD

My favorite that I hear is Volkswagen pronounced "Votes-wagon" In Germany I believe is pronounced "Folks-Va-gen" which means people's car.
 

Kevin54

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Jan 12, 2005
Messages
29,341
Location
Urbana, Ohio
so Po-tae-toe not Po-ta-toe? or Ta-may-toe or is it Ta-ma-toe? XD

My favorite that I hear is Volkswagen pronounced "Votes-wagon" In Germany I believe is pronounced "Folks-Va-gen" which means people's car.

You mispronounced both of them. It pronounced Ta-may-ta's and Pa-tay-ta's. :rocker:
 

lwlobo

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
1,076
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
It's Nigh-Pex, Still, and Husk-uh-varna for me. Most of the stores and dealers I've dealt with say it the same way, and everyone I know says the same also.

Next you're going to tell me IKEA isn't pronounced Eye-Kia?

I like the idea of saying it the same way the country or language of origin does, but it just doesn't work out that way. I say it the way people of my country and language do, since I'm talking to them. If I visited a Stihl plant or dealer in Germany I'd try to say it the way they do.

Pretty sure the companies don't care what we call it as long as we're buying. As American consumers we represent the Holy Grail of all sales markets.
 

3baygarage

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
11,937
Location
SW Florida/from Buffalo,NY
PLOMB--

How do you say it?

Plum? or Pl-ah-mb (silent b)?

OR

I like tater tots?

Thank you PLOMB, for creating and using a logo that sort of looks like PLVMB, so that the world can constantly wonder why it is now called Proto, and come to Garage Journal for answers.
 

Blöckw@rt

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
662
Location
Germany
'Stihl' is definetly pronounced like 'steel' but not with a "hard" S ….more like comparable with... 'sure', or 'sugar'........or.....brush
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

dj_110

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
163
Location
New Holstein, WI
How about Wiha? Is that "We-A" "Why-a" "Vee-A" "we-HA"???

How about Xcelite? I hear that pronounced "x-cell-ite" not sure if that is proper or not.

Bostitch. "BOW-stitch" "Bos-titch"?

Freud "froy-D"? "Free-ud"

How about Toyota? I hear "Tie-ota" a lot. "Toy-ota" "To-yota"
 

woody 73

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 14, 2009
Messages
11,542
Location
The Great State Up North
I learned early on DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PRONUNCIATION at all; why you point your finger shove them MONEY and walk away, works every time whether you are in the back woods of "AHIA as they say" or in France and you can take that to the Bank.:beer:
 

Blöckw@rt

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
662
Location
Germany
@dj 110

Wiha = Vee-Ha...the 'A' in german is pronounced like Iowa, Oklahoma, Canada

Xcelite is pronounced the same.

Bostitch = Bos-titch

Freud = froy-D

Toyota = To-yota
 

brass89

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2014
Messages
240
I knew it was pronounced 'steel' (stihl), but a soft/mushy 'S'? like shteel? now it makes me want to say it with a sean connery accent. lol
 

Sal Bandini

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
994
I've heard some Germans pronounce "st" with hard "s" but it sounded funny, like they were being pretentious or something.
 

jjjrmx5

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
3,431
Location
Cincinnati, OH
knee-pex.

If you want to argue, then nip-ex.

Doesn't matter though.
90% of tool users wouldn't know WTF they are in the first place because they are too cheap to buy them.

/end thread.

:)
 

JR 42

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
Messages
966
Location
Sunny Seattle
Cool thread! How about...

Witte - "VIT - eh" ?
Gedore - "geh - DOOR - eh" ?
Heyco - "HAY - co" ?
NWS - "en vay ess" ?
Felo - "FEE - low" ?


It's a good thing there aren't any umlauts. :headscrat :)
 

ganymede

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
2,332
Location
New England
Great bench vises were made in Athol Massachusetts.
Athol : Pronounced 'Ath' as in take a bath, and 'all' as in I like all war era tools.
 

Alan Douglas

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
295
Location
Cape Cod, Mass.
Freud (the saw company) is not German, so is not pronounced "froid." I remember seeing it in Fine Woodworking a long time ago. I believe it was "free-ood."
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom