Pronunciation help, how do you pronounce Ng?

[Nitemare]

I've got to call somebody back that emailed me at work and would like to not look like a dumbass.

 

[notfred]

I've never understood why foreign names get translated the way they do. Typically, they come from languages with different alphabets, so there is no English spelling that exists for them. So, when somome comes to an English speaking country, they have to choose a spelling for their name...

Why the hell don't they just choose a phonetic spelling?

 

[Drakkon]

We are the knights who say "Ng"

just sound like a dumbass american and call him "En-Gee" and ask him how you should pronounce it?

 

[Platypus]

My guess would be "New"

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: notfred

Why the hell don't they just choose a phonetic spelling?

QFT

 

[gleong]

I pronounce it like 'ing'

 

[DnetMHZ]

eng like engrave

 

[spiderrasmon]

dude...

 

[Mrvile]

It's Vietnamese, I don't know how to pronounce it in Vietnamese but most people say "ing."

But Scotty Nguyen's name is said like "nwen" so I dunno.

 

[Mrvile]

Originally posted by: AFB

Originally posted by: notfred

Why the hell don't they just choose a phonetic spelling?

QFT

HEY my last name is Zhou and is said like "joe" top that!

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: gleong
I pronounce it like 'ing'

Correct.

The other one people butcher is Nguyen. The correct pronunciation is "win." NOT nuh-goo-yin

 

[jaedaliu]

I think it's vietnamnese. I'm not vietnamnese, but i think it's pronounced "eng" with a mostly silent E.

but Drakkon's right, ask him how to pronounce it. There's nothing wrong with him knowing you want to pronounce his name right.

oh, and notfred, if it's vietnamenese, it might be because the last name has a french spelling, and it IS phonetic

 

[Vegito]

Originally posted by: gleong
I pronounce it like 'ing'

thats what my friends call themself.. ING..

 

[nakedfrog]

I've always said it 'ang'

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: gleong
I pronounce it like 'ing'

Correct.

The other one people butcher is Nguyen. The correct pronunciation is "win." NOT nuh-goo-yin

Can you blame us? like notfred pointed out, there was nothing stopping them from choosing a phonetic spelling if they didn't want it butchered...

 

[skyking]

ing

 

[Banana]

uhng

/thread

 

[spiderrasmon]

love it or leave it. you don't like our states, go TF back to Africa.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: gleong
I pronounce it like 'ing'

Correct.

The other one people butcher is Nguyen. The correct pronunciation is "win." NOT nuh-goo-yin

That makes no sense. Like the other user said, if you're going from a language that does not use the same alphabetic letters that we use, then if you want to write your name in English you have to choose a phonetic spelling that uses English letters.

Why would you choose a phonetic spelling that isn't spelled ANYTHING like it's pronounced? If my name was pronounced like the English word "win" in my native tongue, then when I wanted to write it in English I'd spell it something like "Win", or "Wen", or "Whin". I wouldn't spell it "Nguyen", or "Wxzyd2f". Why include English letters that don't spell the pronunciation?

 

[BrokenVisage]

Bub..

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: gleong
I pronounce it like 'ing'

Correct.

The other one people butcher is Nguyen. The correct pronunciation is "win." NOT nuh-goo-yin

If the proper pronunciation is "win", why not spell it that way? How does "wi" get converted to "nguye"??

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: spiderrasmon
love it or leave it. you don't like our states, go TF back to Africa.

Doubt very seriously if there are that many Ng's that originate in Africa


Troll much?

 

[MmmSkyscraper]

"Wassup b1tch?!"

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: gleong
I pronounce it like 'ing'

Correct.

The other one people butcher is Nguyen. The correct pronunciation is "win." NOT nuh-goo-yin

That makes no sense. Like the other user said, if you're going from a language that does not use the same alphabetic letters that we use, then if you want to write your name in English you have to choose a phonetic spelling that uses English letters.

Why would you choose a phonetic spelling that isn't spelled ANYTHING like it's pronounced? If my name was pronounced like the English word "win" in my native tongue, then when I wanted to write it in English I'd spell it something like "Win", or "Wen", or "Whin". I wouldn't spell it "Nguyen", or "Wxzyd2f". Why include English letters that don't spell the pronunciation?

Hey, agreed. I'm not Vietnamese, but I have plenty of friends who are, so I've gotten more used to their odd way of spelling things out in English. This problem is definitely not limited to Asian words and names, though. Polish names are severely confusing for people not familiar with them. For example, my mom has a friend whose last name is Czaskza. Pronounce that.

Or maybe Mike Krzyzewski. How does THAT equate to shi-chef-ski and not kur-zee-zoo-ski or crazy-zoo-ski?

 

[Banana]

What about Duke's head coach?

Mike Krzyzewski