Pronunciations

How the bloody hell can the pronunciation of a word change because it's old? It is, was, and always will be Poh-KAY-mon.
 
Well, I suppose with some background on how Japanese pronounce words, it makes it a little clearer how some of them are supposed to be pronounced, but still I think that's semi-invalid because their names change when they come over here anyway.

but it's po'kay'mon
or as I like to say teh pokedemanz.
 
Ichida said:
Any Pokemon's name pronunciations surprise you? I just destroyed Taylor's Bibarel, and the announcer pronounced it "Bee-barrel." Before then I had always said "Bib'a-rell." Same with Rotom. I was saying "wrote-om," but the announcer said "Row-Tom." Anyone else get surprised like this?
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I pronounce Bibarel same as you. I pronounce Rotom Rot-um. Togetic, which I pronounce toe-gu-tick, they pronounce toe-get-ick. with emphasis on the first syllable. The pronunciations are wierd, but listening to the cartoon, which is supposedly saying them right, most of the pronunciations greatly differ from what I expected. They're made up words after all, the regular rules for for figuring out a pronunciation go out the window.

Oh, and in the older cartoon, they pronounced it POgumon. it was like they all were struck with sinuses on the second syllable. and that came back for the Master of Mirage POkemon movie too. I personally pronounce it po-kuh-mon, but I know the proper pronunciation is pokaymon.
 
I actually never thought about this, as I've yet to buy PBR, but I'm definitely going to be listening more intently when playing.

Here's the way I pronounce the following names:
Rotom as "Row-Tom"
Ponyta as "Poh-nee-tah"
Bibarel as "Bih-bar-el"
Togetic as "Toh-geh-tick"
Gardevoir as "Gar-de-voir"
Porygon as "Poor-ee-gone"
and Roserade "Rose-er-ade"

It seems when there's a consonant paired with an i, the announcer pronounces the i as a long "e" sound. (Hence Bibarel being pronounced "Bee-Barel"). Along with using different sounds, it seems to me that the announcer places emphasis on different syllables than what the majority of us are used to. I suppose that could really throw you off. o_O

Oh, on random note: I can't stand when Pokémon is pronounced poh-key-mon. It drives me absolutely nuts. Dunno why, really.
 
There's something out there called, what was it now?...

COEXIST.

Multiple pronounciations (even if one says it's wrong) can still live by one another.

I just play PBR w/ the announcer off anyway.
 
Because.

RSL said:
How so? The accented e is in the MIDDLE, not the END. Besides, if I hear anyone say it as KEY or KAY, I will litterally ask them "What year is it?" Answer that question correctly, then I'll say that your pronounciation is still stuck in the '90's, because it changed after the fad died down.
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Ichida is indeed correct. Technically most of us have been reading Pokemon wrongly for years, it even shows us in the title. Its actually a slang off of Pocket Monsters. Satoshi Tajiri named it Poke Mon. But took out the space between the ending e and the starting M. So the e is technically then end of the word Poke. IE it isnt in the middle.

As for pronounciations of pokemon, my kid and I have been going over this for awhile. As I myself had studied many languaged Japanese included, that make up for some interesting ways to say different pokemon names. Like Pachirisu, I personally think it looks like a Latin name too me. So I personally pronounce it this way. Pah-chee-riss- oo, my kid like most say Pa-tchee-rEE-soo. Now in the japanese it shouldnt have any pronounciation on the ending u, as u's are almost always silent in the japanese tongue, in such names like Yusuke, NOT pronounces Yuu-soo-kee, actually is Yoos-kay. So in japanese would probably be Pah-chah-rees~ leaving the S rolling at the end of the word. Hence the tilde.

Pronounciations are a fun thing to guess and hear correctly wrongly or way the hell off, when it comes to games from Japan, then translation to English, heck even Portugese, which it has more relation to becomes funny. Checkout Wiki for some interesting name translations of your favorite pokemon, and by wiki I mean Bulbapedia. The Pokemon Wikipedia. ^^
 
True, but "Pokemon" is still one word.
 
Hmm I think its strange how there pronounce Palkia

I always said something like Pol-ki-a, the announcer says Pal-ki-a
 
Eh, multiple pronunciations to a word can exist, but this only really applies to words that have been around long enough for people to develop other accepted pronunciations to a word, and I don't think 10 years is enough yet. Especially when you consider "Pokémon" is a made up word that Nintendo has full reign on how it should be said. It still makes me cringe a bit when I hear people say kamikaze "ka-meh-ka-zee" instead of "ka-mi-ka-zeh". But the former pronunciation is accepted in America, simply because the term was used so much to describe those pilots, even if that isn't the actual meaning, or original usage, of the term.

Not to mention the fact that the way you say "Pokémon" gives you a label and an image of just where you are coming from: whether you're someone who follows Pokémon from the American media, or someone who acknowledges Japan and their original creation. How you choose to say it won't stop the fact, however, that the original and widely-accepted (by "Pokémon enthusiasts") pronunciation is still Poh-keh-mohn. Let's just all go with "Poketto Monsta" now. That would be awesome. XD

Btw, this thread is passed its expiration date, as it is over a month old. x_x

Nameless111 said:
Hmm I think its strange how there pronounce Palkia

I always said something like Pol-ki-a, the announcer says Pal-ki-a
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I think Pal-ki-a should be right, as the original name is Parukia and remained basically unchanged when it went English.
 
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I have mp3 files of all the first 151 pokemon, how their names are pronounced. And Pachirisu is pronounced: pa-chi-ri-su. Yes the u may not be heard here, remmeber that all the vowels are short it this name.
 
I always thought Lucario was pronounced "Lou-Sar-Ee-O", with a s sound for the c, but the announcer said it "Lou-Car-Ee-O"
 
The Lucario movie calls him "Lu-car-ee-oh" as well. Prior to watching it, I had called him "Lu-care-ee-oh."

Palkia? Pahl-kee-uh.
 
I always thought it was Swee-cuun and kie-oh-ger...

i'm really bad at these although i'll always call them that.
 
Suicune and Kyogre? I call them Soo-ee-coon and kyo-gurr. *shrug*
 
I pronounce stuff wrong apparently, like I always used to pronounce Groudoon as GREW-DON, but then i realized he's named after the word 'ground', so i pronounce it GRAIL-DON.
I always pronounced Kyogre right - KAI-OH-GER.
I also pronounce:
PA-CHI-REE-SU - Pachirisu
ROSE-EL-EE-AA -Roselia
ROSE-EH-RAH_DAY - Roserade
LEW-CAR-RIO - Lucario
FUR-ALILLGATOR - Feraligatr
GROVE-ALL - Grovyle
GROW-TALL -Grotle
SUE-EE-SOON-EH - Suicune
EN-TAY - Entei
PRADHJ-YSHTEG-AHDYY - Pikachu (cos I hate that little ****)
I hate saying Regice, cos it always sounds like I'm saying 'Rejoice'
 
I used to call Suicune, "Soo-ih-soon" [I think it sounds much cooler]

I call it, "Kai-ogre"

I saw on Youtube he pronounces it "Ar-see-oose". I always that that it was "Ar-soose" sense it is the god of all pokemon, and Zeus is the god of all greek gods.
 
i heard the announcer say them but i still say them how i think they are pronounced
 
My cuz is soo funny. He calls Bibarel Bee-bar-rel. and he calls torterra tort-er-a
 
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