# British pronunciation of "jaguar" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487 "2002-12-23T04:40:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/21 "2002-12-24T12:51:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RedDawgEsq \* > \*\*[hijack] > Has the dichotomy between “noo’ - klee -uhr” and “nuke’ -you - lur” ever been resolved? > [/hijack] \*\* Yeah - noo-klee-uhr and nyou-klee-uhr are acceptable (just US/UK differences in how the “u” is pronounced). nuke-you-lur is just plain wrong, and it is embarrassing to have a president that cannot pronounce the word. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/22 "2002-12-24T12:52:24Z")
Don’t forget “aluminialumalum”. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/23 "2002-12-24T12:55:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Carine \* > \*\*So from what I understand the english pronouce it a Jag-oo-ar. But it is how the say the “cat”'s name too? Or is it just the car. \*\* The English pronounce all words that end in ua or uar as you-ah. Hence Jag-you-ah, Nick-arr-ag-you-ah, Ack-on-cag-you-ah, Josh-you-ah. Having made that bold statement, no doubt someone will respond with an exception… ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/24 "2002-12-24T15:32:58Z")
We pronounce aluminium how we spell it - al-u-min-e-um ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/25 "2002-12-24T19:03:26Z")
Thanks to all. I’ve learned several things (jag-wire? who the hell would say jag-wire?) not least being the fact that there’s apparently no topic so obscure that you can safely assume it hasn’t already been discussed on this board. And everyone knows who said “two countries seperated by a common language” - it was George Patton of course. I saw him say it in a movie. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/26 "2002-12-24T19:38:18Z")
Recently discussed [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=145570). ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/27 "2002-12-24T19:39:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rampisad \* > \*\*since the symbol of the car is the cat, you can take it as a pretty fair bet that the they’re the same, in my vernacular. > > As for Nicaragua, is their any other way than nick - err -ag - you -uh? > > In response to the hijack … nyoo - klee - eh \*\* I always thought the UK way of pronouncing these words was just the result of completely anglicizing the pronunciation, the way doctors and lawyers do with Latin. I, on the other hand, usually try to pronounce the word at least something like the way its pronounced in the language of origin: Jag-war and Nick-a rah-gwah. I don’t know if I do this because I’m American, or because I’ve studied foreign languages and picked up the habit. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/28 "2002-12-24T21:18:51Z")
It’s because the United States is cheek by jowl with Latin America, so even those of us who haven’t studied Spanish have at least a modicum of a clue about how Spanish sounds, and do not insist on imposing English sounds on all the foreign names. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/29 "2002-12-25T00:49:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rayne Man \* > \*\*We pronounce aluminium how we spell it - al-u-min-e-um \*\* And I pronounce “whoosh” exactly how it’s spelled. ---
**Author:** ![sx633](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@sx633](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sx633)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/30 "2002-12-25T05:38:17Z")
The ‘jag-you-are’ pronunciation is a low class affectation to get the rubes to think it’s high class, as in the new trailer park (oops, I should have said mobile home development) down the road which is named: ‘Sherwoode Forest Towne Centre Estates’. The next town over (Waterford) bulldozed an athletic field, sold it to Kroger’s and put up a large brick sign which says that this is now the ‘Waterford Towne Centre’ Whenever I go it by I can’t get the sound out of mind, like a bad song stuck in my mind, ‘Town-ee Centr-ee’. But hey, its’s just a Kroger’s for chrissakes, not some vintage c.1750 quaint New England town. Its just a strip mall on an endless highway of strip malls. Don’t they know this is a low class hillbilly thing to do? I would be embarassed to have anyone I know see I live in such an idiot’sville. But I’ll bet the towne fathers strut around and think what clever people they are. Same thing with ‘Jag-yoo-are’. Some people I suppose are impressed with this hooey and will spend the bucks to have the connotation of upper-class British snobbery. ---
**Author:** ![rampisad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/858c86/32.png) [@rampisad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rampisad)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/31 "2002-12-25T12:02:12Z")
Bryan Ekers > [@](#): > > And I pronounce “whoosh” exactly how it’s spelled. so how do you pronounce _ghoti_😕 😕 ---
**Author:** ![guy\_from\_wpa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@guy\_from\_wpa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guy_from_wpa)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/32 "2002-12-25T17:42:33Z")
so how do you pronounce ghoti “fish” ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/33 "2002-12-25T18:10:09Z")
They’re still overpriced pieces of guanoo. Buy a caddy! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2002, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/34 "2002-12-25T21:03:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jsc1953 \* > \*\*Also noticed, listening to the BBC on NPR, that the British seem to pronounce “Nicaragua” something like Nick-ar-AG-yoo-wa (very similar to the jaguar pronunciation). And in the same story you’d hear a native of same country pronounce it Nee-gar-awa. And the American pronunciation somewhere in between. \*\* About ten years ago, when it was trendy in certain circles to overpronounce Spanish words, NPR commentators pronounced the Central American country’s name as “Nee-kah-LAS-goo-wah,” with a Hispanic/Mexican accent. A commentator would read something in a Midland Northern accent, hit a word with Spanish origins, and then pronounce that as if they were natives of Guadalajara. Words based in other languages didn’t get this treatment. On NPR recently, I’ve heard several variants of Al-Qaeda, with “ah-KAD” becoming increasingly common among the PC crowd. US commentators usually say “al-KAY-da,” while the Brits usually pronounce it “al-kuy-EEE-da.” ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/35 "2002-12-26T01:41:22Z")
When I first moved to Canada, I said “zee” and my students “zed”. Now, 34 years later, I have learned to say “zed” and the majority of the students say “zee”. You can’t win. Although brits say “zebra” and Americans “zeebra”, the Brits say “aneesthetic” (and spell it anaesthetist) while Americans say “anesthetist” and spell it the same way. So you can’t even break even. Just like the first and second laws of thermodynamics. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/36 "2002-12-26T02:36:59Z")
FWIW, the word _jagua_ comes ultimately from the Guarani word _jagua_, meaning, of all things, “dog”. The word is two syllables in Guarani. Nevertheless, there’s nothing intrinsically incorrect about the three-syllable pronunciation most British English speakers use. The British usage of the word has mere moved further away from the original than the American usage has. ---
**Author:** ![Swede\_Hollow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Swede\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swede_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/37 "2002-12-27T00:59:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rampisad \* > \*\*I seem to recall a witty saying along the lines of “America and England are two countries separated by a common language”. Anybody know the source? \*\* A similar quote was in the 1944 movie **The Canterville Ghost** with _Charles Laughton_ telling _Robert Young_ “These days England and America have everything in common except, of course, the language.” ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/38 "2002-12-27T01:20:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rampisad \* > **I seem to recall a witty saying along the lines of “America and England are two countries separated by a common language”. Anybody know the source?** A quick Google suggests that the source is George Bernard Shaw, albeit [this site](http://www1c.btwebworld.com/quote-unquote/p0000149.htm) attributes it jointly to Shaw and Oscar Wilde. There are, inevitably, claims that it was said by Churchill, but Shaw and Wilde get precedence. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/39 "2002-12-27T01:47:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cazzle \* > \*\*I guess that was a little misleading… personally, I say Zee, but Zed is also used frequently. \*\* An Aussie checking in for “zed”. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487/40 "2002-12-27T04:59:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hari Seldon \* > \*\*the Brits say “aneesthetic” (and spell it anaesthetist) while Americans say “anesthetist” and spell it the same way. So you can’t even break even. Just like the first and second laws of thermodynamics. \*\* Nope. Anaesthetic and anaesthetist are two different things (one is painkiller, the other is painkiller expert) We do not say one and spell it the other. I think you made an error in the structure of your post there. while we are on the subject… Anaesthetic - ‘anasthetic’ Anaesthetist - ‘aneesthetist’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-pronunciation-of-jaguar/144487.md?page=3)