# Non-English pronunciation: Ng

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-pronunciation-ng/248348>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 2, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-pronunciation-ng/248348 "2004-06-02T23:32:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-pronunciation-ng/248348/41 "2004-06-05T16:02:20Z")

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> [@Myglaren](#):
>
> Can’t remember where I saw it, in some book I read a few years ago but which one is lost to me.
> 
> Anyway, one of the prime characters was called Nguyen Ng, and he pronouced it ‘John Wayne’

That would be Neal Stephenson’s excellent novel _Cryptonomicon_.

It seems to me that Nguyen should be pronounced like the word “penguin,” removing the “peh” sound at the beginning. Does that sound correct to you Dopers?

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**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-pronunciation-ng/248348/42 "2004-06-05T17:54:27Z")

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> [@Blake](#):
>
> … How do people shout these names? It seems like a word lacking vowels can’t really be projected. I just tried shouting ‘ng’ and the loudest sound I could make can hardly be heard from the next room. It’s like humming really loudly.
> 
> Do people add extra fake vowels when shouting these names to give them projection?

no, they just choose whatever else is convenient.

Ana Ng - ANAAAAAA!  
Doctor Ng - HELP!!!  
stranger Ng - OI!!!

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**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\
**Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-pronunciation-ng/248348/43 "2004-06-05T20:35:11Z")

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> [@iwakura43](#):
>
> That would be Neal Stephenson’s excellent novel _Cryptonomicon_.
> 
> It seems to me that Nguyen should be pronounced like the word “penguin,” removing the “peh” sound at the beginning. Does that sound correct to you Dopers?

Yep, That would be the one, I think. Must dig it out and check. Thanks for the reminder.

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-english-pronunciation-ng/248348/44 "2004-06-06T01:03:28Z")

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My canto is horrendous, but to my ears Ng sounds pretty much like the “un” in “hunger”

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