# Pronunciation of 'Ikea' and other words **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844 "2007-01-28T16:47:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/1 "2007-01-28T16:47:27Z")
I took a lot of German classes in high school and college, so I got into the habit of defaulting to non-English pronunciations for foreign words. To me, ‘Ikea’ should be pronounced something like ‘ee-Kay-ah’. How is it pronounced in Sweden? And while I’m at it, why is ‘Anheuser’ (‘Anheuser-Busch’) pronounced ‘AN-hye-zer’ instead of ‘AHN-hoy-zer’? (Don’t get me started on ‘Löwenbräu’!) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/2 "2007-01-28T16:54:15Z")
The general answer to your question is that we don’t give a rat’s ass about how things are pronounced in the old country. First names, last names, and other types of words get corrupted and Americanized over time. That isn’t just true for English. The U.S. has coined a whole boatload of tech terms that get adopted in other places and they don’t strive to speak them with a perfect American accent. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/3 "2007-01-28T16:56:10Z")
I’ve always heard the former pronounced “eye-KEY-uh,” no matter what the country. The latter is pronounced “bud.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/4 "2007-01-28T17:11:05Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I’ve always heard the former pronounced “eye-KEY-uh,” no matter what the country. The latter is pronounced “bud.” [/QUOTE] A buddy from Cambridge (UK) pronounces it “ICK-ee-yuh.” Hungarians pronounce it “EE-keh-aw”. I actually don’t think I’ve heard anyone but Americans and some Brits pronounce it “eye-KEY-uh.” “Eye” is not a usual sound for “i” in most European languages. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/5 "2007-01-28T17:17:22Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] A buddy from Cambridge (UK) pronounces it “ICK-ee-yuh.” Hungarians pronounce it “EE-keh-aw”. I actually don’t think I’ve heard anyone but Americans and some Brits pronounce it “eye-KEY-uh.” “Eye” is not a usual sound for “i” in most European languages. [/QUOTE] It’s eye-key-ah. Just like eye-talian, eye-rock and eye-ran. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/6 "2007-01-28T17:20:01Z")
It’s a short ee, not ay, at the beginning. Stress on the a, which should be “open” (for lack of knowing the phonetical term) as in ha-ha. It’s not just Americans who do this, we do it too, as does just anyone else. The Spaniards talk about _Estados Unidos_, \*Nueva York \* and _Londres_, we Swedes don’t talk about the brit currency as puond, but use the Swedish version: _pund_. Don’t sweat it. It’s not like there’s another big chain of Swedish furniture stores which could be mistaken for either Ay-keah or Ee-ke-a. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/7 "2007-01-28T17:20:01Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I took a lot of German classes in high school and college, so I got into the habit of defaulting to non-English pronunciations for foreign words. To me, ‘Ikea’ should be pronounced something like ‘ee-Kay-ah’. How is it pronounced in Sweden? And while I’m at it, why is ‘Anheuser’ (‘Anheuser-Busch’) pronounced ‘AN-hye-zer’ instead of ‘AHN-hoy-zer’? (Don’t get me started on ‘Löwenbräu’!) [/QUOTE] In Swedish (as in Norwegian) it’s ee-Keh-ah. (It’s actually an acronym.) ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/8 "2007-01-28T21:56:19Z")
However it is pronounced, the Swedish need to get with the program. It’s spelled iKea! ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/9 "2007-01-28T23:14:23Z")
You americans are notoriously bad at pronouncing foreign words. Ay-Kay-ah Das Boot oo-ber Etc ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/10 "2007-01-29T00:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] Das Boot [/QUOTE] What? It sounds like a small vessel for an old operating system. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/11 "2007-01-29T00:35:39Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] You americans are notoriously bad at pronouncing foreign words. Ay-Kay-ah Das Boot oo-ber Etc [/QUOTE] No, as **Shagnasty** said, we’re pronouncing an Americanized version of the words. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/12 "2007-01-29T03:56:12Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] No, as **Shagnasty** said, we’re pronouncing an Americanized version of the words. [/QUOTE] Sometimes we are, but usually we’re simply mangling the pronounciation of a perfectly good furriner word, because, as someone correctly pointed out, we are a bunch of chauvinist pricks when it comes to languages other than American. 😛 We don’t just mangle the pronounciation, we have a tendency to ignore the proper grammar and meaning as well. I nearly died the first time I heard someone ask for a beef dip sandwich, and asked specifically if they could have it “with _au jus_.” Prounounced “ow juice” of course, just to compound the stupidity. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/13 "2007-01-29T10:17:51Z")
Thats why I’m always two minutes behind when listening to talks at conferences where latin names of organisms are pronounced by english speakers, me mentally trying to untangle what species they are talking about. Just take a common seasquirt like [_Ciona intestinalis_](http://www.habitas.org.uk/.../photo.asp?item=cioint) , (or in common language just called penis mares), where it is correct to pronounce the i as an e, the o as in flock, and the a as in haha. Compare that to an english pronounciation. I’m so tired… ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/14 "2007-01-29T11:01:44Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] What? It sounds like a small vessel for an old operating system. [/QUOTE] Its a german movie, which is about a submarine, not footwear. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/15 "2007-01-29T11:37:39Z")
[QUOTE=Charlie Tan] It’s a short ee, not ay, at the beginning. Stress on the a, which should be “open” (for lack of knowing the phonetical term) as in ha-ha. It’s not just Americans who do this, we do it too, as does just anyone else. The Spaniards talk about _Estados Unidos_, \*Nueva York \* and _Londres_, we Swedes don’t talk about the brit currency as puond, but use the Swedish version: _pund_. Don’t sweat it. It’s not like there’s another big chain of Swedish furniture stores which could be mistaken for either Ay-keah or Ee-ke-a. [/QUOTE] Ehrm, your Spanish examples aren’t just “copied words, mispronounced”… that would be “whisky pronounced _güiski_ or even _juiki_.” They’re alternative names that evolved in parallel. And everybody who speaks a decent language knows that IKEA is pronounced ikea, of course 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/16 "2007-01-29T13:12:40Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] Its a german movie, which is about a submarine, not footwear. [/QUOTE] Operating system = DOS = Das Vessel = Boat I was saying that it’s pronounced ‘doss bote’, and not ‘doss (or dass) boot’. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/17 "2007-01-29T13:21:18Z")
> [@](#): > > A buddy from Cambridge (UK) pronounces it “ICK-ee-yuh.” Why? Is he Scandinavian? Does he like being different? I’ve never heard anyone in my life use this pronunciation, and if I did I wouldn’t have a clue what they were talking about. The vast majority of British people use the pronunciation eye-key-a. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/18 "2007-01-29T15:38:38Z")
[QUOTE=Dominic Mulligan] Why? Is he Scandinavian? Does he like being different? I’ve never heard anyone in my life use this pronunciation, and if I did I wouldn’t have a clue what they were talking about. The vast majority of British people use the pronunciation eye-key-a. [/QUOTE] I have a feeling it’s a joke: Icky-ah. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/19 "2007-01-29T18:00:20Z")
Adidas. Have at it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2007, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844/20 "2007-01-30T06:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=Dominic Mulligan] Why? Is he Scandinavian? Does he like being different? I’ve never heard anyone in my life use this pronunciation, and if I did I wouldn’t have a clue what they were talking about. The vast majority of British people use the pronunciation eye-key-a. [/QUOTE] Maybe a joke, maybe not. I couldn’t tell. It sounded like that was simply the pronunciation he used. No, he’s not Scandinavian and a Scandinavian wouldn’t say it that way, anyhow. Furthermore, if you do a search for “icky uh” and “ikea”, you will note that apparently some people do use this pronunciation. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronunciation-of-ikea-and-other-words/389844.md?page=2)