# What does IKEA mean? How do Swedes pronounce it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198 "2003-10-08T02:15:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LovecatF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@LovecatF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LovecatF)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/1 "2003-10-08T02:15:45Z")
I found odd definitions in a Google search. One said it was Swedish for particle board. Another said it was Norse for maze. A more believable one said [QUOTE] Some readers might still wonder what IKEA means: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. Ingvar Kamprad is the founder, he grew up at a farm called Elmtaryd in a little village called Agunnaryd [quote] Also, how would Swedes pronounce it? ---
**Author:** ![Eurograff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Eurograff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eurograff)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/2 "2003-10-08T02:49:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. > Ingvar Kamprad is the founder, he grew up at a farm called Elmtaryd in a little village called Agunnaryd. That is correct. You can read more in [IKEA usa website](http://www.ikea-usa.com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/splash.html). As to pronunciation, well it follows the normal Swedish rules, but I don’t know how to explain that in English. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/3 "2003-10-08T03:49:15Z")
Well, a Belgian friend of mine pronounces it “ee-KAY-uh”, while I and all the Americans I know say something mroe like “eye-KEE-uh”. Is the Swedish like one of those, or something else? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/4 "2003-10-08T05:30:46Z")
Having spent most of my free time in one for the last 3 months, I pronounce it “ickier” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/5 "2003-10-08T06:24:04Z")
“Ee-KAY-ah” is pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/6 "2003-10-08T06:33:10Z")
I think pretty much anyone in the world except Americans would pronounce it correctly: “ee-KAY-ah” ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/7 "2003-10-08T06:50:32Z")
ih-KEY-ah is how everyone I know says it. Short I, emphasis on KE, A by itsself. Most of the english speakers I know say eye-KEY-ah Mmmm IKEA. ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/8 "2003-10-08T08:59:51Z")
Ee-KAY-ah in Sweden is close though the ‘Ee’ can sometimes sound as though there’s a short ‘j’ before the ‘Ee’ It’s E-Kay-Ah in France ---
**Author:** ![Nils](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Nils](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nils)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/9 "2003-10-08T10:27:29Z")
In Germany we also come quite close to the Swedish original (at least compared to English pronouciation). Do the Finns pronouce it like it was a Finnish word? Stress on I, and slight stress on A? I-ke-A… my guess is: yes! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2003, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ikea-mean-how-do-swedes-pronounce-it/206198/10 "2003-10-08T12:09:12Z")
I believe the Swedes pronounce it “muhn-ee-MAY-ker.”