Name Pronouncing

[The Mandarin]

How does one go by pronouncing the names of various Japanese superstars in English? I'd like to compile a list so if by chance I ever have to use a name of a puro star during a conversation.

 

Just provide names and examples on how to pronounce them.

 

Like:

 

Chris Benoit (Kris Ben-wah)

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Honestly most of the names are pronounced like they look. And if you have tapes just listen to the ring announcer and that should help you with any you have questions about.

[Guest Contentious C]

Uh, wow.

 

This is really not a difficult topic. At all.

 

Japanese is EASIER to pronounce than English, given that it has fewer consonant sounds (letters like L/R are blended together, B/V, T/D, G/K etc.) and only one form of pronunciation per vowel. A = short 'a' sound (ah), E = long 'a' sound, I = long e sound, O = long O sound, U = "oo". The only trick to the names you hear are:

 

"Ts" is pronounced like you'd say it in "cats" - less t, more s

"U" in the middle of a name can sometimes be spoken very quickly - thus the confusion between Asuka and Aska (the former is how it's correctly translated, the latter is how it sounds to us)

 

And that's all you need to know. Any half-decent Japanese language book probably could have told you as much. The real hassle comes from reading English names that have been translated into Japanese katakana when someone has attempted to retain the English pronunciation (Vader turning into something that would spell "Baida", for instance).

[BX]

Why the hostility, Collins? Is that the way things are done here?

[Guest Contentious C]

If that's your idea of hostility, then you're looking for it to be there. Unplug for a few days and go see if the real world's all nicey and stuff. It isn't.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Hostile? Haha. You've got to be kidding me. That's about as straightforward and matter of fact as a reply can get.