True story: For years, factions of my family argued over the correct pronunciation of the word “mousse.” The heated debates took place long before the Internet became a reliable arbiter of such arguments, and usually at Thanksgiving—though repeats of the discussion could carry over to Christmas dinner.
And yes, it does appear that the word might be pronounced “mouse,” but as you likely know, it’s actually read “moose.” Delightful stuff regardless of what you call it, though the surprisingly acrimonious discussions did take some of the joy out of holiday dessert time, a thing for which I will always be a bit resentful.
While most holiday menu items are relatively easy to pronounce, there are several automotive model and brand names that elude easy enunciation. If, during an automotive discussion you’ve been subjected to an incorrect pronunciation or two, you may enjoy sifting through this list. Also, if you know of any other auto-related vocabulary words that are being mishandled, please share them with us. The place to leave comments is down below.
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Hyundai
Rhymes with Sunday
Though a player in the U.S. new-car market since the Eighties, people are still mispronouncing this Korean automaker’s name.
Often heard as “hi-un-die,” the correct way to pronounce the brand that brings us the Sonata and Santa Fe is “hun-day.” Yup, Hyundai actually rhymes with Sunday, which makes things pretty easy to remember.
Geely
Rhymes with Really
If you haven’t heard of Geely, you soon will. This Chinese automotive conglomerate is the parent company of Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, as well as a number of car brands not offered in the U.S., including Smart, Zeekr, and Radar.
Most folks pronounce the name of this fast-growing Asian carmaker as “jee-lee,” with a soft g, and that’s wrong. Geely is pronounced with a hard g, as in the word ghee (like the Indian clarified butter.) Want to sound like you know your Chinese car companies? Pronounce Geely “ghee-lee.”
Seat
Rhymes with…nothing, really
Unknown to most Americans, Seat is a Spanish carmaker that has been part of the Volkswagen Group since 1986. Established in 1950, Seat produces a full line of vehicles including the Leon compact car and Tarraco electric crossover.
Life would be easier if this Iberian carmaker’s name rhymed with “heat,” but, alas, it does not. The correct pronunciation is “say-yacht,” which is relatively easy to say, but a little difficult to remember.
Ghibli
Rhymes with Sibley (a town in Iowa)
As this midsize Maserati sedan doesn’t come up all that often in conversation—they don’t sell especially well—opportunities to correct common mispronunciations of the name are few. But, if you’re to sound like an educated car aficionado, you need to get this one correct.
There’s some confusion here, as the name of the Maserati model in question is spelled the same as the legendary Japanese animation studio—but the two are pronounced differently. The studio, known for such classics as “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and “Spirited Away,” is pronounced “jee-blee” with a soft g. The Maserati, however, is pronounced “ghee-blee” with a hard g. The Maserati, by the way, is named for a hot Arab wind, fitting for an exotic, high-performance sedan.
Purosangue
Doesn’t rhyme with anything
It finally happened: Ferrari has added a crossover to its lineup. Give the Italian super-car maker credit for not charging into the SUV space blindly, as exotic car makers including Aston Martin (DBX), Bentley (Bentayga), Lamborghini (Urus), and Rolls-Royce (Cullinan) have already made the leap.
But of all the new ultra-luxury crossovers, Ferrari’s bears the most difficult to deal with model name. Meet the Purosangue. The name, which is Italian for “pure breed,” is pronounced “pure-oh-sang-way,” or something very close to that. Expect to see examples of this $400,000 crossover on the street fairly soon.
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Car Names You’re Pronouncing Wrong
Car Names You’re Pronouncing Wrong
As far as I’m concerned, Jaguar is a 2-syllable word.
Willys as in “whatcha talkin about Willis”
Actually Geely is pronounced with a soft “g”, as it comes from the Chinese word 吉利 (Jílì) which means lucky; auspicious; propitious