How do you pronounce NIKON

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Here in OZ, we pronounce it with a sharp i, Nickon, Nikkor and Nikkormat, all the same. I't all very confusing, probably easier to get a Canon!<br>

Tony</p>

[clgriffin]

<p>In Japan, the home of so much good glass, it is (K)nee-cone (as in ice cream cone). American reps don't know any better than any other Americans. I worked with a Japanese camera store, for a while, and gave demos to my fellow gaijin, so can switch seamlessly from neecon to nighcon.</p>

[eddes]

<p>The other day, a Nikon rep, I met, used the French pronunciation because he was speaking in french.</p>

<p>Some commercials:</p>

<p><a href="

(knee-con) from a guy in germany</p>

<p><a href="

from US/Canada they say Nigh-con</p>

<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPB2P51DApA&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPB2P51DApA&feature=related</a> from US/Canada They say Nigh-con but knee-cor</p>

<p>Please note I filtered out commercials I did not personnally know are from Nikon. There are people out there who are making fake commercials (but that's another subject).</p>

<p>So Basically when talking in English, i say it English style. When speaking french, french style. When speaking Japanese say it Japanese style. etc. The people at Nikon advertise it that way.</p>

<p>Edmond</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>The correct pronunciation is "Nuculer" or "toMAto". :-)</p>

[ramon_v__california_]

<p>it is how a word or an acronym is pronounced in the country of origin. <br>

in japan it's "nee-kon". but there is no rule in spoken foreign languages that a native speaker of one country should follow the pronunciation of the other country where the "word" (in this case, nikon") came from.</p>

[segedi]

<p>I'm originally from the US and have pronounced it as Nigh-konn as well... silly me. In NZ, I've heard it as Nick-onn.</p>

[davebell]

<p>My guess is as follows:</p>

<p>USA -> Naikon</p>

<p>Rest of world => Neekon</p>

<p>Nothing wrong with either.</p>

<p> </p>

[davebell]

<p>As above, similar to IRAQ:</p>

<p>USA => airaq</p>

<p>UK => eeraak</p>

[vancouverphotographer]

<p>Most people I know say it like Naikon but I think the proper way is Neekon ... if they had spelt the blasted thing as Nikkon, I probably would say Neekon.</p>

[cameranda]

<p>I pronounce it 'Nicky'.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>The bane of English (especially American English, or is it just <em>American</em> ?) for everybody else is that nearly every vowel is "impure" in that it is actually a dipthong, a combination of two vowels, not just one. A key tell-tale sign of a non-native speaker is that their vowels are "pure," single sounds and sound "clipped" to native ears. Of course in the American Southeast, the vowels have increased to what I call a tripthongs. As in "Haou aeire yoiu?"</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>Good thing you don't shoot Minolta. </p>

[ian_packman1]

<p>I am one of the Knights who say NI! (kon)</p>

[ilkka_helavirta]

<p>I'd say it's real close to Nick-on. With basically no pause between the two parts.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>To Lil; Catalonians surely pronounce "Nikon" correctly... they are our official importers! :)</p>

[steven_sherwin]

<p>When you study spoken Japanese, one of the first things you learn is the Japanese pronounciation of the vowels a,e,i,o and u. In Japanese, the 'i' of Nikon is pronounced with an 'ee' sound so the linguistically correct pronounciation is Neekon.</p>

[keith__richard_terry]

<p>I am also one of the Knights who say 'NI-kon '</p>

[starvy]

<p>whatever it is, it has certainly made a nice and long thread ;)</p>

[bms]

<p>I have gotten used to Nigh-con vs Knee-con from my native Germany. Who cares? I could be shooting Kay-none or My-nole-toh..... at least around Lie-kah, there is little doubt.....</p>

[Sanford]

<p>It's amazing how many people consider Wikipedia the definitive answer to every question now. I do myself more and more these days, I hope it's at least partially accurate.</p>

[ty_mickan]

<p>Not sure if it holds up in court?</p>

[jon_park]

<p>I'm Korean but I've traveled through Japan and have talked with some about Nikon cameras. So, I know that the correct pronunciation of NIKON is "neee-kon". North Americans have taken liberties with this name and have mutated it into "nigh-con".</p>

[plasma181]

<p>There is an old Buddy Hacket gag concerning the pronunciation of Yom Kippur. <br>

If you make $50,000 a year, it's Yom Kipper.<br>

If you make $75,000 a year, it's Yom KipPOOR.<br>

If you make $100,000 a year, .............................. it's Christmas. <br>

</p>

[jamespjones]

<p>It comes from Nippon Kogaku Kabushiki-gaisha (KNEE'P-OHN KO-GAH-KOO)<br>

It is a contraction and in Japan is pronounced KNEE-K'ON<br>

I don't know if my typing it makes any sense, but it is KNEE CON (as in con man). But, in the US it is NAI-Con. I suppose we could say it in the native style, but it would be like saying Kah-Rah-Teh as opposed to the Americanized Karate (sound like Kah-Rah-Tea). <br>

I think both pronunciations sound right in context.</p>

[Ray House]

<p>In Japan in the 60's I bought my first Knee con. Mid to late 60's I belonged to several camera clubs in So. California and everybody pronounced Knee con. Seems like in the 70's it became Nai con. I still refer to my cameras as Knee cons...</p>