How do you pronounce NIKON

[jmichaelc]

<p>I pronounce it "not-canon"</p>

[tobycline]

<p>Looking at the word you wouldn't think it, but Nikon is pronounced: "Mamiya"</p>

[Philip Freedman]

<p>Most of us English pronounce it "Kni-con" - with a silent k as in knickers.</p>

<p> </p>

[paul_b.1]

<p>"How do you pronounce NIKON ?"<br>

Loud...with pride and joy ! NEEKON ! (here in Europa)</p>

[victormora]

<p>Geez! It is amazing this topic was so prolific (or is it prolaefic?). Instead of going all linguistic on this forum please go out and take some pictures! Thas what im surely going to do...<br>

By the way, I speak spanish and we pronounce it Nee-kon!</p>

[www.photo.netphotosdecle]

<p>I say it the same as Paul Simon sings in the song "<strong>Kodachrome</strong>". Soon people will be asking what Kodachrome is?</p>

<p>Two thumbs up Rick!</p>

<p>David</p>

[cameranda]

<p>With Rollei, thank goodness, my work has been done for me.</p>

[dave_carleton]

<p>I pronounce it, NI (as in Knight) -kon (as in convict). But its kind of funny, just this morning I learned that Edinburgh is pronounced Edinburrah not Edinburg(er).</p>

<p>It's <em>Frahn-ken-steen.</em></p>

[dane_cohen]

<p>well I just checked the Nikon Japan website and in Japanese it would be spelled:<br>

ニコン<br /> <br /> which is pronounced like "nick" (the name) and then a spanish "con" (meaning with). They are short vowel sounds, and it's important to note that the "con" part of it isn't pronounced like the english word con but like the spanish word con (meaning with). The American pronunciation is wrong because if that was how it is actually pronounced it would be written:<br>

<br /> ナイコン</p>

<p>which it isn't. Nikkor is also pronounced in the same way, though technically there is a brief pause after the "nick" before adding the "or."</p>

<p>Also to someone who said the proper Japanese pronunciation is NEE-KON with a long "EE" I don't think that is correct as that would be spelled:</p>

<p>ニーコン</p>

<p>which is not how it is spelled on their website. I apologize if you guys can't read the Japanese symbols.</p>

[James G. Dainis]

<p>I don't know if I would rely on the Brit's way of pronouncing NI-kohn. Taking the tube to London's West End, one local told me to get off at "Lester Square". I rolled right through Leicester Square and never got off.</p>

[dane_cohen]

<p>sorry, the pause would be before "kor" in Nikkor not before "or." It wouldn't let me edit it. Of course this is just if it were a direct transliteration to Japanese (based on what the english writing of Nikkor is). I have no idea if that's what the lenses are called in Japan.</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>My apologies for what follows!</p>

<p>In the UK we say NICK-ON,<br>

In the USA you say N-EYE-KON,<br>

Now is there anything we can agree on?<br>

Ah yes, - both sound better than CANON! </p>

<p>(No offense to Canon users intended. I have no wish to start a fl-name war!)</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>How do you delete a whole post when you accidently submit the same message twice? (As I did with my silly rhyme) The edit feature let me delete the text but not my name and the date.</p>

[astral]

<p>"<em>I don't know if I would rely on the Brit's way of pronouncing NI-kohn</em> "<br /> <br /> Argh! No, only ignorant and affected Brits would stress the '<em>I</em> ' that way. And the East & West Ends of London, in particular, are not in any way representative of Britain as a whole (thankfully!).<br /> <br /> The tendency for old frats in camera clubs to talk about <em>NIy-corns</em> and <em>NIy-coors</em> has not yet fully disappeared here, but many of those affected with such airs have gravitated to Leicas - which (at worst) they may pronounce as <em>Lay-cars</em> . Similarly, there is a (wrongful) common tendency here for Sony to be pronounced like <em>sow-knee</em> , rather than the correct way with short vowels - and for many other abominations ...... AC</p>

[AndyMiller]

<p>Simply - "The Best" - unless it is a D3X which is over sexed, over priced and over here ! Strange how we used to say that in UK about the cousins from over the pond - mind you they have an excuse for not being able to pronounce the Queens English - "Queens" are something different over there and in order to find a well balanced american you have to find one with a chip on both shoulders - Happy new year to all the world from the remains of an Empire on which the sun never set.</p>

[peter_howard2]

<p>If I could pronounce NIKON correctly,<br />others would think I was intellectually -<br />better than those on - another thread who use - Canon.<br />Lets just be glad, that the name is real - and not phoney . . .<br />And even more thankful we don't own a Sony!<br />(Or should that be Soo-nay!!)<br />(No offence to any "Sownee" owners who happen to be peeking!)<br />Sorry - just couldn't resist it . . . .<br />Pete.</p>

[liljuddakalilknyttphotogra]

<p>This is probably one of the most amusing threads I've read in a long time. :-)<br>

This all makes me think of how people here in the US look at me when I pronounce IKEA. They have no idea what I'm saying so I translate for them Aikea - - then they know what I'm talking about.<br>

I go through the same with Nikon all the time. :-)<br>

Happy New Year everyone who celebrates it. :-)</p>

<p>Lil :-)</p>

[dan_b.4]

<p>I have a friend who is a photographer and also speaks Japanese. It's Nye- (long I, rhymes with rye) kon and Nik- (short I) kor. That's not inconsistent; anytime there's a single consonant preceded by a vowel, the vowel is pronounced with the long vowel sound. Double consonants, i.e., "kk" in Nikkor, indicates the vowel sound is short. Same with Nippon, which is pronounced Nip- (as in "nip it in the bud") pon. Only my British mother-in-law would say "Nee-kon"! (She also pronounces taco, the Mexican food staple, as "tay-coe.")</p>

[berg_na]

<p>In this <a href="

D90 commercial, the name is pronounced twice</a>, at 4 sec and 12 sec. It appears that they pronounce it Nic-kon.</p>

[robin_barnes]

<p>More apologies required I'm afraid!</p>

<p>I once asked a young man in Japan,<br>

Is it Nick-on, N-eye-kon or even Nik -an?<br>

He thought for a while,<br>

Then said, with an inscrutable smile,<br>

"No idea mate - I'm on a day trip from Taiwan!"</p>

<p>Happy New Year (now just less than three hours away from where I am sitting) to you all and, regardless of how the company's name should be pronounced, during 2009 may you acquire whichever of it's cameras you desire most!</p>

<p>Robin</p>

[02Pete]

<p>I don't know the "correct" way to pronounce either Nikon or Nikkor. Judging from the other posts on this thread, there is no worldwide consensus, and opinions vary by geographic area. Where I live, which is in the northeast portion of North America, the most common and generally accepted pronunciations of these two words are "<em><strong>Nye</strong> </em> -kahn" and "<em><strong>Nick</strong> </em> -awr." </p>

<p>I gather that people in other parts of the world, including Japan, the UK and Europe, may pronounce it differently. Whether one considers such differences to be matters of correctness, or merely geographical variations in pronunciation to be noted without judgment, appears to depend more upon the extent of one's national chauvinism, or the strength of self-confidence in one's personal viewpoint, than upon the existence of any single universal, objective and invariable truth about such matters.</p>

<p>For the person who commented about the camera name Ikon or the word icon (as in religious painting), where I live both are pronounced "<em><strong>eye</strong> </em> -kahn." The conventional pronunciation elsewhere might vary, but I have never heard those words pronounced "ee-kahn", "eh-kahn" or "ick-kahn" around here.</p>

<p>As for the comment about "the best," views on this are subjective, and opinions vary. The primary limiting factor in the quality of the photos I take is my own personal level of creativity and skill (or the lack of same), rather than the technical limitations of any of the equipment I use. For what it's worth, I own Nikon, Leica and Canon equipment of various vintages. The Leica equipment is well-designed, manufactured with premium materials and exceptional standards of workmanship, handles superbly, and is superior for the majority of kinds of photography that I do. The Nikon equipment is engineered to be more flexible and usable for a broader range of purposes, is manufactured with high quality materials and workmanship, and offers a professional level of durability. The Nikon equipment is preferable for applications requiring 35mm focal lengths from 24mm down or 135mm up, or those involving macro photography, but is less desirable to use than the Leica for focal lengths between 35mm and 90mm from the perspective of size, weight, shutter noise and handling. Given a choice between the two, I almost always reach for the Leica first. I am not suffering from the delusion that this turns me from an amateur into a professional photographer, or that owning a Leica somehow confers elevated social status because it is expensive -- I simply like using it more. The Canon equipment is quite well made, of excellent design, materials and workmanship, and handles well, but is somewhat less durable than either the Leica or Nikon equipment. If I were forced to choose only one brand, my personal preference would be to keep the Leica equipment and give up the Nikon and Canon equipment, but all three are quite good, and I would not quibble with any other photographer's preference for either Nikon or Canon equipment. </p>

<p>Arguing about such things is not exactly a new phenomenon. Two thousand years ago, the Latin phrase was "de gustibus non est disputandum," which translates roughly as "there's no accounting for taste." In the more direct phrasing of the carnival barker, "Yah pays yer money an' yah takes yer choice."</p>

<p>If you disagree, and are resolutely convinced that you know which pronunciation is the only correct one, or that there is absolute truth in matters of personal preference -- well, Happy New Year anyway!</p>

[jdrose]

<p>Fun thread.</p>

<p>I am from the states and I have always pronounced it Nigh-Kon...a buddy of mine from New Zealand pronounces it Nee-Kon.</p>

<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MI_8uhgB2E&feature=channel_page</p>

<p>Nikon's own ads in English say "Nigh-Kon":</p>

<p>

<p>

[smc_.]

<p>I'm impressed that it took so long for this thread to degenerate into an anti-American screed, which I expected would happen much more quickly. Must be the goodwill from Obama's election!</p>

[w_t1]

<p>if you <em>axe</em> me, I pronounce it "*second"<br>

Tom, Canon shooter since '79<br>

*I do own a 90sw nikkor lens and nikon binoculars<br>

goodwill schmoodwill</p>

 

[dave_reichert1]

<p>"mind you they have an excuse for not being able to pronounce the Queens English"</p>

<p>I think the Brits are just really fond of the "eee" sound. They even added it to the word "aluminum".</p>