Pronounce Nikon

CMoore · Mar 28, 2017

How do you pronounce Nikon.?
From a quick search i get the idea that it is a Three Syllable word.
Something like:
knee
co (as in cooperate)
in
Knee-Co-In

What i typically hear in my country (usa) is
Ny (sky)
Kon (turn it on)

Other country's seem to more often say it like
Knee
Kon

Anybody know the Correct/Japanese pronunciation.?
Thank You

BrianShaw · Mar 28, 2017

I say either #2 or3... whether it's correct or not everybody seems to know what I'm saying.

Andrew O'Neill · Mar 28, 2017

It's pronounced nee-koh-n. Two syllables. No intonation. Same with Tokyo. It's toh-kyo. Not toh-keeyo.

mshchem · Mar 28, 2017

If yer 'merican it's like Paul Simon said . "I got a Nigh-con camera" Dadgummit!
Mike

Wallendo · Mar 28, 2017

The TV ads in the US pronounce it NIGH-kon. So that is at least Nikon's preferred US pronounciation (assuming the corporate guys actually watch their ads).

RichardJack · Mar 28, 2017

I'd go with Paul Simon, that is the way they pronounce it at Nikon's Melville, NY service center and at the NY Photo Expo. That's good enough for me.

darinwc · Mar 28, 2017

If you consider the company's original name, Nippon Kogaku and assume that 'ni' should be pronounced as in Nippon. However that is pronounced in Japan.

But then also consider the story that Nikon was derived from the Zeiss Ikon name. Therefore the "Ikon" pay should be pronounced however it is used in Germany.

I know, it's still not an answer..

"Go not to the elves for counsel. For they will say both yes and no" -Gandalf

carlostaiwan · Mar 28, 2017

"nay-khon" english speakers,
"Nee-khon" japanese and spanish speakers
"Nee-kang" chinese speakers

mshchem · Mar 28, 2017

How do you pronounce Bayer , the Leverkusen, based chemical giant ? I used to get free Agfa film from Bayer . I still have some in the freezer .
Mike

fstop · Mar 28, 2017

Some companies have had such issues with people not being able to pronounce their name they ran ads telling people how to pronounce it, Poulan the power equipment manufacturer and Leupold the optic manufacturer both ran ads telling consumers how to pronounce their names.

I never saw NIGH KON (Paul Simon style) run such an ad.

btw its POLE AN
and
LOO POLED

Sirius Glass · Mar 28, 2017

NYE-con

adelorenzo · Mar 28, 2017

I say "nick-on", the first syllable rhymes with stick or pick. This is probably wrong but I've watched way to many DRTV videos with Kai Wong and I copy his pronunciation.

Nige · Mar 28, 2017

"nick-on" down this way

f8&bthere · Mar 28, 2017

"Hi, my name is Johanna. I am an assistant marketing manager at Nye-con [USA]..."

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/learn-an...tting-started-with-your-nikon-d3300-dslr.html

wiltw · Mar 28, 2017

It is rather irrelevant how the Japanese pronounce the name, after all just about every language has butchered the names of places without just cause.
I can see changing a prounciation of the native pronunciation requires some 'foreign' sounds not easily recreated by others. But tell me why Mumbai became Bom-bay, and why Par-ee became Pare-iss, or Espania became Spayn
So there has been zero past regard for correct pronunciation, why start now with 'Nikon'?!

ac12 · Mar 28, 2017

The 3 syllables are ni-ko-n. That is when written in Japanese. And the last 2 syllables almost merge.
As for the pronunciation, it will vary by where you live in the world or even with in a country. And that is just a fact of life with languages.
If I pronouce it ni-ko-n, someone who knows it as nI-kon (neigh-kon) may not know what I was talking about.
This is the same for the name Jean, which has 2 completely different pronunciations in French and US English.

CMoore · Mar 28, 2017

wiltw said:
It is rather irrelevant how the Japanese pronounce the name, after all just about every language has butchered the names of places without just cause.
I can see changing a prounciation of the native pronunciation requires some 'foreign' sounds not easily recreated by others. But tell me why Mumbai became Bom-bay, and why Par-ee became Pare-iss, or Espania became Spayn
So there has been zero past regard for correct pronunciation, why start now with 'Nikon'?!

zitlw.....i completely agree with you.

Larry the sailor · Mar 28, 2017

Use a Canon and you don't have to worry about it

Jim Jones · Mar 28, 2017

Despite spending several years in Japan, I usually accommodate American style and say Neigh-kon with the o as in the word no. however, Knee-kon is correct. As an example of how we butcher our own language, what common word in English could well be spelled ghoti, using bits of pronunciation from other words?

Jim Jones · Mar 28, 2017

Larry the sailor said:
Use a Canon and you don't have to worry about it

As I recall, Canon was originally Kwannon.

wiltw · Mar 28, 2017

Jim Jones said:
Despite spending several years in Japan, I usually accommodate American style and say Neigh-kon with the o as in the word no. however, Knee-kon is correct. As an example of how we butcher our own language, what common word in English could well be spelled ghoti, using bits of pronunciation from other words?

another example of butchery of our own language:
NEW-cue-ler...where is there a vowel directly AFTER the letter 'c'' in 'nuclear'
JEW-ler-ee...where is the 'l' directly after the 'w' in 'jewelry'?!

Nige · Mar 28, 2017

so how do you pronounce Nikkor?

ac12 · Mar 28, 2017

Nige said:
so how do you pronounce Nikkor?

nik-kor, ni-kor
nIk-kor, nI-kor

take your pick

Helios 1984 · Mar 29, 2017

Knee-kon

wiltw · Mar 29, 2017

Nige said:
so how do you pronounce Nikkor?

As in 'Nikkormat'?

In Japan, nee-koh-mat ...where it was spelled 'Nikomat' in the home market

Pronounce Nikon

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