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Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Murkrow

Murkrow

Says "also" and "or something" a lot
Pronoun
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Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

If you don't watch the anime or talk to many other people about Pokémon irl then you've probably experienced this. And in the pre-internet days even if you did talk to other people about it you could all be pronouncing it the wrong way.

Which ones did you say wrong?


Suicine is probably one of the most common ones. I said "swiss sween"
For the longest time I didn't realise that Chimecho was chime+echo so I said "chime cho" I learned the correct way after watching a random episode of the anime, in which I also found out that Hoenn wasn't pronounced "hoy-n"
I also didn't make the connection that ZIGZAGoon evolved into LINoone so I said "linn" rather than "line"
I also always misread Gardevoir as Gardevior, though I think that was because of a friend of mine said it that way. It was SSBB that corrected me.


There are a few where I'm not sure if I get it wrong or it's just the way I talk - do Ampharos and Metagross rhyme with Ross, or with close (the adjective)? I say the former but nobody else I've heard uses the other way.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

I mispronounce a lot of Pokémon names, but that's because English is not my native language, so I default to Swedish pronunciation when the English pronunciation is non-obvious or feels less natural. Some examples include: Xerneas, Yveltal, Reshiram, Reuniclus, Carracosta, Darmanitan, Zebstrika, Munna, Kecleon, Aggron, Ludicolo...

There are also a few names that look distinctly French, so I pronounce them as though they were French: Gardevoir, Chatot, Bouffalant, and obviously several Kalos species.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

For a really long time, I pronounced Abomasnow as Ambosnow.
There was also Arceus as 'Arseus'.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Music Dragon said:
I distinctly French, so I pronounce them as though they were French: Gardevoir, Chatot, Bouffalant, and obviously several Kalos species.
Click to expand...

Other than when I misread it, is there a way to say Gardevoir in a not-French way?

I liek Squirtles said:
For a really long time, I pronounced Abomasnow as Ambosnow.
There was also Arceus as 'Arseus'.
Click to expand...
That's not how Arceus is pronounced? That's how House and Tomodachi Life say it D:
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Music Dragon said:
I mispronounce a lot of Pokémon names, but that's because English is not my native language, so I default to Swedish pronunciation when the English pronunciation is non-obvious or feels less natural. Some examples include: Xerneas, Yveltal, Reshiram, Reuniclus, Carracosta, Darmanitan, Zebstrika, Munna, Kecleon, Aggron, Ludicolo...

There are also a few names that look distinctly French, so I pronounce them as though they were French: Gardevoir, Chatot, Bouffalant, and obviously several Kalos species.
Click to expand...

You forgot Dusknoir.....
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

For all I know, I've been pronouncing almost all of them wrong. But then again, even the anime has no idea how to pronounce the names some of the time. Case in point. Skip to 1:40.

These are some of the "wrong" ways I pronounce Pokémon, although a lot of these I refuse to pronounce them the "right" way:
Reuniclus - REE-YOU-NUH-CLUS
Rayquaza - RAY-KWAA-ZAA
Garbodor - GAR-BO-DORE
Shellos - SHELL-OSE
Arceus - AR-SEE-US
Raikou - RAI-KOO
Illumise - ILL-YOU-MIZE
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Arceus with a soft "c" sound was originally correct; if I recall correctly, it was changed in order to prevent people associating it with the word "arse." I say "Ray-KWAY-zah," but I get a lot of negative feedback for that. I'm pretty sure that's how it's actually pronounced, though?

Is RAI-KOO wrong? Also, REE-YOU-NUH-CLUS? GAR-BO-DORE? I was fairly certain these were all correct....
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Similar to MD, a lot of my Pokémon pronunciations are influenced by Icelandic - less so than when I was little and had limited knowledge of English, mind you, but nonetheless. One of the biggest ways this manifests is that I have a marked tendency to stress the first syllable of things. And I still insist on mentally calling Pineco PEE-neck-o.

I've tried to pronounce Arceus with the official k sound, but nope, it always bounces right back to Ar-SAY-us.

Also, RAY-kwah-zah.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Dazel said:
Arceus with a soft "c" sound was originally correct; if I recall correctly, it was changed in order to prevent people associating it with the word "arse." I say "Ray-KWAY-zah," but I get a lot of negative feedback for that. I'm pretty sure that's how it's actually pronounced, though?

Is RAI-KOO wrong? Also, REE-YOU-NUH-CLUS? GAR-BO-DORE? I was fairly certain these were all correct....
Click to expand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Loz61U6CuE

I doubt I'll ever call Reuniclus "REE-UNIQUE-LUS" because that just sounds so... ughhh
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Rayquaza has been "ray-KWAY-zah" for me and my best friend since before it ever was in the anime which pronounced it that way... but literally everyone we knew said "ray-QUAH-za". I also said Lih-noon, Groo-don and the aforementioned friend and I both said "dee-ex-oys" (the "oys" being like "toys"). We also had a stage of mispronouncing Minun as everything except "mine-uhn", including "minion". I also used to say "Gar-di-vore" and "Dusk-nore", which I've since changed to the more French pronunciations, as well as changing "Chimecho" from "Chime-cho to "Chime-echo" and (sometimes) changing Illumise from "Ill-you-mice" to "Ill-loom-iss-ay".
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Wait, how are "gardevoir" and "dusknoir" really pronounced? Gar-de-vwah? Dusk-nwah?

I have a friend that says gron-o-don...
 
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Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Lucario and Arceus with soft Cs [luːˈsɑːɹiːəu, ˈɑːsiəs]
Arcanine as ARcuhnine [ˈɑːkənain] rather than arCANINE [ɑːˈkɛinain]
Somehow, Unown as OO-noun [ˈuːnaun]
Suicune as SOO-i-seen [ˈsuːɪsiːn], owing to misreading it as "Suicine" for a while
Linoone as [lɪˈnuːn] rather than [ˈlainuːn], though I maintain that the former sounds less silly
Lombre as LOM-bruh [ˈlɒmbɹə] rather than LOAM-bray [ˈləumbrɛi]
Ralts... I still have no fucking idea how to pronounce, I've just been going with [ɹalts]
Ditto with Kirlia, I just assume it's homophonous with "curlier"
Slakoth as SLAY-koth [ˈslɛikɒθ], not "slack off"
Slaking as SLAY-king [ˈslɛikɪŋ], not "slacking"
Mawile as [məˈwail], not [ˈmɔːwail]
Illumise as "ill-loom-eyes" [ˈɪluːmaiz]
Numel as "NYU-mel" [ˈnjuːməl]
Giratina with a soft G [ˈdʒɪɹətiːnə]
Conkeldurr as conkle-DURR [kɒnkəlˈdɜː] instead of conk-ELDER [kɒnˈkɛldə], though I blame the pattern of stressed final durrs in all of its prevos.

I probably needn't have gone into such detail but I haven't used my IPA keyboard in forever D:

Music Dragon said:
Chatot
Click to expand...

I too seem incapable of pronouncing the final T of Chatot. It always seems to end up as either chateau or chatto.
 
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Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

I always pronounced Unown "You-Known" for some reason.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Some of these I actually have not known that I was saying them wrong until reading this thread. Also I can't youtube to see the pronounciations since my connection rivals a dead snail in speed.

Some that I've been saying weirdly were:(prepare for EPIC LIST)
Chimecho as chihm-EH-cho
Linoone as linn-OON
Unova as uhn-OH-vah
Ekans as EE-kans (How is that supposed to be ECK-ehns. How.)
Nidoran and the royals as starting with Nih
Vileplume as VI-le-plume
Venonat as VEE-no-nat, same with venomoth
Ponyta as POH-nee-tah
Kangaskhan as KAYNG-gus-kan
Scyther as SKY-ther
Lapras as LAP-rahs
Omantye as OH-man-tee (Oh man, tea!)
Ledyba as LAY-dee-ba
For a while I said Espeon as EP-sea-on but I know how to say it now.
Pineco as PIN-eh-co
Swinub as SWIN-ub
Howndour as HOUN-door
Phanpy as FAN-fee
Raikou as RYE-koo
Suicune as SUE-ih-soon / SUE-ih-koon (Suicune is weird.)
Lugia as LOO-jee-uh
Celebi as SELL-ee-bee
Poochyena as POOCH-yay-nah / POOCH-yeh-nah
For a bit, I said Lombre as LOHM-bruh.
Ralts as RAHLTS
Minun as MIHN-uhn
Illumise as ILL-ooh-mize
Numel as NEW-mehl
Trapinch as TRAH-peenk
Cacnea as KAK-uh-nay
Banette as BAH-net
Groudon as GRAOW-dawn
Rayquaza as the only sane way to say it
Bidoof as BUY-doof (Buy one doof, get two doof free!)
Buneary as BUNNY-air-ee
Riolu as RYE-oh-loo
Gallade as GAHL-laid
Uxie as OOKS-ee
Dialga as DIE, Ahlgah!
Phione as Fai-own
Snivy as SNIH-vee (Part of the reason I didn't pick him. His name sounded weak, like a Sniveling Snivy)
Dewott as DEE-wott
Patrat as PAT-rat
Sigilyph as SIG-uh-lif
Archen as ARCH-en
Mincinno/Cincinno with soft c's like an s
Tynamo as TIE-nah-moe
Cobalion as COH-bahl-ee-on
Virizion as Verizon the phone company for so long I'm ashamed...
Kyurem as KIE-your-em
Meloetta as MEH-low-ta
Yveltal as YUHL-velt-ehl
This is the page I got the official pronounciations from

Gyarados is stupid and I can't figure out what to call it. I've said a lot of Guy-rah-dos [as in Uno, Dos, Tres] and Guy-ah-rah-doze's in my time.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

I always pronounced Sceptile with a hard c sound, like "skeptical."

Other significant ones, going off of the Pokedex 3D thing: Ariados was always "air-ee-ah-dos," Chinchou was "chin-choo," Yanma was kind of "yawn-ma," Unown was definitely just "unknown" (it's weird to me that this is different, because of how much I watched the third movie), aand probably lots more.
 
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Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

Wait I always thought Chinchou was chin-choo? That's weird. It took me the longest time to figure out Unfezant's name pun since I rhymed it with vaunt, and Gligar with trigger. I also pronounce the voir in Gardevoir like omnivore.
 
Re: Pokémon pronouncications you got wrong

I, too, tend to have the native language bugs sometimes. One that comes to mind right now is that in my head Reuniclus is pronounced in neither of the ways that have been put forth so far (it goes RHEU-nee-clus).

I also have a funny relationship with the names that take from French. Half the time, they come out in my head about the same way they would to the average anglophone; the other half of the time, they come out with the (semi-)adequate French pronounciation, and also, a ton of sarcasm.

Also, iirc Pokémon Stadium 2 runs Chinchou as tchin-TCHAW. And, of course, Pokémon Battle Revolution had Arceus with a soft c. And also,
Sangfroidish said:
Giratina with a soft G [ˈdʒɪɹətiːnə]
Click to expand...
I always pronounced it that way, but now that I'm aware of a significantly cooler alternative, I don't want to pronounce it that way anymore.
 
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