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How do you pronounce IKEA

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:48 am
by Barnsley
I have just heard an advert on the the radio and the DJ pronounced it as follows.

I - kay - a

Thats a short I sound as used in "it"

Kay as in the name Kay

a as used in apple

I pronounce it

Eye-Key-a

where the a is as apple.

I didnt know where the DJ was talking about until she added on Alexandra as a location. :o

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:55 am
by Beeroclock
yup I'm with you, eye-key-A ... but the other way is also quite comment here, almost sounds like Eek-E-aahh , takes me a moment to recognize the word when I hear it !

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:57 am
by nutnut
Eye Key Er for me

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:58 am
by x9200
I-key-/a/ (a as in but) if talking to an alleged English speaker and
E-/ke/-/a/ (ke as in Ken) to anybody else

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:00 pm
by the lynx
The Swedish says Ee-kay-er

http://youtu.be/JBhkD4Lb4yE

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 1:04 pm
by Fortan
the lynx wrote:The Swedish says Ee-kay-er

http://youtu.be/JBhkD4Lb4yE
Which is correct, since it is Swedish :)

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 1:39 pm
by pisceangirl
Interesting to find this thread- Me and friend had this discussion not too long ago and we settled on the Swedish pronounciation too :)

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 1:39 pm
by rdueej
Fortan wrote:
the lynx wrote:The Swedish says Ee-kay-er

http://youtu.be/JBhkD4Lb4yE
Which is correct, since it is Swedish :)
A Swedish company, yes. But the word does not have any particular root in the Swedish language, IKEA is an acronym based on the founder's name and his home town.

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 1:46 pm
by pisceangirl
rdueej wrote:
Fortan wrote:
the lynx wrote:The Swedish says Ee-kay-er

http://youtu.be/JBhkD4Lb4yE
Which is correct, since it is Swedish :)
A Swedish company, yes. But the word does not have any particular root in the Swedish language, IKEA is an acronym based on the founder's name and his home town.
Which are Swedish also, hence easier to settle it by saying it like the Swedes do :D But nice to know about the etymology!

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 2:11 pm
by singapore eagle
I believe that Eye Key Er is a British thing.

(I pronounce it that way too.)

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 2:16 pm
by BedokAmerican
I've always said Eye-key-uh.

But one time when I called Ikea in Singapore, the automated system said, "Thank you for calling Ick-ee-uh."

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 4:49 pm
by proxymoron
I was surprised hearing it is as "Ick-ee-uh" for the first time. I too used to hearing "Eye- key-aa". Me too had a discussion with a local colleague that time who was trying to convince me that it is "ick-ee-uh"

He stopped when I asked him how he pronounced "idea"

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 5:02 pm
by bro75
I pronounce it "ee-Kay-a". Never was sure whether it was the correct pronunciation. Still not sure after reading above.

Re: How do you pronounce IKEA

Posted: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 9:03 pm
by Strong Eagle
Barnsley wrote:I have just heard an advert on the the radio and the DJ pronounced it as follows.

I - kay - a

Thats a short I sound as used in "it"

Kay as in the name Kay

a as used in apple

I pronounce it

Eye-Key-a

where the a is as apple.

I didnt know where the DJ was talking about until she added on Alexandra as a location. :o
One more example of idiot Singapore DJ's trying to use a fake accent and not getting the pronunciation correct.

Posted: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:02 am
by Travailes
T A T