How to correctly pronounce the names of world brands? English letters and their transcription. Plus common combinations of English letters

Of course, everyone learns the alphabet when they start learning English. But if you can write letters and know what they are called, this does not mean that you know how to read and will be able to correctly read any word written in English.

How to read the word correctly? How to translate and pronounce a word?
- click on the word Dictionary in the lower right corner of the page,
enter the desired word in the field and click on Go! You can also listen to English words in one of the online!

*** A small digression from the topic:
If you want to know how to write the English alphabet correctly

1. listen to the song “English alphabet” () and

1. execute

Why is reading English so difficult?

The fact is that there are many more sounds than letters, and many English sounds are conveyed in writing by combinations of letters, in different ways, and the reading of some letters depends on the letters surrounding them. And all this needs to be remembered! There are rules for reading, but even if you know English well, an unfamiliar word is advisable Always find in the dictionary and remember not only its translation, but also its transcription, i.e. how it is read (pronounced). Here is a quote from an English textbook:

If you are one of those unfortunate people who speak English fairly well but become worried when they have to write something, don"t be worried. Remember that a lot of English people have the same problem. Many of them who are otherwise quite clever have to use dictionaries. The trouble is this silly spelling of ours.
Why isn't English spelling logical? The answer is that it isn't really spelling that is "wrong". Hundreds of years ago the English pronounced words as they spell them. In many cases it is the pronunciation that has changed.
Then why not change the spelling to fit the new pronunciation? Because it would need a lot of money to change the alphabet. Think of all those books in schools and libraries and the printing machines. Think too of all those people who really like our ridiculous spelling because they are used to it.
(From Modern English by John Atkinson)

If you are one of those unfortunate people who speaks English quite well but doesn't feel very confident when it comes to writing something, don't feel bad about it. Don't forget that many native speakers (who speak English as their first language) have the same problem. Many people who are competent in many other matters are forced to use dictionaries. It's all because of the "stupid" spelling of English words.
Why is the spelling of English words so illogical? In reality, the spelling of English words is not that "wrong". Several centuries ago, the English pronounced words the same way they wrote them. In many cases, it was the sound of the words that changed. But why not change the spelling of words to match their pronunciation? Yes, because changing the alphabet would require a lot of money. Just imagine the many books in schools and libraries and the printing equipment used to create them. Think also about those people who like our strange spellings because they are used to it.

What do you need to know to read English correctly?

• and transcription
• Basic

« iPad" or " iPad», « Xiaomi" or " Shaomi», « touchpad" in MacBook or " trackpad"? There are many such questions in the field of correct pronunciation of various types of brand names and devices from the IT field. Let's expand on this interesting topic a little.

iPad and other Apple products - the truth is somewhere in the middle

In the comments to articles with videos where he appeared, battles often flared up, saying that the author was incorrectly pronouncing the name of the Apple tablet computer. Someone voted for " iPad", someone - for " iPad" Let's see how he pronounces it, he definitely knows the truth (an interesting thing happens at 8:34):

Does anyone still have questions? Ok, here's another video with, let's say, the classic pronunciation of the device name:

« “iPad”, and no nails!", the vast majority would say, but, as you know, the truth is usually somewhere in the middle. In fact, you can hear both “iPad” and “iPad” from Americans. In the second case we are dealing with Boston accent, which creates confusion specifically in this issue. By the way, the pronunciation of Nike - “nike” or “nike”, as well as Adobe (“adoub” or “adobee”, or maybe “adoubie”) - is all from the same opera.

What is the correct answer? It's simple - both options are correct. If you want to sound like Steve Jobs, call your tablet “iPad.” If you are used to pronouncing “ipad” (like the author of the article, for example), then don’t worry - this is also the right option.

By the way, in the case of Mac, the answer, at first glance, should be unambiguous: “Mac” or “Mac” and even more so “MacBook”. Somehow the MacBook really hurts the ears. On the other hand, the variety of apples after which the Apple computer is named is pronounced both “Mac” and “Mackintosh”. Again, let's turn to Steve Jobs and the presentation of the original iMac, where you can clearly hear “Mac” and “IMac” (16-17 minutes):

As a result, we again came to the conclusion that the truth is somewhere in the middle and both pronunciation options will be correct. It's all about the accent.

Trackpad and touchpad

Continuing the conversation about Apple and the correct pronunciation of the names of the company’s products, it’s worth getting into long-standing dispute With " trackpad" or " touchpad" Here, of course, it’s not so much a matter of pronunciation as it is the designation of the touch pad under the laptop keyboard, but the question still fits the topic at hand and it’s high time to dot all the “e”s.

First thing let's discard the misconception about trackpoint(TrackPoint, PointStick, Track, pointing stick), which is sometimes mistakenly called a "trackpad". This control was often used in IBM corporate and business class laptops and was even found in separate keyboards. It is a kind of miniature joystick integrated into the keyboard and allows you to more or less comfortably control the mouse cursor. Now it can be found in laptops of the Chinese company Lenovo, which bought out the laptop division of IBM in the past and continues to maintain good traditions:

Now let's talk specifically about touchpad And trackpad. To be precise, both of these words mean the same thing, namely, a touch pad for controlling the mouse cursor by moving your fingers along its surface. However, in the case of Apple products, it is still customary to say “trackpad” to designate this control element, and the company itself always uses this name. Why is that? This is marketing, friends, pure marketing. The company needs to somehow differentiate its devices, and its trackpads are still considered the best on the market, and among Windows laptops, no one has yet come close to the MacBook in terms of the quality of the touch pad.

But I won’t be unfounded and will give a few facts. Thus, Apple first used the word “trackpad” in 1994 during the announcement of a laptop. PowerBook 500. It was the first Apple mobile computer to use a touchpad instead of a trackball (a ball that you rotate to control the mouse cursor) to control the mouse cursor. Since then, the "trackpad" has become associated with Apple laptops and with the company's separate pointing device.

That is, if you wish, you can call the touchpad in a MacBook a touchpad, you won’t be wrong. But Apple itself calls it a “trackpad” and, in principle, has every right to its own separate name for this element due to the fact that it is the best on the market.

I remember when I switched from a Windows laptop to a MacBook Pro in 2008, out of habit I used the Logitech MX Nano compact mouse for several days, but then I finally decided to try giving it up in favor of a trackpad. It took one day to adapt. Since then I haven’t carried a compact mouse with me. Absolutely all operations can be performed using the trackpad without any problems, including working in graphic editors. For this alone, Apple can erect a monument, but the company is constantly developing this direction: glass instead of plastic, multi-touch, built-in button and now also, plus Taptic Engine.

Fierce Asian offices

In the second half of the article we will talk about the names of Asian technology companies, which also raise many questions.

Think about Apple's main competitor in the mobile market, the company Samsung. Most often we hear something like " Samsung"with emphasis on the last syllable. It is not right. Translated from Korean, Samsung means “three stars”, and is pronounced approximately like “ Samson"with emphasis on the first syllable. Don't believe me? Watch any Galaxy S6 ad on official channel Korean company. Its name is usually heard at the very end of the videos.

There are a lot of controversies around Xiaomi. Some say that it is correct to pronounce “ Xiaomi", other - " Shaomi", someone votes for " Xiaomi", leaving the Chinese people in shock and awe. You don’t have to look far for examples; just remember the debate in the comments. So, in the American version it is correct to pronounce Shao-Mi, that is " shaomi" From Chinese this name is translated as “ small rice”, that is, it consists of two words - “shao” and “mi”. If you don't take my word for it, then take a look at what the Vice President of Xiaomi thinks about this Hugo Barra:

What I liked most was the last example with the phrase: “ Show me the money" The first two words will form the correct pronunciation of the name Xiaomi for an English-speaking friend. On the other hand, judging by the system pinyin, which describes the pronunciation of the hieroglyphs of the official language of China, Putonghua, a Russian person should correctly pronounce “ xiao mi", that is, as two separate words.

Another cheerful Chinese company - - also causes confusion with its seemingly simple name, but you will never guess how to actually pronounce it correctly.

The first thing that comes to mind, and how I personally constantly called the company, is “ Huawei" This is possible, but we are talking about the correct pronunciation, and it is different, at least in the American version. I’ll spread a little intrigue and take a minute and a half of your time, which I propose to spend on watching the video below:

« Wow-wey" - here is one example of pronunciation of the name of a Chinese company. Again, according to pinyin rules, it is more correct to pronounce this name as “hua wei”. (For details about these nuances, including the lack of accents in the Chinese language as such, read the commentary Jonny_Ive below.)

By the way, for the ear of an English-speaking citizen this is a very pleasant name, a kind of “super path” or “steep road”, which cannot be said about the Taiwanese ASUS. This company was not very lucky with the name, or more precisely, with its pronunciation by Americans.

You can often hear from them something like “ asses”, that is, “ass”. Well, what company would like to be called “assholes”? It's correct to say " asus”, and with the emphasis on the last syllable, and not on the first, as many Russian-speaking comrades like to say. The Taiwanese also call their company the same way, with the emphasis on the last syllable. As for the “butts,” ASUS even released an “ololo-trololo” advertisement about this at one time:

A frenzy with the names of world-class companies

We talked about Apple, about Asians too, let's now remember a couple more brands from other parts of the world, but with a worldwide reputation. What comes to mind is not the most popular office right now, but one that is slowly rising from its knees BlackBerry. In terms of pronunciation, it usually does not cause problems, “blackberry” and in Africa it will be “blackberry”, it’s difficult to come up with other options here. But where should we put the emphasis? I heard from different people variations of pronunciation both with emphasis on the first syllable and on the second. You have a 50 percent chance of answering correctly. Let's try and... hurray! You answered correctly - the emphasis is on the first syllable. This is exactly how the English word “blackberry” is pronounced, which in addition to the name of the Canadian company also means a berry “ blackberries" To prove this, I suggest taking a look at an excellent humorous miniature from BBC One:

How do you pronounce the name Bose? Probably "Bose", with emphasis on the last syllable? Or maybe “Bos”?! In fact, if you don’t want to fall flat on your face in certain situations or companies, it’s better to say “ Bowes"with emphasis on the first vowel is the correct option. Why exactly this way and not otherwise? It's simple - the name of the company is also the surname of its founder Amara Bose.

Finally, it is worth remembering the famous German company, the name of which everyone “twists” as he pleases, but usually only a few pronounce it correctly. Although, everything is as usual here - the truth is somewhere in the middle. We're talking, of course, about Sennheiser. The key word in this paragraph is " German" That is, the name of a German company should be pronounced the way the Germans themselves pronounce it, right? In general, it is correct to say “ Senheiser"with emphasis on the second syllable. English-speaking comrades, and Russian speakers too, often call the company “Senheiser”; even the slang term for branded headphones came from it - “senheiser”. The choice, of course, is yours, but it’s still correct to say “ Senheiser».

We, people from PR, are sometimes ashamed of not knowing how to pronounce the names of leading brands correctly - after all, we often learn from their cases. Not to mention the fact that we ourselves often become consumers of things from famous brands. Once again, after listening to the people around me and watching the episode of America's Next Top Model, where the incomprehensible “Christian Lacroy” and “Hermes” appeared, we decided to prepare this post.

If you want to argue, then please don’t do it here. We checked every entry, so if you haven’t heard with your own ears how Christian Lacroix said that his last name is pronounced “Lakroich”, then please don’t argue. We examined a dozen websites of people who don't go out to fashion shows and checked the correct pronunciation. We did not include those in which there were discrepancies in the review.

Since there is a big problem with the accent icon in the editor, we will highlight accents with a capital letter. Let us immediately make a reservation that sometimes there are several possible pronunciation options and different pronunciation options in different countries. We will take those that are considered correct in Russia.

Alexander McQueen - [Alexander McQueen]

Giorgio Armani - [giorgio armani]/[giorgio armani]

Balmain - [balmAn]. Here, please pay attention: the brand is French, so the combination ai is read as “a”. Some particularly advanced people, of course, also read “Balmain,” but you’re not one of them, right?

Bulgari - [bulgari]

Burberry - [burberry]. No matter what anyone says. don't believe me? Listen.

Byblos - [byblos]

Cacharel - [kasharEl]

Carolina Herrera - [Carolina Herrera]

Cartier - [kartE]

Céline - [celine]

Chanel - [chanEl]. Well, you should know this, like Our Father.

Chloé - [cloe]

Christian Dior - [Christian DiOr]. One more Our Father.

Christian Louboutin - [Christian Louboutin]. Listen

Christian Lacroix - [Christian Lacroix]

Clarins - [clarAns]

Dior Homme - [diOr Ohm]. By the way, a note. Homme means "male, male" and is always and everywhere read as [Om]. Femme means “female, woman,” and is always and everywhere read as [fAm]. Accordingly, the names of perfumes “for him” - pour homme - will be read [pUR Om], and “for her” - pour femme [pUR fAm].

Dolce & Gabbana - [Dolce End Gabbana]/[DolchengabAna]/[DolchegabAna]

Dsquared - [diskEirt]. There is also a lot of controversy about this name, but that is how it is pronounced.

DKNY (Donna Karan New York) - [DI KEY N UAY, DONNA KARAN NEW YORK]

Emilio Pucci - [emilio pucci]

Escada - [escada]

Estée Lauder - [estE Lauder]. There is also an interesting story here. The name seems French, although the brand is American. Therefore, in such abnormal eclecticism, such a hybrid as [estE lauder] turned out. Listen.

Ermenegildo Zegna - [ermenegildo zegna]. But this is a must-know for all men.

Etro - [ethO]

Hermès. A very interesting story is happening with this brand. All over the world, including in Russia, ordinary people pronounce the brand name as “HerMes”. But it's not right. French people, whose land, in fact, gave birth to this brand, read the brand name as “ermE”. And they do it correctly from the point of view of French phonetics - the first letter is silent, the emphasis is on the last syllable, the last letter is not readable. But the French people forget that proper names can be exceptions to any rule. The founder of the brand was called Thierry Hermès, so the only correct pronunciation of the brand is [ermEs], with a slight aspiration on the first syllable. You can listen.

Hublot - [yubO]

Guy Laroche - [guy larOche]

Gianfranco Ferré - [genreAnco ferE]

Givenchy - [givenchy]. The founding father of the brand was named Hubert de Givenchy [Hubert de Givenchy]

John Galliano - [John Galliano]

Jean-Paul Gaultier - [Jean-Paul Gaultier]

Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]

Gucci - [guchi]

Guess - [gEs]. The vowel is somewhere between “E” and “E”

Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]

Lacoste - [laKost]

Karl Lagerfeld - [karl lagerfeld]. And tell these smart Anglomaniacs that Lagerfeld is German.

Louis Vuitton - [luI vuitOn]/[luI vitOn]/[luI vuitton] - in all three cases the “n” is pronounced through the nose

LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) - [el ve em ash], [louis vuitton moët hennessy]. Listen and.

Stella McCartney - [STELLA MAC CARTNEY]

Mandarina Duck - [Mandarina Duck]

Max Mara - [max mAra]

Miu Miu - [miu miu]

Moschino - [MoskIno]. The designer's name is Franco Moschino

Nina Ricci - [Nina Ricci]

Paul Smith - [Paul Smith]

Pierre Cardin - [pierre cardan]. This is ideal. People often say “cardEn” in Russia. The main thing is not to be “cardin”.

Prada - [prada]. Designer: Miuccia Prada [miUcha Prada]

Ralph Lauren - [Ralph Lauren] - again a French-American linguistic setup.

Robert Piguet - [robEr pigE]

Salvatore Ferragamo - [selvatore ferragAmo]

Seiko - [seiko]

Sergio Rossi - [SERGEO ROSSI]

Sonia Rykiel - [Sonia Rykiel]

Shiseido - [shiseido]

Tommy Hilfiger - [Tommy HilfIge(r)]. English language, so the last letter is soft to read

Tissot - [tissO]

Ulysse Nardin - [Ulysse Nardin]. "U" is more like "Yu". Listen.

Van Cleef & Arpels - [van Cleef & Arpel]

Versace - [versAce]

Viktor & Rolf - [Victor and Rolf]

Wyler Genève - [Wyler Genève]

Yohji Yamamoto - [Yoji Yamamoto]

Yves Saint Laurent - [Yves Saint Laurent]

Zuhair Murad - [ZuhEr Murad]

Naturally, I haven’t covered all the brands here, but at least those that everyone knows. You can thank us in the comments. If you take something to your website or blog, don’t forget to leave a direct active link to me.

For those who are especially advanced in the affairs of fashion brands, but not particularly advanced in matters of phonetics, we advise you to watch, listen, and read this post by fashion blogger Brian Boy - there he mentions many brands that we have not talked about here.

That's probably all. Pronounce the names of your favorite brands correctly!

We all love to show off the latest branded item. But, alas, not all of us, even the most advanced ones, know how to correctly pronounce the names of brands and famous clothing brands. Once again, after listening to the girls around me (by the way, they are often quite stylish), and after watching an episode of the program “America’s Next Top Model”, which featured Christian Lacroy and Hermes, which I did not understand, I finally decided to write this post. Today we will learn how to correctly pronounce brand names.

If you want to argue, then please don’t do it here. I checked every entry, so if you haven’t heard with your own ears how Christian Lacroix said that his last name is pronounced “Lakroich”, then please don’t argue with me. I wandered through dozens of websites of people who do not leave fashion shows and checked the correct pronunciation. I did not include those in which there were discrepancies.

Since there is a big problem with the accent icon in the console, I will highlight accents with a capital letter. Sometimes several pronunciation options are possible.

Alexander McQueen - [Alexander McQueen]

Giorgio Armani - [giorgio armani]/[giorgio armani]

Balmain - [balmAn]. Here, please pay attention: the brand is French, so the combination ai is read as “a”. Some particularly advanced people, of course, also read “Balmain,” but you’re not one of them, right?

Bulgari - [bulgari]

Burberry - [burberry].

Byblos - [byblos]

Cacharel - [kasharEl]

Carolina Herrera - [Carolina Herrera]

Cartier - [kartE]

Céline - [celine]

Chanel - [chanEl].

Chloé - [cloe]

Christian Dior - [Christian DiOr].

Christian Louboutin - [Christian Louboutin].

Christian Lacroix - [Christian Lacroix]

Clarins - [claRance]

Dior Homme - [diOr Ohm]. By the way, a note. Homme means "male, male" and is always and everywhere read as [Om]. Femme means “female, woman,” and is always and everywhere read as [fAm]. Accordingly, the names of perfumes “for him” - pour homme - will be read [pUR Om], and “for her” - pour femme [pUR fAm].

Dolce & Gabbana - [Dolce End Gabbana]/[DolchengabAna]/[DolchegabAna]

Dsquared - [diskEirt]. There is also a lot of controversy about this name, but that is how it is pronounced.

DKNY (Donna Karan New York) - [DI KEY N UAY, DONNA KARAN NEW YORK]

Emilio Pucci - [emilio pucci]

Escada - [escada]

Estée Lauder - [estE Lauder]. There is also an interesting story here. The name seems French, although the brand is American. Therefore, in such abnormal eclecticism, such a hybrid as [estE lauder] turned out.

Ermenegildo Zegna - [ermenegildo zegna]. But this is a must-know for all men.

Etro - [Etro]

Hermès. A very interesting story is happening with this brand. All over the world, including in Russia, ordinary people pronounce the brand name as “HerMes”. But it's not right. French people, whose land, in fact, gave birth to this brand, read the brand name as “ermE”. And they do it correctly from the point of view of French phonetics - the first letter is silent, the emphasis is on the last syllable, the last letter is not readable. But the French people forget that proper names can be exceptions to any rule. The founder of the brand was called Thierry Hermès, so the only correct pronunciation of the brand is [ermEs], with a slight aspiration on the first syllable.

Hublot - [Yublo]

Guy Laroche - [guy larOche]

Gianfranco Ferré - [genreAnco ferE]

Givenchy - [givenchy]. The founding father of the brand was named Hubert de Givenchy [Hubert de Givenchy]

John Galliano - [John Galliano]

Jean-Paul Gaultier - [Jean-Paul Gaultier]

Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]

Gucci - [guchi]

Guess - [gEs]. The vowel is somewhere between “E” and “E”

Jimmy Choo - [Jimmy Choo]

Lacoste - [laKost]

Karl Lagerfeld - [karl lagerfeld]. And tell these smart Anglomaniacs that Lagerfeld is German.

Levi Strauss - [Left Strauss].

Loewe - [lowe]. Listen.

Louis Vuitton - [luI vuitOn]/[luI vitOn]/[luI vuitton] - in all three cases the “n” is pronounced through the nose

LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) - [el ve em ash], [louis vuitton moët hennessy].

Stella McCartney - [STELLA MAC CARTNEY]

Mandarina Duck - [Mandarina Duck]

Max Mara - [max mAra]

Miu Miu - [miu miu]

Moschino - [MoskIno]. The designer's name is Franco Moschino

Nina Ricci - [Nina Ricci]

Paul Smith - [Paul Smith]

Pierre Cardin - [pierre cardan]. This is ideal. They often say “kardEn” - this is also acceptable. The main thing is not to be “cardin”.

Prada - [prada]. Designer: Miuccia Prada [miUcha Prada]

Ralph Lauren - [Ralph Lauren] - again a French-American linguistic setup.

Robert Piguet - [robEr pigE]

Salvatore Ferragamo - [selvatore ferragAmo]

Seiko - [seiko]

Sergio Rossi - [SERGEO ROSSI]

Sonia Rykiel - [Sonia Rykiel]

Shiseido - [shiseido]

Tommy Hilfiger - [Tommy HilfIge(r)]. English language, so the last letter is soft to read

Tissot - [tissO]

Ulysse Nardin - [Ulysse Nardin]. "U" is more like "Yu".

Van Cleef & Arpels - [van Cleef & Arpel]

Versace - [versAce]

Viktor & Rolf - [Victor and Rolf]

Wyler Genève - [Wyler Genève]

Yohji Yamamoto - [Yoji Yamamoto]

Yves Saint Laurent - [Yves Saint Laurent]

Zuhair Murad - [ZuhEr Murad]

Transcription is a recording of the sound of a letter or word in the form of a sequence of special phonetic symbols.

Transcription may not be of interest to everyone, but it is, without a doubt, useful. Knowing the transcription, you will correctly read an unfamiliar word without outside help. During classes, you can read the transcription of a word yourself (for example, from the blackboard) without asking others, thereby making it easier for yourself to assimilate lexical material, etc.

At first there will be errors in correct reading, because... There are always some subtleties in pronunciation. But this is just a matter of practice. A little later, if necessary, you will be able to transcribe the words yourself.

Transcription is directly related to reading rules. In English, not everything that is seen (letter combinations) is read (as in Russian and Spanish, for example).

When textbooks (mostly domestic ones) talk about reading rules, much attention is paid to the type of syllable. About five such types are usually described. But such a detailed theoretical presentation of the rules of reading does not greatly ease the fate of a beginner, and can even mislead him. It must be remembered that a good knowledge of the rules of reading is a great merit of practice, not theory.

Your attention will be presented to the basic rules for reading individual letters and letter combinations. “Behind the scenes” there will be some phonetic aspects that are difficult to convey in writing.

A little patience! Both transcription and reading rules are easily learned in a short time. Then you will be surprised: “How easy it has become to read and write!”

However, do not forget that, despite its wide distribution, the English language does not cease to be a LANGUAGE, full of exceptions, stylistic and other delights. And at any stage of language learning, and especially at the beginning, look into the dictionary more often.

Transcription icons and their pronunciation

Notes:

o]. But, in modern English dictionaries this sound is usually designated as shown in the table.

Diphthong is a complex sound that consists of two sounds. In most cases, a diphthong can be "broken" into two sounds, but not in writing. Since in many cases one of the component sounds of a diphthong, if used separately, will have a different designation. For example diphthong [ au]: separately such transcription icon as [ a] - Does not exist. Therefore, most diphthongs are not indicated by a combination of different transcription symbols, but by their own sign.

In many school textbooks and in some domestic dictionaries this sound is designated as [ ou], which is more clear. But, in modern English dictionaries this sound is usually designated as shown in the table.

This sign often denotes unstressed vowel sounds in transcription, regardless of the letters (combinations) that produce this sound.

Reading rules

English words have several types of syllables. However, to understand the entire system, it is necessary to remember and distinguish between the following two types: open And closed.

Open syllable ends with a vowel: game, like, stone- a vowel letter in a word is read the same way as in the alphabet.

Closed syllable ends with a consonant: pen, cat, bus- a vowel in a syllable gives a different sound.

Stress in transcription and words is indicated by a vertical line before the stressed syllable.

Single vowel sounds

Vowel diphthongs

Consonants

Now take the interactive lesson and pin this topic