If it's pronounced this way, why is it written that way?

[Dilbertian]

I've just watched an advertisement for Hyundai. If Hyundai is pronounced Shinday, why isn't it written Shinday?

I don't mean words like Ikea, where the same letters have different sounds in different languages. If a word is being transliterated from a non-Latin alphabet, why not use letters that have those values? HY is not generally proncounced SH.

I guess op you will be happy that Lego inventer chose two pretty straight forward words to create the lego name as Danish pronunciation would make your head spin.

Paris vs Paree….

This reminds me if the day DS told us he was going to a party in Pengay (can't get the accent to type on my phone) rather than Penge. We still laugh about it.

Sure but it’s an American company pronounced Mc. And since it can be pronounced both ways and is an English word (as in the language not England) it should be Mc.

It’s English as in the language, not from England. I am pronouncing it Mc as the Americans do as it’s an American company (minus the unnecessary swearing). And no it isn’t the same and yea I have Mc in my family as a name.

No, it's not an English word. It's a Scottish gaelic or Irish word meaning son. So Seán McDonald means Seán, son of Donald.

The fact English people have Mac/Mc as part of their surname simply indicates Irish or Scottish heritage.

The correct pronunciation of McDonald's is generally considered to be "Mic-DON-nuhlds," not "Mac-DON-nuhlds." The "Mc" is often pronounced with a glottal stop, making it sound like "mic" instead of "mac."

Originally yes. But is from the US. Any google will tell you it’s Mc. Everyone in North America says Mc. It is mispronunciation med here whether or not the word is originally Gaelic etc.

And when I said English I meant the language not from England. As in American English.

I know what you meant but the word is not English in any dialect. Lots of Irish (and presumably Scottish) names have been bastardised in American English, Gallagher and O'Shaughnessy being particular examples.

It’s a Korean word so that’s how you pronounce it in the Korean accent.

I didn't realise how ridiculous this is until I had it pointed out.

You didn't realise how ridiculous what was? The fact that a name in a different language doesn't rhyme with a name in English that has the same ending? Odd that you would that is ridiculous.

Dunno what you’re going on about. I’m just saying in Scotland Mc is often Mick and Mac is often Mack.

See this is why us Aussies just call it Maccas. It's just easier!

Mc is an abbreviation of Mac though, so strictly speaking they should be said the same way, though I guess that horse has bolted.

It’s like Mr is pronounced Mister, or Dr as doctor. You don’t generally leave out the middle bit of a word that’s been abbreviated when you’re saying it. But maybe people don’t realise Mc is simply an abbreviation and that’s why they pronounce it differently to Mac.

I know it hardly seems worth while as an abbreviation.

The abbreviation doesn’t happen in the Irish language where the word originates (it means son), it’s always spelt Mac there.
McDonald is Mac Domhnaill (older spelling) or Mac Dónaill (pronounced Mock Dough-nil approx)

McDonald is Mack Donalds here in Ireland when speaking English.
If it were spelt MacDonalds it would be pronounced the same.

DS and friends refer to it as Macky Dees mostly though.

Gawd I know. I've not heard the Wah-ha-mollay one before. From someone born and bred in Surbiton no doubt?! 🤣

How inconsiderate of a Swiss company formed by a Swiss man & named after him to want the company name to be pronounced in the same way (ie, correctly, instead of 'Nessles'). The é was on the packaging, too, so it's not as if it was a secret.

Even on an individual level, it's annoying to have your name mispronounced, never mind for the person making the mistake or deciding they know better/it's stupid because it's foreign - guess you'd be fine with By-jeer-in-smigs-mile, though?'

how about Prezzo
do you care how that is pronounced?

Haha, not really thought about it. I don't think there's one in my local area and I've not been there or been invited there. So I've never actually heard anyone saying it? I guess like in 'pizza' so like 'pret-zo'?! Maybe that's the wanky way? 🤣

Me three😉

Yeah you are pronouncing it wrong.

It’s Mac.

This is my FAVOURITE 😍

How ridiculous. It’s an American company and can be pronounced both ways and Americans pronounce is Mc. So no, You are pronouncing it wrong.

It’s a French word, it translates as eat all which is what you do eating both the peas and the pod😁

My surname is also Mc. But as I’m a female it translates to Nic which means daughter of in Irish. Mac means son of so my late dad would have been Mac. So McDonalds is son of Donald😁

Well, it’s not the original pronunciation shall we say. The Americans charged the pronunciation over time, probably because they didn’t realise Mc was simply an abbreviation of Mac and they should both be pronounced the same way.

Should you use an ‘incorrect’ pronunciation to be polite? Personally, I think you probably should in general and pronounce a name the way its owner chooses.

MacDonalds is a bit different though. If you’re in a place where Mac or Mc are invariably pronounced as mack (the place the word mac originated in fact) you’re not going to dream up that others in America say mick instead, so 🤷‍♀️

They’ll have to make an ad 😉