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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Silent 'L' in Volkswagon?

52 replies

WhitePhantom · 18/05/2018 20:46

Aibu to grit my teeth and want to throttle DH every time he says Vaullllkswagon? Isn't the L silent??

OP posts:
EduCated · 18/05/2018 20:47

I wouldn’t say entirely silent. It’s like folk. Sort of half an L. Just a hint of it.*

*I am not a linguist.

LemonRedwood · 18/05/2018 20:47

Erm, no.

MaryWortleyMontagu · 18/05/2018 20:48

No, not in german: it's "folks-vargen" with the "l" pronounced as "l". Not as in the English word folk which has a silent "l".

Pengggwn · 18/05/2018 20:48

No, I don't think so. 'Volk' doesn't rhyme with 'folk' or 'poke'. However, nor should it sound like you're sayin 'vole' with a k on the end. It's a soft 'l'.

SinceWhenDid · 18/05/2018 20:49

Oh. I says voLkswagen.
But folk is foke 😂

KurriKurri · 18/05/2018 20:49

No I'd say it was somewhere in between - an audible but slightly swallowed 'L'. And the V is more of an F.

Do you say Vokeswagon ?

TheAntiBoop · 18/05/2018 20:49

The German pronounciation is more different than just the 'L' so I'm not sure it really matters

araiwa · 18/05/2018 20:49

Not on this planet

AngryGinger · 18/05/2018 20:50

Don’t think so, not sure how you would even pronounce it with a silent L. Most people I know say Volkswagen as it is spelt.

RayRayBidet · 18/05/2018 20:50

German doesn't have silent letters

Yarboosucks · 18/05/2018 20:50

Oh dear OP…

Grilledaubergines · 18/05/2018 20:51

Where I am folk is pronounced ‘fowlk’ With a softish ‘w’ but it’s still there.

I think your DH is pronouncing it right.

tillytrotter1 · 18/05/2018 20:51

It's pronounced F olks vaagon.

ConciseandNice · 18/05/2018 20:52

It is pronounced with the L!! What weird pronunciation of a German word! I’ve also never heard anyone either in UK or Germany not say the L. Very odd.

PetulantPolecat · 18/05/2018 20:53

Any opportunity to share one of my favourite adverts from

PrettyLovely · 18/05/2018 20:53

I say it the same as your dh, Thats how you are meant to say it isnt it?

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 18/05/2018 20:53

I agree with your DH. Volk rhymes with Tolk as in Tolkien. The L isn't stressed but it's there.

frankiestein401 · 18/05/2018 20:53

tell him to say VW - or fauw vay if he wants the deutsch :)

ALemonyPea · 18/05/2018 20:54

But it is pronounced in Volkswagen though?

ElderflowerWaterIsDelish · 18/05/2018 20:55

I would pronounce it like your dh

But technically you both are pronouncing it wrong, here is the official pronunciation

m.mensxp.com/fine-living/auto/25907-14-car-names-youve-probably-been-pronouncing-wrong-all-this-while.html

MaryWortleyMontagu · 18/05/2018 20:55

German does have silent letters - h is often silent in names such as Luther and katharina etc. However in this example the "l" is not silent.

Skiiltan · 18/05/2018 20:55

It's follks-vaagen (with an audible L).

I get incredibly irritated when people say "vokes-waggon" (ditto "dash-und").

HostaFireAndIce · 18/05/2018 20:55

You say 'folk wagon' don't you, OP? Grin

WhitePhantom · 18/05/2018 20:56

Ooops! Blush Ok, sorry everyone, I stand corrected! Yes Kurri, I say it like Vokeswagon. I never heard anyone say it the way DH does!

OP posts:
apostropheuse · 18/05/2018 20:56

It's pronounced veedubilyou

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