How do you pronounce Ikea?

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

And more importantly, how should one pronounce Ikea?

My mum and I both call it Ick.

I first came across Ikea in Hong Kong (where I remember it being a proper shop rather than the warehouse style things we have here) and it was pronounced I-kee-a not Eye-kee-a.

But, as many have already said, in English it is pronounced Eye-kee-a and any attempt to pronouce it the 'proper' way would mark you out as a prize twit!

My dad called it Eye ee ka once - it has stuck!

EYE-KEY-A

Adidas - emphasis is on first syllable.

And, while we're at it, it's Ni-kee not a rhyme of Mike.

I was going to ask about Nike too squeaver. I always say it to rhyme with Mike .

dh and i call it Ickier
sums up how we feel after we've been there

I say Eye-Kee-Ah but I also say Leedle, not Liddle. I just got into the habit of the latter after an acquaintance who lives in Germany pronounced it that way.

If they are not real words, does it matter how you pronounce them? We don't say Paree do we?

In phonics it would be buh - eh - duh - luuh - aa- muh (especially once the sale starts)

Well I work there, and we all call it I-key-a (or the seventh circle of hell), however, everyone else who isn't British who works there calls it Ick-ee-ya (or sommat) and anyone who shops in Croydon IKEA will hear the fragrant tones of one of our store managers (Us by birth) calling it Ick-ee-ya one one of those recorded 'Come to the restaurant, drink coffee, have a fika' announcements.

We say it wrong, everyone else says it right, but I'm too stubborn to change

in our house, we pronounce it:

"that swedish furniture shop that we can't say the name of becuase the kid get over excited and want to go there"

don't suppose that helps much, does it?

(and does anyone know why my children get particularly excited about visiting ikea?)

My gran ges one better and actually adds a letter ... sha cells it "Ikeda" eye kee da