How Do You Pronounce Pokémon?

#1 Posted by Psykhophear (919 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

For me, I always pronounce it as poh-kee-mon but some people pronounce it as pockeh-mon (like the animated series).

How do you guys pronounce it? Is there an official way of saying it?

#2 Posted by Tylea002 (2254 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

I pronounce it "Digimon," or I don't say it at all.

Okay, that's an exaggeration, Poh-ka-mon.

#3 Posted by sickVisionz (1254 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe Kay Mon

#4 Posted by Khann (2048 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

I say poe-key-mon.

If you pronounced it pock-eh-mon, you wouldn't have sweet jokes such as this:

How do you get Pikachu on a bus?

You poke him on.

#5 Posted by Psykhophear (919 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Khann: That's funny XD.

#6 Edited by MattyFTM (13866 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poh-kee-manz.

No, just joking. I'm very lazy with my pronunciation of it and sort of say "poh-ka-mon", rather than "poh-kay-mon" like it's supposed to be pronounced.

Moderator

#7 Posted by ShadowofIntent (288 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Pokey mon

#8 Posted by spazmaster666 (1950 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Po-keh-mon is definitely the official way of pronouncing. Hell they even accent the e to let you know that it's supposed to be an "eh" sound, not an "ee" sound. Also "ke" is pronounced "keh" in Japanese, while "ki" is pronounced as "kee."

#9 Edited by Sanj (2011 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Po-ker-mon.

The r in "ker" is soft (I'm English).

#10 Posted by JackSukeru (5224 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Po-keh-tu mon-su-ta

#11 Posted by elko84 (873 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

using your mouth

#12 Posted by Sayishere (1826 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

poke em on

#13 Posted by dudeglove (6304 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

You're all wrong, it's pronounced "Pac-man"

#14 Posted by Icemael (6115 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

The way it's supposed to be pronounced. Pocke as in "pocket", and then mon as in "monsters".

#15 Edited by Tebbit (4380 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Pocahontas.

And I'm sorry to have to revert to a meme to get this point across, but:

Po-ka-mon. Or Po-ka-mans, If I'm feeling radical enough.

#16 Posted by MattyFTM (13866 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Icemael said:

" The way it's supposed to be pronounced. Pocke as in "pocket", and then mon as in "monsters". "

No it's not. Just because it's called Pocket Monsters in Japan, doesn't mean that's how Pokémon is pronounced over here. The use of an é rather than an e tells you that. é is pronounced "ay", like in café or resumé, and it's the same in Pokémon.

Moderator

#17 Posted by Aronman789 (2632 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe-kah-mon

#18 Posted by Icemael (6115 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@MattyFTM said:

" @Icemael said:
" The way it's supposed to be pronounced. Pocke as in "pocket", and then mon as in "monsters". "
No it's not. Just because it's called Pocket Monsters in Japan, doesn't mean that's how Pokémon is pronounced over here. The use of an é rather than an e tells you that. é is pronounced "ay", like in café or resumé, and it's the same in Pokémon. "

It's called Pokémon in Japan, too, and the pronunciation of names don't change depending on region.

#19 Posted by Inkerman (1381 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe-keh-mon

@Icemael:
Yeah they do.

#20 Posted by JJWeatherman (13978 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poke-uh-mon

#21 Edited by Icemael (6115 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Inkerman: No, they don't. For example, "Mac Donarudusu" or whatever is not the correct pronunciation of McDonalds, regardless of whether it would've been pronounced that way if it was a Japanese name.

#22 Posted by Gamer_152 (13339 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe-key-mon.

Moderator

#23 Edited by StarvingGamer (6207 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

The right way.

#24 Edited by Jack268 (3386 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe-kuh-mon

or in swedish "Påck-E-mån"

#25 Posted by LordXavierBritish (6259 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

#26 Posted by Chavtheworld (4262 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@LordXavierBritish:

#27 Posted by Droop (1696 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Po-key-mon

#28 Posted by Inkerman (1381 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Icemael: But 'Paree' is not the correct way for English speakers to pronounce Paris.

#29 Posted by the_OFFICIAL_jAPanese_teaBAG (4275 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

i pronounce it pok-eh-moan. i cut the "o" sound short. i grew up with more of the japanese shows so i just stuck with pronouncing it that way

#30 Posted by Afroman269 (7388 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Chavtheworld: Despite that being fake, I chuckled.

Oh and I say Pok-ee-mon

#31 Posted by KingPossum (236 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe-Keh-Mon

#32 Posted by ArbitraryWater (9212 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Really, I just use them all interchangably. Pokey-Mon, Poh-kay-mahn, Pokeymanz, etc etc. That might make me a bad person.

#33 Posted by HandsomeDead (11863 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poh-ker-mon

#34 Posted by keyhunter (3207 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

I usually pronounce it polkaman or pokeyermom. It's officially pronounced po-ke-mo-n (pokaymo-n) though since it's a Jap IP.

#35 Posted by Dany (7882 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

pough keugh mougn

#36 Posted by MisterMouse (3497 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

I say Pokemon based of what it is in japanese... just how I learned it.

#37 Posted by Icemael (6115 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Inkerman: Cities and countries are special cases. Hell, often, their original names are just outright scrapped -- take "Japan", which in Japanese is called "Nippon".

#38 Posted by FlyingRat (1444 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

The way they said it in the anime series.

#39 Posted by Subjugation (4411 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poke-A-Mon

#40 Posted by Wes (258 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

#41 Posted by YetiAntics (1477 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poe-Key-Mans

#42 Posted by kingzetta (4307 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Poke EEEEEEEEEE mans

#43 Posted by bartok (2371 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Pokeymanz

#44 Posted by Surkov (985 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Pock-et Mon-sters

#45 Posted by supermike6 (3503 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

ポケットモンスタ！

#46 Posted by lord_canti (1221 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

i pronounce it pocket monsters good sir

#47 Posted by JJWeatherman (13978 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Wes said:

"
Poke Ayyy Mon
"

That made me laugh way more than it probably should have. :)

#48 Posted by DeathByWaffle (598 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Po-keh-mon

#49 Posted by Mikular (136 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

Pokey mon, but I'd realistically just say poke-uh-mon.

#50 Posted by Inkerman (1381 posts) - 2 years, 3 months ago

@Icemael: Again, not true, think about Zebra and arse. American's pronounce them 'wrong', as 'Zeebra' and ass. It's the tomay-to/tomah-to effect. Different regions pronouce things differently. If I was an American and pronounced Zebra 'correctly', I would be wrong in America, but right in the UK. The pronunciation of 'Pokemon' is ambiguous, hence the OP's question. The way the Japanese pronounce Pokemon is not necessarily the correct way it's pronounced everywhere, particularly given they speak a different language.

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How Do You Pronounce Pokémon?

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