Get These 5 Common Brand Names Right

Give yourself a pat on the back if you can pronounce the first 3 German car brands correctly. #5 is a tough one - challenge yourself!

1. BMW

Pronounced as Bee-Am-Vey

Not Bee-Am-Double-you

This is just a warm-up. So, now that you know the German "W" is pronounced as "V" in English, let's move on to the next word.

2. Volkswagen

Pronounced as Folks-Va-gen

Not volks-way-gen

Hey folks, "V" is pronounced as "F".

3. Audi

Pronounced as Aw-dee

Not all-dee

The 'au' here is similar to the 'ow' in Howl and How.

4. Deutsche Bank

Pronounced as D-oi-t-cher B-ah-nk

This word is commonly mispronounced as D-you-tchi. The "eu" here is the same as how you will pronounce Reuters.

"Bank" here sounds like the English "bunk" in bunk bed. Open your mouth and pronouce "a" as "ahhh" instead of "aye". You can refer to this short video to practise.

5. Schwarzkopf

Pronounced as shhh-vah-tze-kor-p-f

Not shhh-wah-ze-kopf

You would have seen these hair care products, but find it a mouthful to say the brand name, let alone remembering its complicated spelling. You will need lots of practice to get this right, and you can refer to this short Youtube video for the right pronunciation. Many other videos pronounced it in the American/ British English manner, which sounds different. One key thing to take note is, the "w" is pronounced as "v".