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TypeTalk: Tongue-Twisting Type
Type Love quiz time! Do you know how to pronounce these commonly mangled font names?
Written by Ilene Strizver on April 22, 2009
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TypeTalk is a regular blog on typography. Post your questions and comments by clicking on the Comments icon above. If Ilene answers your question in the blog, you'll receive one Official Creativepro.com T-Shirt!
Some typeface names are difficult to pronounce correctly. Here's my list of the 12 most commonly mispronounced typeface names followed by the correct pronunciation based on their place of origin... plus one important extra.
Antique Olive: Ahn-teek' Oh-leev'
Benguiat: Ben'-gat
Bodoni: Buh-dough'-nee (not Bo-dee'-nee)
Didot: Dee'-dough or Dee-dough'
Fenice: Feh-nee'-tchay
Fette Fraktur: Fet'-teh Frak'-tour
Kabel: Kah'-bel
Koch: Kock (ending in a hard k as in lock) or Kocch (with a gutteral ch as in chutzpah)
Neue Helvetica: Noi'-eh Hel-ve'-ti-ka
Peignot: Pen'-yoh
Sabon: Sah-bon'
Univers: Oo'-nee-ver (don't pronounce the s at the end)
Tschichold: Tchee' -kold (Not a typeface, but the 20th century typographer who designed Sabon.)
Love type? Want to know more? Ilene Strizver conducts her acclaimed Gourmet Typography workshops internationally. For more information on attending one or bringing it to your company, organization, or school, go to her info@thetypestudio.com. Sign up for her e-newsletter at Twitter.
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Peignot is French. The "gn"
Peignot is French. The "gn" combo is pronounced as "ny" (as in "nyuck, nyuck", see any Three Stooges film featuring Curly).
Peignot should be pronounced "Peh-nyough' ". For the final "o" sound, shape your lips into an "o" and be quick about it. Stop short at the "o", don't follow through as if in English
sesli sohbet sesli chat
RE: Ilene Strizver
Ha, good one!
It is Eye-een' Striz'-ver.
Ilene Strizver
I have seen your name often in print---but how do you pronounce it??
Benguiat
I worked for a guy years ago who pronounced it "Ben-quait"
Wow! 30 years of
Wow! 30 years of mispronouncing Univers!
Nicely done
Enjoyed this. 'Kabel'--who knew? After 25 years of mangling some of these pronunciations, it's clear you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Steven Brisson
Please ... how do you
Please ... how do you pronounce "Frutiger?"
More on pronunciation
Note that a pronunciation in the language of origin and "common" pronunciation is not always the same. There is a fine line as to when common usage becomes acceptable. For instance, ITC pronounces ITC Kabel as Kah-bel' (never Kay'-bul) while the actual German pronunciation is Kah'-bel. Additionally, many pronounce Neue as "New" which is the English translation. But if you don't want to be considered typographically unsophisticated, don't pronounce Olive (as in Antique Olive) the same as the martini ingredient ;)
Ilene
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T H E T Y P E S T U D I O
Westport, CT
203.227.5929
www.thetypestudio.com/
Re: Peignot is pronounced...
Thanks for the correction, my error. It will be corrected! Ilene
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T H E T Y P E S T U D I O
Westport, CT
203.227.5929
www.thetypestudio.com/
Peignot is pronounced...
Peignot is French. The "gn" combo is pronounced as "ny" (as in "nyuck, nyuck", see any Three Stooges film featuring Curly).
Peignot should be pronounced "Peh-nyough' ". For the final "o" sound, shape your lips into an "o" and be quick about it. Stop short at the "o", don't follow through as if in English.
The "wa" represents the sound the letters "oi" make, as in "patois".
How's my accent?
You really want me to say oo-nee-VER and ahn-TEEK o-LEEV???
Even though I am a snob, I try not to make it too obvious.
MP3s of the correct
MP3s of the correct pronounciation would be brill.