manga pronunciation
 

main-guh vs. mahn-gah

I've been saying main-guh for years (over a decade), but now everyone says mahn-gah. I switch back and forth periodically nowadays.

Should I just totally switch over to the mahn-gah pronunciation?

It's technically pronounced "mahnguh"

But most Americans say "main guh" because they don't know any better.

Lets put it this way. If you went to Japan and said 'main-guh', no one would have a clue as to what you were talking about.

めいんが？What?

Just say it the way it's suppose to be.

It's not "mahn-gah" V.S. "main-gah" it's simply right V.S. wrong.

It's funny how one sided this is so far since this forum is called Japanforum and not, like... i don't know... Nihonforum?

And @ hatredcopter - I WENT to Japan and said MAIN-GUH on accident several times and still got directed to the manga section. Just FYI. I don't know if this is just an awareness of american pronunciation or what. In any case it still worked.

JF wins again.

You make it sound like there's a debate to be had. There is no other pronunciation for the word; if you're saying 'main-guh', then you're saying it wrong.

Probably. I'm sure it's a popular tourist item.

What I'm saying is that in America for years the word pronounced main-guh has been said on television. It's an Americanism. Japanese do the same thing to American or English words. I'm saying it's very similar to using the words Japan and Germany instead of using Nihon (Nippon?) and Deutschland. Does anybody know what I'm saying? It's not like I'm arguing for the use of main-guh. Just surprised no one has championed the other side of the argument. AND there is an argument. Believe me! I've heard it in the manga aisles of more than one bookstore!

Japanese pronounce English words differently because they don't have the same alphabet...

You're perfectly capable of saying manga right... 'Americanism' is no excuse for sounding stupid.

This reminds me of my mom, who calls 'Rah-men' "Ray-mon"... because she doesn't know any better.