Digimon Pronunciations

[PrimoPiccolo]

Digimon Pronunciations

After all the threads about dubbing and name changes, this thought just occured to me. How do you pronounce your Digimon?

What I mean by that is, there are a few ways to go about it. The show began in Japan, so there's the Japanese way they say many English words (prime example being Mach coming out Mock-a). You've also got the American dub occasionally slipping back to the Japanese names (Cockatrimon becoming Kokatorimon, Roachmon becoming Gokimon). And of course there are a boatload of Digimon whose names change depending on the medium you're looking at (Creepymon/Daemon).

But the hardest one for me to handle is when the American dub changes their own pronunciations. The most recent example is Vilemon, who in Data Squad is known as VY-uhl-mahn, while in season 1 Piedmon called them the VY-luh-mahn, and in season 3 Henry referred to him as VEE-leh-mahn. And my favorite is for a principle character of the very first season, Patamon, who changed the sound of his own Digivolution from AIN-jeh-mahn to ANN-jee-mahn to AHN-juh-mahn.

For me, it's where I first hear the name that makes me decide what I go by. And in the case of dub confusion, I just use what's the easiest to say. Vial-mon came naturally, so I never bothered saying it any other way. And Patamon Digivolved enough times toward the end of season 1 that Ahn-juh-mahn stuck, it's plain simpler than trying to pronounce it like the word Angel.


Geez, I tried not to be long-winded. >__>

 

[Johnzaloog]

After all the threads about dubbing and name changes, this thought just occured to me. How do you pronounce your Digimon?

What I mean by that is, there are a few ways to go about it. The show began in Japan, so there's the Japanese way they say many English words (prime example being Mach coming out Mock-a). You've also got the American dub occasionally slipping back to the Japanese names (Cockatrimon becoming Kokatorimon, Roachmon becoming Gokimon). And of course there are a boatload of Digimon whose names change depending on the medium you're looking at (Creepymon/Daemon).

But the hardest one for me to handle is when the American dub changes their own pronunciations. The most recent example is Vilemon, who in Data Squad is known as VY-uhl-mahn, while in season 1 Piedmon called them the VY-luh-mahn, and in season 3 Henry referred to him as VEE-leh-mahn. And my favorite is for a principle character of the very first season, Patamon, who changed the sound of his own Digivolution from AIN-jeh-mahn to ANN-jee-mahn to AHN-juh-mahn.

For me, it's where I first hear the name that makes me decide what I go by. And in the case of dub confusion, I just use what's the easiest to say. Vial-mon came naturally, so I never bothered saying it any other way. And Patamon Digivolved enough times toward the end of season 1 that Ahn-juh-mahn stuck, it's plain simpler than trying to pronounce it like the word Angel.


Geez, I tried not to be long-winded. >__>

I've always pronounced it VY-YUL-MAHN and never noticed the change.

That angemon one got me aswell but there was another. A few times in season 1 (and 2 maybe), Sora mispronounced PA-TAH-MAHN as PU-TAR-MON. Usually she was rushed when she said it, but I always thought "buttermon?"

I don't like the names that change do to Racial reasons (be that religious, cultural or colour diversity). Yatagara, Rhodoknight, when will it end?

(Here's one from another anime, In YGO GX episode 79 a card called "Yami no Kami - Dark God" appeared and the dub called it "Dark Creator" for obvious reasons. However, in the upcoming set they are releasing a completely different card by the name "dark creator" as part of the DARK series of monsters (regular counterpart=The creator). What will they do now?)

 

[celestial_sacred]

I normally follow what I think it's pronounced as, or the first time hearing, like Primo does. But if I know the Japanese pronunciation, I'll follow that one.

I had always thought Whamon was pronounced as waa-mon before I actually looked at the card which says way-mon. Haha. Now, I know that Digimon names pronunciation usually follows the origin of the name. Like Whamon's comes from "whale".

 

[Gaomon]

I don't intentionally put a Japanese accent on any pronunciations (ie mach = mock-a), except for raramon...because the pun in her name revolves around the R = L phonetic.

I call vilemon "evilmon", as I'm pretty sure that's his original name...and I don't enjoy supporting digimon whose names were changed so as not to offend bible-thumping Americans. With Angemon, I pronounce it "angel+mon" without the L. I mean...he's an angel monster, so that makes more sense to me. It was Davis's pronunciation of Angemon that really made me laugh/want to hit him. "An-GEE-mon". That makes me think more along the lines of a chubby middle-aged-lady-named-Angie-monster than anything remotely celestial...

 

[Tcatomon]

I usually just try to pronounce them as I've heard it on TV. I'm more familiar with Adventure/02/Tamers dubs and the subs of Frontier, Savers, and the movies (since no one's finished the rest of the series subs ;-; ). After I started watching clips and subs of everything else I started switching over to the japanese.. though there's some that just roll off the tongue better like "flamedramon" >>;