{"id":13100,"date":"2022-06-04T08:40:58","date_gmt":"2022-06-03T23:40:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=13100"},"modified":"2022-06-04T08:45:37","modified_gmt":"2022-06-03T23:45:37","slug":"20220604-13100","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/news\/20220604-13100\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you pronounce \u201cMario\u201d? A linguist gives his thoughts on the topic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the <a href=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/articles\/newsjp\/20220602-204957\/\">original Japanese article<\/a> (original article&#8217;s publication date: 2022-06-02 20:25 JST)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><br>There is a difference in the way that the name of Nintendo\u2019s mascot character, Mario, is pronounced in American English compared to British English. Thomas from the YouTube channel Thomas Game Docs has enlisted the assistance of a linguist in investigating the correct way to pronounce the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"No, YOU&#039;RE saying \u201cMario\u201d wrong\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8Hqbco5BmT4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Mario is considered the most famous and well-known video game character in the world. His self-introduction \u201cIt\u2019s-a me, Mario!\u201d which he says loudly and with an Italian accent in <em>Super Mario 64<\/em>, is etched into the memory of gamers all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The character himself uses a pronunciation that is based on Italian, and he also likes to use Italian phrases, like \u201cmamma mia\u201d. Additionally, it was confirmed by Mario\u2019s creator Shigeru Miyamoto that he is named after an Italian American, Mario Segale. This likely means that the proper pronunciation of Mario\u2019s name is the Italian one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no question that people in each country will have their own way of pronouncing \u201cMario\u201d that feels natural to them. However, when it comes to English, things are a little different. There are different variations of English, but the most widely used are American English and British English. Despite being the same language, they possess various differences and that includes the way in which words are pronounced. These differences have at times been a bit of a headache to YouTuber Thomas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomas\u2019 YouTube channel has grown popular thanks to his videos that cover Nintendo related game history. Therefore, it is no surprise that \u201cMario\u201d is a word that he has to say often, despite some viewers claiming that he pronounces the name incorrectly. This has prompted Thomas to create a video titled \u201cNo, YOU\u2019RE saying \u2018Mario\u2019 wrong\u201d in which he analyzes the pronunciation of \u201cMario\u201d with the help of a linguist.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"http:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13103\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-696x392.jpg 696w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-001-747x420.jpg 747w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>As for the difference in how the name is pronounced in American English when compared to British English, Thomas claims that most Americans use the pronunciation \u201cMAR-io [\u2018m\u0251\u02d0.\u0279i.jo\u028a\u032f]\u201d while most British people say \u201cMarry-oh [\u2018ma.\u0279i.j\u0258\u028a\u032f]\u201d. Thomas himself is British and normally pronounces it \u201cMarry-oh\u201d, but in his video, he attempts to determine which is the correct pronunciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you look at the phonetic symbols, you can see a difference in how the two versions pronounce the \u201ca\u201d sound. In the American pronunciation, the \u201ca\u201d sound is represented by [\u0251\u02d0] and includes the symbol \u201c\u02d0\u201d which indicates that the sound is elongated. The British pronunciation, on the other hand, uses the shorter [a] sound. While this difference may seem subtle, it\u2019s a point that sticks out to English speakers.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"http:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13102\" srcset=\"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-696x392.jpg 696w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220602-204957-002-747x420.jpg 747w\" \/><figcaption>Image Credit: Thomas Game Docs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to finally settle the debate about which pronunciation is correct, Thomas borrowed the expertise of linguist Yo\u00efn van Spijk. Yo\u00efn provided a very interesting view on the topic. He claims that both the American and British pronunciations of the name differ from the original Italian, which lies somewhere in between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mario\u2019s well-known voice actor, Charles Martinet, is American, but after analyzing the Martinet\u2019s famous \u201cIt\u2019s-a me, Mario!\u201d line, Yo\u00efn concluded that he pronounces it the Italian way. In other words, the faithful way to pronounce it would be in Italian, which is [\u2019m\u00e4\u02d0.\u027ejo].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Super Mario 3D All-Stars \u2013 Explore the world of Super Mario 64 \u2013 Nintendo Switch\" width=\"1160\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UaY9QZrPvBc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>*Charles Martinet saying \u201cIt\u2019s-a me, Mario!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>The Italian [\u00e4\u02d0] sound is similar to the British [a], but is elongated, a characteristic that is shared with the American [\u0251\u02d0]. That means that both pronunciations have points in common with the Italian, but also points where they differ. If you can say that the Italian pronunciation is correct, then that means the American and British pronunciations are both incorrect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This unique situation may be a consequence born from English itself. Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese all generally use a similar \u201ca\u201d sound to Italian, represented by the phonetic symbols [\u00e4] or [\u00e4\u02d0], while French uses the \u201ca\u201d pronunciation found in British English. That is to say, when English speakers hear the famous \u201cIt\u2019s-a me, Mario!\u201d they likely interpret the sounds differently depending on whether they are speakers of American or British English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because Mario himself speaks with an Italian accent doesn\u2019t mean that players have to match his pronunciation exactly. For example, Japanese people would find it difficult and strange to pronounce \u201cMarry-oh\u201d in everyday conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>English is used in many different places around the world, and in each area, the language develops independently while also continuing to share similarities. Whether \u201cMAR-io\u201d or \u201cMarry-oh\u201d is correct is a question that has emerged from a unique situation and provides an interesting example of how languages develop. At the end of the day, no matter how you want to pronounce it, the name \u201cMario\u201d brings to mind a red hat wearing, mustachioed character with some astounding jumping skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is a difference in the way that the name of Nintendo\u2019s mascot character, Mario, is pronounced in American English compared to British English. Thomas from the YouTube channel Thomas Game Docs has enlisted the assistance of a linguist in investigating the correct way to pronounce the name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":13104,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[17,33],"class_list":["post-13100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-japan-related-news","tag-nintendo"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How do you pronounce \u201cMario\u201d? 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