The proper pronounciation of "Dan" and "Dag"

[Jim LotFP]

OK. My girlfriend is a native Swedish speaker, and she's here again.

The name Dan Swanö comes up a lot around the house.

Every time I say Dan in a way that rhymes like "can", she gets on my case about it.

My rationale is that if I say it properly, more like "Don", that would mean I would need to say "Dag" as if it were "Dog", and I just have a hard time calling somebody "Dog", especially a cool musician type guy.

(we won't even go into the "Swanö" or "Åkerfeldt" conversations we have around here)

The situation is complicated because she always slips up speaking English (the "wikings were wictorious" disease) and she catches me looking at her funny.

But what I am asking here is official permission from Dan and Dag to actually use the American pronounciation of their names, while in America, without any further hassles from Swedish speaking people.

Your decisions are binding!

 

[wardwarf]

It's weird because I called Dan "Dan [can] Swan-oh" for years, and then met a guy from Sweden and found out it was pronounced Don Svanuh.. Now I guess I mix it up a bit, but it's hard to break the habit of swan-oh!

 

[Jim LotFP]

It's weird because I called Dan "Dan [can] Swan-oh" for years, and then met a guy from Sweden and found out it was pronounced Don Svanuh.. Now I guess I mix it up a bit, but it's hard to break the habit of swan-oh!

What's worse is if you correctly pronounce Swanö to any native English speaker, he A- doesn't know who the hell you're talking about, and B- thinks you're a pretentious bastard after he figures it out.

Not to mention that ö is the most unnatural sound ever. I don't think Americans are physically able to say it properly.

So I amend my proposal:

Dan Swanö should be renamed Bobby Jones. Or maybe Moon Tower Zappa.

All in favor? *Americans all raise their hands*

And against? *Sweden and continental members of EMBLA all raise their hands*

America wins! America wins!

 

[Gurgelguff]

You have my permisson if you pronounce our elder brother´s name right: "Ingjald Swanö"

 

[Regulator]

I asked Peter Lindgren how "Dan Swan-oh" was doing once. I bet he thought I was a douche bag

 

[Enkeli]

You have my permisson if you pronounce our elder brother´s name right: "Ingjald Swanö"

heh...I'll let you know if he manages to get it right... Men jag har mina tvivel...

Sanna

 

[mattcira]

I always thought "Swano" (american butchered pronunciation) was a really cool sounding name... and I always thought it was a fake "stage name" too.

 

[lumen]

When Dan did a station ID for me he used the Americanized pronunciation of his name. I asked him about it, and his answer was basically along the lines that most of his fans aren't native Swedish speakers, and since English is kind of the international language of the music that he makes, he's okay with being known by the Anglicized pronunciation. (I'm heavily paraphrasing here.)

 

[Embla]

This is the funnest thread in like forever GUess why I always use my second name when I speak to foreginers... Åsa Swanö... yea for my non-international thinking parents choosing Åsa!!

If the long front vowel 'A' in Dan is too difficult, then why not go with Danne That's what I call him... you know, like 'Danny'. And Dagge, well, you'll have to call him Tom! Which would confuse things nicely in Nightingale situations... but then you'll have to call Tom by the name of Björn. Which is another first name (you know, like Björn Borg), and still has that impossible Ö in it I'll shut up now, shall I?

 

[Demilich]

Ok.. I may be an idiot, but can anyone attempt to illustrate how Swanö and the ö are properly pronounced? As well as something like Åkerfeldt or Åsa?

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

Yeah, like get Dan to make an audio sample of him slowly saying some of these names lol......like a swedish learning cassette

 

[ColdDarkNord]

Åsa sounds like Osa in russian what means "wasp".

 

[Leper_/-\ffinity]

I actually speak russian, so that makes some sense, how bout some words to describe Dan Swano and Dag???

 

[Embla]

Åsa sounds like Osa in russian what means "wasp".

Should I pick up Stryper's old black and yellow spandex pants?


When you've sussed out how to say "Dan Swanö och Micke Åkerfeldt är ögonfägnad för hårdrockstjejer" I'll give you a free membership in EMBLA for the rest of the year!

 

[iAMtheblackwizards]

Ok.. I may be an idiot, but can anyone attempt to illustrate how Swanö and the ö are properly pronounced? As well as something like Åkerfeldt or Åsa?

The way i was taught to pronounce the ö in german class was to kinda combine the sound of a long o and an r, but it really doesn't sound too much like that, its more of the way you have to put your mouth to make the sound come out. It is a strange sound and it took me about 6 months or so before i finally started saying it right and my german teacher stopped yelling at me for not understanding what vowel i was trying to say. I'd like to say i hope that helps, but i'm pretty sure it doesn't hahaha.

 

[Demilich]

The way i was taught to pronounce the ö in german class was to kinda combine the sound of a long o and an r, but it really doesn't sound too much like that, its more of the way you have to put your mouth to make the sound come out. It is a strange sound and it took me about 6 months or so before i finally started saying it right and my german teacher stopped yelling at me for not understanding what vowel i was trying to say. I'd like to say i hope that helps, but i'm pretty sure it doesn't hahaha.

You would be correct in assuming that it doesn't help much, but this is mostly due to me being an idiot! HELLLLLP! I must not look like a moron in front of my Swedish idols!

 

[batmura]

I never pronounced his name like "can" or "pan"... I always pronounced it like "don", kinda like I pronounce the German names "Markus" or "Daniel". Guess that's because I'm from Europe. I pronounce his surname like "Swein-o" though and fuck I think I'm screwed. We do have the letter "ö" in both Turkish and German (the two countries where I've lived) but for some reason I tended to read it in an American way.

And call me an idiot but I *still* don't understand the correct pronunciaton of "Swanö". Thank God I always got his name correct! I'd hate to call him the American way of "Dan". Sounds so fucking posh to my ears. "Dunn" is awesome on the other hand!

 

[Embla]

The way i was taught to pronounce the ö in german class was to kinda combine the sound of a long o and an r,

You're not totally wrong. Say the English word [church] and apply the 'ur' sound to Swan.

And actually we don't pronounce /w/ as in, say, "water", but as in /v/, you know like in "Vader".

And the a in both DAN and SWANÖ is LONG [a:], sort of as in "Bargain". So, a LONG AAAAA and try to put it in the very front of your mouth.

(Yes, I am a fucked up person who have, in total, spent a whole fucking term studying phonetics!!)

So, ultimate guide:


['SVAAAN ,UR] Hehe


And as for the Å sound (as in Åsa and Åkerfeldt). Say the word "AURA" (I'm not sure how the Americans pronounce it, but at least in the British version this works) and apply the AU sound. "AU-SA"
And as for Åkerfeldt...


['au: kerr 'felt]

The first syllable (' and underlined) means the main stress is on that first syllable
rr should be pronounced as far front against the dental row as you can manage without freaking yourself out. DO NOT use the English 'r', where the tip of the tongue is far back in the mouth.
'felt is pronounced as in a felt tip pen. Although, strictly speaking, our 'L' is further in front (tounge tip against the upper row of the teeth). There sould be secondary stress on 'felt, but not as distinct as on the first syllable.

Oh my GOD, I'm so NOT interesting!!

And of course, the English way of pronounding it as just as fine... they're all used to it!


Enkeli > Am I making sense to the Americans, you think?

 

[Enkeli]

Ok.. I may be an idiot, but can anyone attempt to illustrate how Swanö and the ö are properly pronounced? As well as something like Åkerfeldt or Åsa?

I don't want to spend money calling you up and pronouncing it for you, but maybe this will help.

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/1290/pronounce.html

The sound quality isn't the best, but I think you'll get the main idea on how å, ä, and ö are pronounced. I hope it helps.

Sanna

 

[Enkeli]

Enkeli > Am I making sense to the Americans, you think?

Well, actually I think you described it really well! Now, if we wanted to make things really complicated, I could go into detail about the differences between the Swedish that's spoken in Sweden, and the Swedish that's spoken in Finland. But that would just completely bore everyone.

Sanna