How do you pronounce Impala?

[invertigo]

Okay, these chevy commercials make me cringe every time they say the word "Impala."

Is this a regional thing? I live in the pacific northwest, generally considered to have a very "clean" american english dialect and I have NEVER heard ANYONE pronounce the word IM-PAL-AH ("pal" as in friend) until these commercials. Everyone I have asked, from young to old has clearly pronounced it IM-PAULA (just like the girl's name) and that just sounds a heck of a lot better to me.

I really wish chevrolet would change the commercials and fix this, unless, of course, everyone I know is saying it wrong

So I guess I would like to conduct a informal poll...

Which pronunciation do you use?

1. Just like the commercial... IM-PAL-Ah

2. Like me... IM-PAULA

Thanks

[Nick]

I've always pronounced it like #2...

it's like when people say Volvo...I've always thought it was pronounced Vole-Vo and pronounced it as such, but when I hear it like in commercials it's Vall-vo...I mean, either way it sounds fine I guess...I just always thought it was the first way...

or then there's Jaguar, but it is always funny to here those crazy brits pronounce it Jag-You-Are on the commercials instead of Jag-War like we do...

[pow]

I pronounce it #1

[!!!TED!!!]

Im-Pal-Ah (that is the correct way, though everyone has their own accent and twist, depending on region ).

[Bimmer325]

My name is not Paula, so IM-PAL-Ah for me.

[CSpec]

Clearly #2. ImPALa is very Chicago-y.

[Croc]

Correct pronunciation is like Im*PAH*la. I checked several dictionaries. Don't worry about the GM commercials...those are the same ones with the nasally guy saying "Cadillac" that sounds so...common.

[thegriffon]

I'm with Croc, it should be Im'Pahl-a, but Im'Pal-a, with the short second vowel is also common. the final a is an undifferentiated vowel sound, but the first is either long as in father, farther or far, or short as in fat, cat, bat, or hat. I don't knoiw why anyone would rhyme it with paula, (melon-) baller, taller or caller.

[ocnblu]

I agree with Chevrolet. It's Im-PAL-a. That's the way I've heard it pronounced my whole life, both in common usage and in commercials made by the manufacturer.

I only pronounce it Im-POLLA when I'm trying to sound like a rapper in my six-fo.

[bowtie_dude]

Im - paul - a

[mustang84]

Im-PAL-a...I know a couple people that pronounce it Im-Pahl-a, but #1 is way more common here than #2. I had never heard #2 pronounced that way until about 2000 when the new Impala was introduced.

[CaddyXLR-V]

In MA, I've always heard it pronounced as Im-pal-a, in AZ its pronounced Im-paul-a. Since I grew up in MA, it's Im-pal-a for me. Rappers use Im-paul-a because it rhymes better.

[BuddyP]

Like Croc said... Im-PAH-la. Watch the discovery channel when they are talking about the African Safari and when they talk about the Impala (the animal) they say "Im-PAH-la"

[the_yellow_dart]

I agree with Chevrolet.  It's Im-PAL-a.  That's the way I've heard it pronounced my whole life, both in common usage and in commercials made by the manufacturer.

I only pronounce it Im-POLLA when I'm trying to sound like a rapper in my six-fo.

I agree. I didn't realize anyone but Dr. Dre said it the im-paul-a way. I say im-pal-a

[Robert Hall]

I've always pronounced it 'Im-PAL-uh' and heard it that way... I've heard a few people say 'Im-PAUL-uh'...

Same with the Bonneville--I've always pronounced it 'Bon-UH-vil' but I've also heard 'Bonnie-Vil'...

I'm from Ohio originally, so my pronunciations may be Midwestern in origin..

How about 'Escalade'? I usually hear 'ESKA-LAID' but I've heard 'ESKA-LAH-DEE' also..

Edited November 8, 2005 by moltar

[Croc]

Anyone who pronounces it Bonnie-Vill is way off. Bonneville is French, and technically the pronunciation should be (in French) BUNN-veeeeel (very slight L sound at the end). English translates this to either Bonn-vill or Bonn-(schwa)-ville......schwa= "uh" sound

Now anyone who pronounces Escalade any different than the correct ESK-uh-LAID simply does not have a firm grasp of the English language as it is a common English word, a noun for the act of scalaing a fortified wall or rampart.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Croc

[ehaase]

In Mississippi, they say Bon-uh-vuhl.

[Sixty8panther]

This should have been a poll, I'on the fence here...

I don't say "im-PAL-ah" like Chevy but I dont't say "im-Paula" either... If I had to try to explain it in this messed up languiage of our where Phoenetics are nonexistant I gues it'd be:

"im-Pah-la" I don't know, ESL remember.

(I guess I agree wiht Croc this time)

[Flybrian]

Bonny-vil is a corruption on the correct pronounciation, but I'd have to slap myself if I ever said pronounced it Frenchly.

[Croc]

I don't see what the big debate is...check a dictionary every time it should say im-PAH-luh as the pronunciation. Go to encarta.com and listen to their pronunciation.

Dictionary.com uses the "a" symbol with the german umlat (sp?) over it...i.e. the two dots. That signifies an "a" as in "father."

[Croc]

Bonny-vil is a corruption on the correct pronounciation, but I'd have to slap myself if I ever said pronounced it Frenchly.

I agree. It would be pretentious and awkward. Just giving the history of it...

[Flybrian]

Caddy-lack is one I've also heard, too, along with Bonny-vill. I suspect most of the time its intentional, just like saying 'Park' or ''Burban' in place of the actual name.

For my car, I've also heard mispronounciations like Uh-rawr-ruh, Oh-roar-ruh, and my favorite, Acura.

[I hope GMRULES again]

I choose #1. I had never heard it pronounced Im-paula until about a year ago when I saw Gary Cowger interviewed and I heard him say Im-paula and I was like WTF was that? a GM exec doesn't know how to pronounce the name of their best selling car?

[SoCalCTS]

I have to agree with Croc. Pronouncing it Im-PAL-ah where "pal" is prounced like "pal=buddy" is not even an option. There is not one dictionary out there that supports this kind of pronunciation.

[AAS]

I use #2

[Croc]

I choose #1. I had never heard it pronounced Im-paula until about a year ago when I saw Gary Cowger interviewed and I heard him say Im-paula and I was like WTF was that? a GM exec doesn't know how to pronounce the name of their best selling car?

No, Cowger actually is pronouncing it correctly.

[Cremazie]

I agree.  It would be pretentious and awkward.  Just giving the history of it...

Boy, this thread reminds of of this place http://www.town.bonnyville.ab.ca/

I pronouce Bon-uh-ville and Im-pal-ah

[62impala]

Are you kidding me?

If Chevy calls it "IM-PA-LUH", then that's what it is...

If you watch the Tom Hanks movie,"That Thing You Do," there is a scene towards the end, out in front of the Ambassador Hotel in LA, where the head parking attendant answers the phone and says, "Hello... Blue IM-PA-LUH? Right away, sir!!"

That settles it for me...

Edited November 8, 2005 by 62impala

[Croc]

62.......how are you pronouncing that "A"? and certainly you aren't trying to say that every syllable is stressed....right? that's what the caps are used for...for indicating stress...

[Nick]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=impala

That is how it is pronounced...You can pronounce it however you want, but that is the correct way to do it...

[Croc]

exactly!

[CaddyXLR-V]

Actually its GM's car, so it would be how GM wants it to be pronounced. There are some car names that wont be in the dictionary, so who decides how to pronounce it then?

[Croc]

Hmmm...let's see here. GM uses silver impalas on a rooftop for advertising, Gary Cowger pronounces it correctly, and it is an English word...so chances are.........

As far as Jaguar goes, well, the British pronunciation is JAG-yoor, Ford says JAG-yoor, and Jaguar says JAG-yoor. Since Jaguar is British, it makes sense they officially pronounce their name like the Brits do.

---

I mean ultimately I guess GM can offer pronunciations different than the norm (they do not), just like I could wake up tomorrow and decide I am going to pronounce my user name as CROKE, but that doesn't change the fact that doing so makes me somewhat of an imbecile.

It really all comes down to sounding professional. Proper pronunciation makes one sound more professional, hence why Garyu Cowger says it correctly...or else he just learned to speak proper English.

Edited November 8, 2005 by Croc

[ocnblu]

I'll continue to pronounce it imPALuh like I've always done, how everyone I've ever heard say it (except rappers), and how I've heard it in commercials my whole life. If the manufacturer wants to prounounce it that way, then that's the proper pronunciation... period. When you look up the word "impala" in the dictionary... does it mention an ANIMAL, or a CAR? I'd be willing to bet it doesn't mention a car.

[NOS2006]

Balla. Shot calla. 20" blades on the Impala.

Yep. I went there.

[ocnblu]

Notice two "Ls" in the words "balla" and "calla", and one "L" in Impala, which begs that syllable to be pronounced like the word "pal". Balla and Calla do not rhyme with Impala, unless you are using poetic license.

[Justin Bimmer]

It's either way

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/impala

[thegriffon]

I have to agree with Croc. Pronouncing it Im-PAL-ah where "pal" is prounced like "pal=buddy" is not even an option. There is not one dictionary out there that supports this kind of pronunciation.

Merriam-Webster does.

[Croc]

Merriam-Webster does.

Merriam-Webster also says NOOK-yoo-lerr is an acceptable pronunciation of the word "nuclear," which is an obviously improper bastardization of the English language. Obviously Merriam-Webster is less of an accurate source of proper pronunciation and more of a compilation of existing (incorrect) pronunciations.

Maybe the above post should have said "no respectable dictionary."

Edited November 9, 2005 by Croc

[Cory Wolfe]

Impala as in Im-pal-uh. That's the only way I've heard it... I also couldn't make sense of Satty's sig because of that. I was like "WTF? That doesn't rhyme..."

[Justin Bimmer]

actually those are all accepted ways of pronouncing that word as well. I took a phoenetics class in college.

[Croc]

actually those are all accepted ways of pronouncing that word as well. I took a phoenetics class in college.

What are?

If you are talking about GW Bush's nookyouler, no, it is not accepted by anyone other than merriam-webster. it doesn't even make sense by the spelling of the word. there was an article about two years ago i read stating that MW was adding it to the pronunciations list "because so many people say it that way."

well, by that logic, most of English grammar should be changed radically because "so many people do it that way." I don't believe in pandering to the ignorance of the masses. Go look around...MW is the ONLY dictionary that offers alternative, incorrect pronunciations.

[Nick]

I'll continue to pronounce it imPALuh like I've always done, how everyone I've ever heard say it (except rappers), and how I've heard it in commercials my whole life.  If the manufacturer wants to prounounce it that way, then that's the proper pronunciation... period.  When you look up the word "impala" in the dictionary... does it mention an ANIMAL, or a CAR?  I'd be willing to bet it doesn't mention a car.

Yes, but obviously they got the name from the animal. If not then why in the hell would they use that name let alone put the animal on the car? Educational channels like Discovery pronounce it the correct way, the dictionary shows you how to pronounce it the correct way, and just because GM chooses to pronounce it the wrong way sure isn't saying a whole hell of a lot for GM, that's for sure...

[balthazar]

ImPALa.

I have yet to hear it pronounced 'imPAULa' in natural conversation-- such sounds like a speech impediment to me.

[balthazar]

As far as Jaguar goes, well, the British pronunciation is JAG-yoor, Ford says JAG-yoor, and Jaguar says JAG-yoor.  Since Jaguar is British, it makes sense they officially pronounce their name like the Brits do.

Television & radio voiceovers pronounce Jaguar as a 3-syllable word, not 2. JAG-oo-are.

[Paolino]

I'm a Im-pah-la guy. I guess if I was from different regions I could understand how the pronunciation would be different.

On Long Island and in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan... I'm "Pawl". In NJ and parts of upstate NY, I'm "Pahl". I even have heard accents call me close to the word "Pole"!

[Justin Bimmer]

Actually its GM's car, so it would be how GM wants it to be pronounced. There are some car names that wont be in the dictionary, so who decides how to pronounce it then?

That says it best, when GM copyrighted it, it becomes a proper noun and can be pronounced any way you want.... kinda like that british show where the family is "bucket" but they pronounce it bouquet.

[Nick]

The only reason I could understand saying it the wrong way was if they had some southern accent or something to that effect...Personally I rarely ever hear it pronounced the wrong way...I don't even hear the commercials say it the wrong way, but hey, like I said, if you guys want to pronounce it the wrong way then that is your decision...but just remember...it's wrong!

[Croc]

As far as Jaguar goes, well, the British pronunciation is JAG-yoor, Ford says JAG-yoor, and Jaguar says JAG-yoor.  Since Jaguar is British, it makes sense they officially pronounce their name like the Brits do.

Television & radio voiceovers pronounce Jaguar as a 3-syllable word, not 2. JAG-oo-are.

Somewhat...Americans generally draw out syllables versus the British and Aussies. For example, we Americans generally pronounce Melbourne as MEL-boorn. Aussies? It is said more quickly and comes off as "MEL-bun."

JAG-yoor versus JAG-yoo-rr is a "same difference" case AFAIC. My main point was the differentiation between JAG-yoor/JAG-yoo-rr and JAG-wire or JAG-war.

[Croc]

Heh...Nick said it best. Rock on man.