I've noticed it being pronounced differently in different countries. In the US we seem to have settled on Hun-day. The corporate marketing people want strong brand recognition with a name that rolls easily off the tongue. In the 80's I worked on a project for a Korean company we pronounced Hi-un-die (both long i's).
I, and most people I know how own Hyundai's, pronounce it Hun-day. However, it does seem fairly common for non-owners to pronounce it a variety of ways. I think the next most common way that I've heard it pronounced is Hyun-die.
It says in one of their secret-camera-during-test-drives commercials "Hyundai like Sunday," so that's how it's supposed to be pronounced by Americans as far as the company is concerned.
I say Hun-die but sometimes i slip and say it as Hun-day. I've heard lots of people prounoce it as He-un-day amd He-un-die.
Funny story... when I went to get a cashiers check for the down payment of my car, I told the bank clerk to make it out to HYUNDAI MOTORS AMERICA. She goes okay HONDA MOTORS AMERICA right? I tell her no its HYUNDAI and she responds by telling me no your mistaken, the company is named HONDA.....................
I'm peru and the way we pronunce it, is Hi-un-dai but since I came here they are now hun-dai because if I say the other way some people just don't "understand"
The closest English pronunciation to the original Korean would be /ˈhjʌndɛ/HYUN-deh, but the final vowel is checked and cannot occur word-final in English.
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