why do people pronounce "Mexico-Mehico"?

[michael147]

I hear that a lot on TV. Is it from Spanish?

 

[5jj]

It is the correct Spanish pronunciation.

 

[Nicklexoxo]

Hello.


I'm not a native speaker nor a teacher. I'm just Spanish and English learner.
I think this word came from Spanish. In Spanish I'd pronounce it like [Méjico]. Anyway, [Mehico] sounds correct and natural. I think so, because I have never heard another way of pronunciation this word.


Nickle.

 

[UM Chakma]

Just noticed that it is pronounced like that. But it is pronounced in dictionary as written. So what do you guys recommend would be much better to use? Mek.sɪ.kəʊ or Méjico?

 

[michael147]

It is the correct Spanish pronunciation.

What about in formal English speaking? I never heard of it in traditional English media.

 

[5jj]

What about in formal English speaking? I never heard of it in traditional English media.

Most native speakers of English pronounce the word with a /ks/ sound. Those who speak Spanish and/or have lived in a Spanish-speaking country may well use the Spanish pronunciation. I always told my learners to use /ks/ when they were speaking English.

 

[konungursvia]

"As written" is never a reliable concept with Roman letters, particularly if you first encounter them in English. Both X and J in Spanish are pronounced like a very strong /h/. Incidentally, Spanish boasts a 100% match between orthographies and pronunciations, meaning there are no exceptions in pronouncing Spanish based on its spelling.

 

[emsr2d2]

Forvo.com is a great website for listening to different pronunciations. Compare its page of recorded examples of the pronunciation of "Mexico" in Spanish here with the page of examples of pronunciation of the word "Mexico" in English here.

 

[Raymott]

"As written" is never a reliable concept with Roman letters, particularly if you first encounter them in English. Both X and J in Spanish are pronounced like a very strong English /h/. [As you know, Spanish /h/ is silent.] Incidentally, Spanish boasts a 100% match between orthographies and pronunciations, meaning there are no exceptions in pronouncing Spanish based on its spelling.

Spanish as a pure concept might be so, but there are a lot regional variations. 'll' (double l) is /j/ (English y) in most places, but English 'sh' in Argentina - "Sho, mi shamo Raymott". Maybe one of our Spanish speakers can think of other examples where less pure Spanish doesn't quite live up to these ideals. But I do agree that Spanish is the closest language I know of that almost achieves this ideal.

@ Nickelxoxo: To say that Mexico is pronounced Méjico or Mehico really depends on whose /j/ and /h/ you're using. (Apparently, you mean a Spanish pronunciation - Neither works in IPA for English or Spanish.) So, to tell an English audience that a Spanish 'x' is pronounced like a Spanish 'h' or 'j' here might not be that useful.

 

[konungursvia]

Spanish as a pure concept might be so, but there are a lot regional variations. 'll' (double l) is /j/ (English y) in most places, but English 'sh' in Argentina - "Sho, mi shamo Raymott". Maybe one of our Spanish speakers can think of other examples where less pure Spanish doesn't quite live up to these ideals. But I do agree that Spanish is the closest language I know of that almost achieves this ideal.

@ Nickelxoxo: To say that Mexico is pronounced Méjico or Mehico really depends on whose /j/ and /h/ you're using. (Apparently, you mean a Spanish pronunciation - Neither works in IPA for English or Spanish.) So, to tell an English audience that a Spanish 'x' is pronounced like a Spanish 'h' or 'j' here might not be that useful.

But for Argentinians, that sound is what the digraph formerly known as 'll' means to them, and it always does, so I would argue that each region still enjoys a one to one relationship between spelling and pronunciation.