Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine

GoodTaste · Jan 3, 2021

How do you pronounce BioNTech? Bio, n, tech?

============================
Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine

General Information:
Diluent: 0.9% sodium chloride (normal saline, preservative-free)
Mix before using
Multi-dose vial: 5 doses per vial Dosage: 0.3 mL

Age Indications:
16 years of age and older

Amigos4 · Jan 3, 2021

I'll go with bee-on-tek.

emsr2d2 · Jan 3, 2021

Piscean said:
It appears to be by-on-tek.

Amigos4 said:
I'll go with bee-on-tek.

I've heard both pronunciations on UK news broadcasts.

GoesStation · Jan 3, 2021

Amigos notwithstanding, it would surprise me to hear an American say "bee-on-tek".

teechar · Jan 3, 2021

It's not worth disagreeing about. Let bygones be bygones and BioNs be BioNs. :lol:

Amigos4 · Jan 3, 2021

Let’s hear directly from the CEO of BioNTech.

emsr2d2 · Jan 3, 2021

And as we now know from both Amigos' and Glizdka's links, the CEO doesn't care how you pronounce it, and happily accepts both!

GoesStation · Jan 3, 2021

Amigos4 said:
Let’s hear directly from the CEO of BioNTech.

The "bee" pronunciation is natural for a German-speaker. It wouldn't come naturally to most Americans.

Rover_KE · Jan 3, 2021

:mrgreen:

probus · Jan 3, 2021

It reminds me of the story about Yehudi Menuhin. When asked by a New York reporter what was the correct pronunciation of his surname he replied with something like "I don't know. It doesn't matter to me. Pronounce it any way you like."

probus · Jan 4, 2021

Piscean said:
My name is pronounced /paɪsiːən/ (Pie-see-un), not, as I was once addressed, /pɪskiːn/ (piss-keen).

That sounds pretty fishy to me. ;-)

Since we are now talking about our handles please allow me to explain why I chose Probus. He was one of the late Roman emperors. Unlike his predecessors and successors, who were corrupt or debauched or both, Probus took the job of emperor seriously and tried to do it well.

Amigos4 · Jan 4, 2021

probus said:
Since we are now talking about our handles please allow me to explain why I chose Probus. He was one of the late Roman emperors. Unlike his predecessors and successors, who were corrupt or debauched or both, Probus took the job of emperor seriously and tried to do it well.

Et tu Probus! Beware of disgruntled members of the forum! You, too, may suffer the same tragic end that the original Probus experienced in year 282! ;-)

SoothingDave · Jan 4, 2021

probus said:
That sounds pretty fishy to me. ;-)

Since we are now talking about our handles please allow me to explain why I chose Probus. He was one of the late Roman emperors. Unlike his predecessors and successors, who were corrupt or debauched or both, Probus took the job of emperor seriously and tried to do it well.

And a big supporter of mass transit.

Rover_KE · Jan 4, 2021

probus said:
It reminds me of the story about Yehudi Menuhin.

That reminds me of somebody praising a good violinist (stop me if I've told you this before). He said 'He plays the violin like Yehumi ... Mehudi ... Yedumi ... Nigel Kennedy'.

jutfrank · Jan 4, 2021

I see how native English-speakers want to pronounce it 'by-o', because that's how the prefix bio (as in bio-engineering, etc.) is pronounced in English. In German, however, bio is pronounced 'bee-o'.

I wonder if the founder of the company ever anticipated this issue when thinking of a name.

emsr2d2 · Jan 4, 2021

jutfrank said:
I see how native English-speakers want to pronounce it 'by-o', because that's how the prefix bio (as in bio-engineering, etc.) is pronounced in English. In German, however, bio is pronounced 'bee-o'.

I wonder if the founder of the company ever anticipated this issue when thinking of a name.

I doubt it. Any more than a BrE/AmE speaker naming their company Bio-xxxxx would wonder "Oh, how are they going to say that in Germany/France/Spain etc?"

GoesStation · Jan 4, 2021

Or that Chevrolet executives never considered what Mexicans and other Hispanophones would think of a car called a Nova. ("No va" means "doesn't go" in Spanish.)

emsr2d2 · Jan 4, 2021

Plenty more amusing ones HERE. (Warning: contains some profanity.)

probus · Jan 4, 2021

GoesStation said:
Or that Chevrolet executives never considered what Mexicans and other Hispanophones would think of a car called a Nova. ("No va" means "doesn't go" in Spanish.)

If I recall correctly, GM actually rolled out the Chevy Nova in Mexico and were puzzled at first by the disappointing sales numbers. But that may be an embellishment of the actual story.

Amigos4 · Jan 4, 2021

probus said:
If I recall correctly, GM actually rolled out the Chevy Nova in Mexico and were puzzled at first by the disappointing sales numbers. But that may be an embellishment of the actual story.

Here is some additional context for the Chevy Nova legend.

Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine

Key Member

VIP Member

Moderator

No Longer With Us (RIP)

Moderator

VIP Member

Moderator

No Longer With Us (RIP)

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

VIP Member

VIP Member

Moderator

VIP Member

Moderator

No Longer With Us (RIP)

Moderator

Moderator

VIP Member

Similar threads