I hear a million people pronounce “Hefeweizen” as “HeffuViezen”. I assume this is because in Germany Ws are pronounced like Vs. But I don’t live in Germany. So I pronounce my Ws like Ws. Case in point, do you say “VolksWagen” or “VolksVagun”? Do you say “BratWurst” or “BratVurst”? The examples are many.
If I’m wrong, I will acquiesce.
Someone help me settle the score here.
Bored? Pronounce it however you feel like pronouncing it. Both are correct in my book.
Yeah, it’s just the German pronunciation. In German, they pronounce V like our F and W like our V. But hey , we’re in America, so we can pronounce it any way we want to. MullerBrau is right.
A beer by any other name, is still beer. :cheers:
You could just say “heff” or “german wheat beer”. That’s typically what I do so I don’t seem like too much of a beer snob. Except I am a total beer snob. 8)
Also: Vert instead or Wort.
My last name is Feit. When my ancestors came here it was Veit! Who knows why it changed? Germans are just frickin’ crazy i guess!!! The “V” sounds tougher though, so i pronounce it with a “V”!!
Eine Prosit! :cheers:
Viess and Viezen
I say “heffe-vightzen”, but I’m also half German and live in eastern Wisconsin where I’m surrounded by German-Americans, so then it probably doesn’t feel as weird. I guess I never really thought about it. I don’t pronounce W’s as V’s for anything else. It’s really just a subconscious beer snobbery type thing. Real Americans should really be saying “heffe-wize-n”. I guess I’m not a real American. I still feel half German. A heritage to be proud of, IMHO! My wife and kids are all half German, too. Maybe my grandkids or great-grandkids will start pronouncing hefeweizen like real Americans. Not mine, not if I can help it. Let the snobbery live on for as long as it will last!
Since “Hefeweizen” is a German word, I am not too sure why you have an issue with people pronouncing it as was intended?
American’s of German ancestry comprise the largest segment of the United States population as a whole. It is only normal in my mind, that you would hear people pronouncing it properly.
Just my two cents.
Also, out of curiosity, how do you pronounce Mercedes Benz?
I don’t have an issue with it. Just wondering what the consensus is.
[quote=“westcoastbrewer”]
American’s of German ancestry comprise the largest segment of the United States population as a whole. It is only normal in my mind, that you would hear people pronouncing it properly.
Also, out of curiosity, how do you pronounce Mercedes Benz?[/quote]
It seems strange to me, only because the pronunciation rule is not followed consistently.
I always pronounce it like hefeveizen, just something I’ve always done, I guess. I don’t really pronounce anything else authentically though. The German malt “Best Malz” I always want to pronounce the Z, instead of as a “ts” or “tz”. But I’m working on that…
I say Vietsen. And the waiter/waitress almost always tries to correct me. 
mur-SAY-deez BEN-zz
Is there another way to pronounce this that I am missing?!?
As far as “Weizen” vs “Viezen”, I say both. I have never really thought about t and I typically just pronounce it whatever way it comes out. Or I say “whatever brand name Wheat”. It is not one of my favorite styles so I am not faced with this conundrum very often when ordering.
It’s heffeViesen you uneducated dolts!
And it’s NOT pronounced Germany, it’s pronounced Deutschland.
Oh, and before any of you think I’m seriously calling you an uneducated dolt… :twisted:
Well, when in Rome and all.
I normally just go ahead and say ‘heff-a-vytzen’.
If I were in Deutschland I would prolly say ‘HAY-fuh-vytzen’.
Jurgen Knoller brews German style beer in Missoula. He’s from Bavaria, “Bayern” in Deutsch, and pronounced BY-urn. He named his brewery Bayern. Some of his employees say BAY-ern.
I don’t get it but I have a picture of him throwing his hands in the air and going along.
Do you guys call the mexican hot peppers “halepenioz” or “jalapinos”
Now you stepped in it! My favorite here is the NFL player, Julio Jones. They say Hoolio Jones, but I say it either has to be pronounced Hoolio Hones or Julio Jones. You can’t split this one.
Now you stepped in it! My favorite here is the NFL player, Julio Jones. They say Hoolio Jones, but I say it either has to be pronounced Hoolio Hones or Julio Jones. You can’t split this one.[/quote]
Maybe he can pick one for the first part of the season and then go onto something different as a streak buster. I think it is never to late to change…just like Terrell Owens. First he was Tah-rel, then he was tear-al. Scott is a dull name that I can’t experiment with.
When you go to Chili’s do you order “fah-he-toss” and “kay-suh-dee-yuz” or “fah-ji-tuz” and "quay-suh-dill-uhs’?
A buddy got the latter pronunciation when he worked at one several years ago. It was all he could do not to bust out laughing in front of the poor guy trying to impress his date.
pkrone, that is a very good point. We know how to speak Spanish just fine in the USA… meanwhile, 50% of us are part German, so what’s wrong with saying the German words correctly as well?! Or at least try.
