mmueller07
How do you pronounce Müller (German) in English (spelled Mueller) ? In English we have to say "Miller" to correctly pronounce our name "Mueller" since there is no German Umlaut ü in English. There are many last names that are written "Miller" in English which are pronounced correctly, however the majority of people with the last name "Mueller" spell it "Mueller" even though their families origins have relations to Germany/Scotland/Poland etc. Also if you live in the US with the last name "Mueller" and you have researched your family immigrated from overseas over 3 generations back, would you choose to say your name "Miller" ? I say "Mueller" - mule+ur to ensure that the name is written correctly. My family always debates this. Thank You for any help = )
Nov 3, 2012 2:44 PM
Answers · 2
I guess it's up to you what pronounciation you prefer. Many English-speakers cannot pronounce my first name "Dirk" correctly, so I just tell them to use "Derek" if they find it easier to remember. I don't mind at all. The correct German pronounciation of "Müller" or "Mueller" ("ue" is used if "ü" is not available as a general rule) ist with "ü", which is somewhere between German u (English "look") and German i (English "see"). To pronounce it, try to put your lips and the very front part of your mouth in the position to say "u", then keep them that way and put your tongue and the interior part of your mouth in the position to say "i". Wikipedia has a sound example (long form, not the short form): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_front_rounded_vowel So "mule+ur" isn't even close to the German pronounciation. But if it helps people to spell the name correctly, why don't use it?
November 3, 2012
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