What's the correct pronounciation of "jaguar"- the automobile and the cat?

Question

jag-you-are or jag-whar?

Answer 1

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/jaguar

Answer 2

The cat: jag-war (rhymes with "are" and "bar") Two syllables.

I don't know how to do IPA on here, so...

J sound like jealous, gentle, jade
a sound (low front vowel "ae" that rhymes with "bag")
g sound is hard, like giggle, gate, gutteral

W sound like weep, wash


As far as I know, the car SHOULD be pronounced the same, though I know that sometimes people try to make it sound "elegant" and therefore pronounce the "u" as another syllable. Also, as it is a British car company, the carmakers themselves most likely say "Jag-you-aw(r)." Still, whether or not this is the "correct" pronunciation for, say, an American, is difficult to say, because the word existed in Standard American English before a British car company decided to make it their company's name.

(Edited to add: Ooops, I didn't read your "jag-you-are or jag-whar," so I didn't want to assume that you knew these pronunciations; therefore I attempted to sound them out. In any case, I still hold fast that "jag-whar" is the correct form, though some may believe that "jag-you-are" is better simply because it tends to be the pronunciation preferred by the British - and many people assume that "British English" is an elite form of English.)

Answer 3

It's Jag-you-are. Rednecks say it the other way.

Answer 4

Jag-you-are...

As it is written!