Real Pronunciation of "Villegas"

[erwintrace08]

Ok, I took Spanish from Grade School 5th grade until end of High School.

Does anyone know if Columbians speak any of the Spanish Dialects because it is sooooo annoying how the announcers say his name (IF they are wrong..hehe)

* Andalusian Spanish
* Canarian Spanish
* Castilian Spanish
* Extremaduran
* Murcian Spanish

The standard Spanish pronunciation of "Villegas" is (Vee-yeh-ghas).

Anyone?
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[Harry Longshanks]

Ok, I took Spanish from Grade School 5th grade until end of High School.

In the BMW (I think) the announcers mentioned that Camillo prefers Vee-JAY-gas.

[NBGC]

It's pronounced with the "jay" instead of "yay", http://inogolo.com/pronunciation/d145/Camilo_Villegas
verified by Camilio himself. http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/...678835,00.html
http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.a...FD22A1219072#7

Some spanish dialects pronounce the double L's as "J" instead of the norm "Y".

[Harry Longshanks]

It's pronounced with the "jay" instead of "yay",

From the article cited by NBGC:

For the record, Villegas (pronounced "Bee-JAY-gus"), 25, loves his parents, Fernando and Luz Marina, the middle-class couple who raised their two sons in Colombia's mountainous, coffee-rich Aburra region.

I never noticed that the announcers were pronouncing it "

B ee-JAY-gus"

[Dub]

I've been going with "Vee Jay Jay".

I know it's not even close but it's funny.














It is my understanding from those long ago high school Spanish classes that the correct pronunciation is "Vee....yay....gus". Okay....gimme a break, I was raised in the South.....

[goblue107501]

In the BMW (I think) the announcers mentioned that Camillo prefers Vee-JAY-gas.

This is correct. I got to play with him in a pro-am when he was on the Nationwide Tour and this is how he pronounces it. Between the pro-am and the four rounds of the tournament that I followed him, he told me about 20 times unitl I was able to get it right.

[Harry Longshanks]

I've been going with "Vee Jay Jay".

Fixed it for ya'.

This is correct. I got to play with him in a pro-am when he was on the Nationwide Tour and this is how he pronounces it. Between the pro-am and the four rounds of the tournament that I followed him, he told me about 20 times unitl I was able to get it right.

Cool, first hand information.

Any photos?

[iacas]

I just couldn't get over Dan Hicks constantly calling him BEE-jay-gas. I swear he wasn't saying "V".

[m11]

I just couldn't get over Dan Hicks constantly calling him BEE-jay-gas. I swear he wasn't saying "V".

Here's the roster from when camilo's brother played here at UF. The pronunciation key is at the bottom.

They have it as V-jay-gas. http://www.gatorzone.com/golf/men/bios.php?year=2006

[goblue107501]

Cool, first hand information.

I didn't take a camera during the actual play. As part of the pro-am they give you a group photo with the pro and I have that. He also signed my bag. On Sunday when he was done he signed and gave me his glove and a ball that he used. I asked his caddy if he could get me one of his hats and send it to me at a later date. (He had the Titleist/FJ hats and had his name embroirdered on the back.) As he was going to the parking lot, he (Camilo) motioned for me to follow. We went to his car and he pulled out a hat from his suitcase and signed it and gave it to me. He was awesome to me, and my family when I took them out, for the whole weekend.

[merklitl]

I just couldn't get over Dan Hicks constantly calling him BEE-jay-gas. I swear he wasn't saying "V".

In some spanish dialects, the v is pronounced like a very soft "b".

[zeg]

I just couldn't get over Dan Hicks constantly calling him BEE-jay-gas. I swear he wasn't saying "V".

The Spanish language (at least the Chilean and other South American I've encountered) doesn't really distinguish much between pronouncing "B" and "V." To my American ear, either letter can make either sound. They tend to be pronounced the same way each time for the same word, though. On average, I suppose it's really somewhere in between the English B/V sound for both.

Of course, it should be subtly in between. If it came out with a B as in Bob sorta BEE, that's pretty silly.

[Guest]

Hey guys, I am colombian, I guess I had to register in order to reply but I have been visiting this forum for a while just looking for info. and knowing about everyone's opinion. So i have other reasons as well.
Well, first of all I'd like to say we don't speak with any particular Spaniard accent. Spain's Spanish is really different from the Spanish spoken here in Colombia. In Spain the accent is really marked. Our Spanish is a bit more neutral. So well, there's the answer to the first question.

Now, about the real topic. Villegas.

The Vi would be pronounced as a V. But here in Colombia it is not really as important to say it as a V or B. it sounds like the same. There's almost no differentiation between V and B. And when you talk fast you normally use the B sound when saying a V so. . . it would sound more like a B.

Now. The lle is not jay nor yay. That makes the name sound like if a native English speaker was saying it (which is what is actually happening when an announcer says Camilo's name). The " lle " sounds like the the "je" in the word "jelly". It's very short and direct. Let's say it would be something like "jeh" using that Jelly example.

And gas. . . well. It sounds like gas! Just very subtle though. Not a GGGas but a gas.

So the actual pronunciation would be B-Jeh-gas (most used here) or V-Jeh-gas. (that would be phonetically correct but not as used).

[Boss5]

Here's the roster from when camilo's brother played here at UF. The pronunciation key is at the bottom.

I belive you are right.

[atrapasuenos]

Hey guys, I am colombian, I guess I had to register in order to reply but I have been visiting this forum for a while just looking for info. and knowing about everyone's opinion. So i have other reasons as well.

LOL I was thinking of an example of how to pronounce the "lle" but you got it.

It can be "jay" or "yay" because that doesn't sound as we pronounce it in spanish. I stay with the V-Jeh-Gas. Regards!

[JessN16]

On a related note, who else has noticed that Miguel Angel Jimenez is gradually losing syllables from his last name?

Commentators started out with "Hih-men-ez," then it became "Hih-men-eth," then "Hih-men-eh," and last weekend one of the Golf Channel announcers had shortened it all the way down to "Hih-menna". By the middle of next year, his last name will just be the letter J and a period.

Jess

[golf_junkie27]

On a related note, who else has noticed that Miguel Angel Jimenez is gradually losing syllables from his last name?

Ah, who cares, right? I mean, it's more important to have Korean golfers speak English during a Pro-Am than it is for television announcers to correctly pronounce the player's names.

I mean, it's soooooooooo difficult to walk up to Villegas or Jimenez or whoever and say "Can you please tell me how to correctly pronounce your last name?" That's just asking way too much, IMO. (Sarcasm)

[glebert]

This is correct. I got to play with him in a pro-am when he was on the Nationwide Tour and this is how he pronounces it. Between the pro-am and the four rounds of the tournament that I followed him, he told me about 20 times unitl I was able to get it right.

A little OT, but did you mispronounce his name 20 times, ask him 20 times how to say it, or did he drill you until you got it right?