How do you pronounce the word "Ninjago"?

malachirobertson · January 2012

Ok, perhaps this has already been asked and perhaps it is a silly question. Still, when my son and his friend were running around yesterday pretending to be characters from the Lego "Ninjago" line, the question came to my mind. Is there a particular or right way to pronounce the word "Ninjago"? My son's friend pronouced it like the words ninja and go. I have always read it as nin and jago, where my "ja" has more of a "j-ah" sound than the "j-uh" sound of the single word "ninja."

Thoughts?

Legoboy · January 2012

If I'm reading your explanation correctly, I think you're right.

Nin-jar-go.

StevenAshby · January 2012

Im pretty sure its Ninja Go. Thats how it was explained to me when it was released in wave 1 but that was when it was mainly the spinners game not the huge anount if sets it is now and was used as a term to start spinning :),

The_Brick_Builder · January 2012

Thought it sounded like the name: Nin-Jah-Go

sidersdd · January 2012

I think it's both. The land that they live in is Nin-jah-go. But when they fight they say Ninja-go!

drdavewatford · January 2012

The TV ads I've seen playing in the UK say Nin-jah-go.....

Legoboy · January 2012

^ jah as in 'jar' of jam or jah as in how a young child would pronouce a 'j' ?

drdavewatford · January 2012

'Jar'

tdhbr · January 2012

I heard a Lego store employee recently tell someone that TLG intended it as "Ninja Go" but kids were all saying "nin JAH go," so TLG went with that.

yys4u · January 2012

I'm so confused :-S

intromission · January 2012

NEEEEN-juh-GHO

Silber334 · January 2012

I'd just pronunce it as if adding the two words together; ninja + go. How to pronounce "ninja" might be the question. But I'd pronounce it with a NE American accent.

dsdg88 · January 2012

Perhaps the "jah" vs "jar" is the difference between US English and British English.

I was at Legoland this past summer and overheard some dad correct his son by saying it was "nin-JAY-go" :)

Similarly/tangentially, I overheard another dad explain to his son at the LEGO store that the star wars ship on display wasn't the super star destroyer as his son claimed but that the death star was the star destroyer since if was the ship that could destroy stars.

I've learned from my kids that they are often more up on pop culture than I am.

hewman · January 2012

sidersdd is correct. How do I know, watch the Ninjago cartoon. The city is Nin-jargo/Nin-jahgo (just a subtle difference between people on different continents), but when they go into battle it's "Ninja-Go!"

LukeSkywalker · January 2012

I'd be inclined to say "nin-JAH-go", with the emphasis on the "jah" part. Saying "ninja-go!" just sounds corny. :)

JP82 · January 2012

Definitely Nin - JAR - go.

legoDad · January 2012

The commercials here put a slight emphasis on the 'jah' part.
The first commercials that I saw here originally had them say 'jar' then it got changed to the 'jah' emphasis.
I thought it was like a Power Rangers kinda' thing...Ninja GO! To avoid confusion Lego should've went with the tried and true battle-cry...SPOOOOOOOON!

LostInTranslation · January 2012

I've spoken to a Lego designer who worked on the theme, and I'm sure he referred to it as Nin-JAR-go, ie stress on the 'jar'.

Legoboy · January 2012

^^ I thought we were all agreed that in written form, 'jar' and 'jah' were pronounced the same - just depended on what side of the world you were stood when you said it.

Nin-jaR-go (pronounced with a capital R)
or
Nin-jah-go (like saying ahhh at the doctor's with a sore throat).

Lol. It's funny as adults we're discussing this. Any outsider would think we're mad! :o)

LostInTranslation · January 2012

^ oh I am so tempted to be a real language geek, dig out my uni notes on phonology and write all the options phonetically. But I won't :-)

Orthobotrex · January 2012

I think we can say it like Sensei Wu says it here:

cavegod · January 2012

^ oh I am so tempted to be a real language geek, dig out my uni notes on phonology and write all the options phonetically. But I won't :-)

Maybe you could do it for Legos what ever that is?? lol

rocao · January 2012

I pronounce it as if it were created to be in the similar style of the word 'ninjitsu':
nin-JAH-go

prevere · January 2012

I pronounce it Nin-jar-jar-go. For the best Star Wars character ever. Not!

sidersdd · January 2012

^ +1

plasmodium · January 2012

I thought it was an amalgamation of the words 'ninja' and 'Lego', pronounced 'nin-JAR-go'.

brickmatic · January 2012

How do they pronounce it in Danish?

This thread is ridiculous in a very fun way.

@LostInTranslation Please do.

eragon3443 · January 2012

ninja-go. Some say it Nin-jay-go.

prof1515 · January 2012

OK, this is completely off-topic but this thread reminded me of an old story my junior high social studies teacher used to tell.

Joe and Bill were driving through southern Illinois when they spotted a sign indicating that the town of Cairo was a few miles down the road. They got into an argument over how the town's name was pronounced. Joe, who was from the area, said that it was pronounced Kay-Ro while Bill insisted that it was pronounced the same as the Egyptian city from which it got its name, ie, Ki-Ro.

The argued back and forth as they neared the city and finally Bill said, "Fine, let's pull into the first place we see and have them settle this by telling us how they pronounce the name of their city."

So, when they entered town, they pulled into the parking lot of the first place they saw, got out of the car and entered the building. Bill and Joe approached the woman working there.

"Pardon me, but my friend and I are not from this city and are having a little disagreement. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please tell us, very slowly and pronouncing each syllable clearly, how you say the name of this place?"

The woman looked at them for a moment, then slowly said, "Bur...Ger...King."

legomummo · April 2012

Firstly, without ever having heard it pronounced, only seeing the word printed, our family naturally pronounced it "ninja - go". Since seeing the videos, etc, we're now confused, because they say "nin-jar-go", which just sounds stupid. Could be that the Americans got hold of it and, as with so many "English" words, screwed it. Also, what's with the jah/jar thing in so many posts? What's the difference in the pronunciation of these two? Jah... jar....!? Same, yeah? BTW, as a family we're sticking with how it looks, "Ninja-go". It also captures the spirit of the theme... Ninja, GO!

LegobrandonCP · April 2012

I say it "Ninja-go". "Nin-ja-go" sounds weird but most kids in the LEGO asile pronounce it that way.

Yellowcastle · April 2012

I once heard a hilarious argument in the LEGO aisle between two brothers on how to pronounce Bionicle. :o)

Bee- onicle!
Buy-onicle!
Bee-onicle!
Buy-onicle!

As for the English language, I like to think we Americans just got rid of those superfluous u's and put the e's on the correct side of the r's. ;o)

Robb · April 2012

From what I have noticed in the cartoon, they use both pronunciations. Stress on the second syllable is used to describe the location (Nin-JAH-go City) and stress on the first syllable to describe the action (NIN-ja-GO!).

MrKevinHinkle · April 2012

The correct pronunciation of the theme is "Nin-Jah-Go." However, just as a few individuals pointed out, in the animated series the Ninja will yell out "Ninja Go!" when attacking and performing Spinjitzu.