Willys Question

[Mccorm67]

Is it Will-eeez? Or Will-isss? I watched a documentary about Jeeps and they pronounced it like “What choo talkin’ ‘bout Wiliiis??”

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[Sparty]

Is it Will-eeez? Or Will-isss? I watched a documentary about Jeeps and they pronounced it like “What choo talkin’ ‘bout Wiliiis??”

isss

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Proper way is WILL-iss. John North Willys was the founder of Willys-Overland. My understanding is that he didn’t correct those who mispronounced his name.

WILL-eez is common enough. Once Kaiser bought the company you can hear it called both. Look up some early promotional films on YouTube. One I watched had both pronunciations in the same film by the same announcer.

Some people get very touchy about this. It doesn’t really matter that much.

Now this a a pronunciation that does matter BOO-ee. As in statesman, frontiersman and Alamo defender Jim Bowie and his famous knife. Not BOH-ee, as in the British pop star David, who actually took his last name from Jim and his knife.

 

[Red Willy]

Some people get very touchy about this. It doesn’t really matter that much.

Kind of like the 2door vs 4 door thread.

 

[longfiredragon]

I researched this for this very reason, LOL. And actually if you look at American English it is pronounced Will-eez. This is correct. Not Will-iss. There also is no actual proof that John Pronounced it Will-iss, mostly it is a educated guess because it is a sir name, or persons name. So most believe that John did pronounce it Will-iss and they are probably right.

And as most have said either now days has become acceptable.

But again according to Standard American English Will-eez is the correct way to say it.


Sounds like
wi·leez jeep

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