How do you pronounce "Whakatane"?

[kentauros]

It's a little town in New Zealand, and doesn't sound at all like it looks }(

[HopeHoops]

1. Wha-ka-tan

[ThomWV]

5. The last letter is E so the vowel that preceedes it is pronounced long

So you get Wacka-tAne with the second syllable rhyming with Octane as in the gasoline rating.

[kayakjohnny]

2. With an f sound.

Wh in Maori is like and f.

Fak a ta ni

[kentauros]

7. Correct!

I was a bit surprised when my gf first pronounced it for me, because they say it kind of fast, thus sounding like "fuck a tahnee". But it's more like "fahk' a tah' nee".

I like that bit you found below about it being considered vulgar by some search-engines! :rofl:

[kayakjohnny]

8. I spent 6 months in NZ back in the late 80's and that's how I know.

Plus I stayed in Whakatane and remembered the pronunciation of it.

Cheers.

[Iggo]

3. wah-KAH-tah-neh...

...'cause I like how that sounds.

Never seen the word before, though, so....yeah.

[kayakjohnny]

4. Found this...

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/559762/The-F-word-sees-Whakatane-censored-online


The F-word sees 'Whakatane' censored online


The pronunciation of "Whakatane" and its close proximity to the offensive F-word has seen the town censored in cyberspace.

A visiting tourist was astounded that he could not search for "Whakatane" on the district council's own online service, because the word was considered vulgar.

Visiting Auckland web developer John Henry used his laptop in the middle of the town to connect to the council's wireless service, called Freenet.

He was flabbergasted to discover his Google searches for "Whakatane' services were rejected by the content filter.

The Freenet website's explanation was: "The content is filtered so this service is for legitimate use."

"I could search for 'fish and chips' but not for 'Whakatane fish and chips'," Mr Henry said.

Council communications manager Barney Dzowa explained that the problem lay in the pronunciation of the town's name.

"The content filter is an American-based product, and it does a phonetic analysis of what has been typed in," he said.

"Whakatane, to the system, sounds like an F-word."

Following Mr Henry's discovery, district councillor Russell Orr, who business provides the service, has now solved the problem.

[HopeHoops]

6. What's a ta-ne? Is it worth fucking?