You’re familiar with the Audi brand. The automaker has been around for more than 100 years, and the company’s vehicles have sold in America for the last 50 years. The company has a simple four-letter name, which is easy to spell, but how easy is it to pronounce? Given Audi’s German origin, you might not be pronouncing the name correctly because it’s not necessarily as straightforward as you might think. 

But don’t worry because we’re here to help you learn how to correctly pronounce Audi. You may be surprised by the pronunciation because it’s not what you might expect based on the spelling being close to “audio.”

The history of Audi

Audi.com tells you everything you need to know about the company’s history. The automaker’s lineage dates back to 1899 when August Horch founded his first car company, August Horch & Cie in Cologne, Germany. 10 years later, he had a difference of opinion with the board and formed a new company, which has operated under the name Audiwerk AG, Zwickau since 1910 – which is the birth of the modern company’s name.

In 1932, four German automobile manufacturers merged and become one, Auto Union AG, which is the root of the modern company AUDI AG.

After some obstacles in the middle of the 20th century, Audi was reborn with the Audi 100 model line in the 1960s. The company entered the U.S. market in 1970.

How do you pronounce Audi?

You may be wondering how Horch came up with the name Audi. After he left his original company, he couldn’t use his surname in the name of his new company. The Cambridge Dictionary tells us Horch means “hark!” or “listen!” in German, so Horch translated that into Latin, to come up with the word Audi.

But how is it pronounced? Cars.com explains. Loren Angelo, Audi of America’s vice president of marketing, says because “since Audi is so close to the word ‘audio,’ we often hear our name pronounced, ‘Aw-dee.'” That’s not the correct way to say the name, however.

Angelo continues, “to set the record straight, the official pronunciation is ‘Ow-dee’ similar to ‘howdy’ or ‘outie’ like the belly button!”

So there you have it straight from the source. Next time you say the name Audi, forget that it looks like the word audio; pronouncing it that way is wrong. If you want to get it right, make sure you pronounce the first syllable as “ow,” as if somebody is hurting you.

Popular Audi models

Audi typically sticks to the naming scheme of a single letter-number combination for many of its models. The A-line usually features the more affordable cars, with the A4 among the more popular cars among the A-line. Audi says the A4 family impresses with its “high-quality look, technical form, and stable sportiness.”

If you’re looking to get into a higher-end model, you’ll probably want to choose a model in the Q family. If that’s where you’re looking, your best bet may be the Q5. The manufacturer says it “combines the sportiness of an Audi Avant with a multifaceted character, a highly versatile interior, and high everyday usability.”

For something more electric, then the automaker’s latest line, the e-tron, may be for you. Audi says the e-tron gives owners “more personal freedom for self-determined mobility.” Bumping it up to the e-Tron Sportback gives you “an electric vehicle that promises pure emotion.” The highest-end e-tron is the GT, which is “a modern-day demonstration of progress” that “radiates sportiness, exclusivity,  and comfort.”

Springing for an e-tron is going to cost you. A luxury brand with its first purely electric vehicle isn’t going to be cheap, with base prices starting north of $60,000.

No matter which model you buy, at least you’ll sound knowledgeable at the dealership with the right pronunciation.