How is "Jaguar" Pronounced?

If you drive a new Jaguar in the Boca Raton area, or if you’re just interested in these exceptional British cars, you might have asked yourself on more than one occasion, “What’s the proper pronunciation of Jaguar?” It might seem obvious, but the British and American pronunciation is actually different. Similar to brands like Porsche (do you pronounce it with one syllable or two?) or Hyundai (do you pronounce the “Y” or not?), Jaguar is pronounced differently depending on where you live. Americans tend to pronounce it “JAG-wahr,” while Brits elongate the word a bit and emphasis the letter “U,” pronouncing it “JAG-you-are.” There’s also a subsection of the American pronunciation that you’ll find in the Midwest, which is similar to “JAG-wire.” 

Since Jaguar is a British automaker, the proper pronunciation of Jaguar is the British way, a.k.a. the three-syllable “JAG-you-are.” In fact, to drive this point home, Jaguar displayed two of their vehicles during the 2019 NYC Pride Parade with “Jag You Are” splashed across the windshield!

Why is Jaguar Called Jaguar?

Now that you know how to say Jaguar properly, you might be wondering why exactly the cars have that name. How did the Jaguar car get its name?

As with a lot of modern automakers, the Jaguar automaker wasn’t originally called Jaguar. It was actually called the Swallow Sidecar Company, founded in 1922 by Billy Lyons and William Walmsley, and they produced motorcycle sidecars rather than automobiles. The company was a huge success, and in 1932, Lyons and Walmsley wanted to diversify into sports cars. That warranted a new company name, and they settled on the acronym “SS,” which stood for both “Swallow Sidecar” and “sport saloon,” which was what sports cars were originally called. 

The company continued to enjoy considerable success in the U.K., and in 1935, they debuted an automobile called the Jaguar 2.5L Saloon. The impressive new sports car was named after the legendary jungle cat, with the name meant to reflect its sleek design and powerful acceleration. The name stuck, and in 1945–after the acronym SS became primarily associated with Hitler’s police force in World War II–the company name was officially changed to Jaguar. The automaker changed ownership a lot over the 20th and early 21st century, and is today owned indirectly by the Indian multinational Tata Group, which owns both Jaguar and Land Rover as a subsidiary. 

Keep Up With Jaguar Palm Beach For All Things Jaguar!

Now that we’ve answered questions like “How do you pronounce Jaguar?” and “How did the Jaguar car get its name?”, you might be interested in learning about all things Jaguar! Head to our blog for automotive news, vehicle walkthroughs, and tips for keeping your Jaguar running in top condition in Delray Beach and Wellington. You can also contact our West Palm Beach Jaguar dealership with any questions, or for more information about our lineup of new and pre-owned Jaguar vehicles.