What's the official way to prononce "Reala"

[6x9]

Japanese people say it like this:

Vee - Ah - La

[funkpilz]

Being German, I'd say ray-al-ah.

[Ray Rogers]

... I speak Japanese.... and all your arguments are mostly incorrect about r and l. Its not that there isn't an r or an l, but that there is no difference, the r/l sound in Japanese is a mix of both, as in many Asian languages. And thus words like rice can also end up lice, the average Japanese person can't distinguish the difference. So, Reala could also be Leara or Leala or Reara.

I would have to say there is a difference.
The native sound is MUCH closer to l than r.

I have even heard Japanese use this difference when speaking Japanese.
Generally, however you are correct in that the Japanese do not typically differentiate between l & r.

You wrote: Reala could also be Leara or Leala or Reara.

But there is a problem here because all Japanese are taught a form of Romaji
ie. how to write Japanese using the 26 letter British English alphabet (well, American ABC's are heard as well) anyway, unfortunately, when a writer writes down a word in Romaji, he has to make a decesion... l or r. However, when a reader goes to read that word... he too has to make a decesion... since he knows it could stand for the Japanese sound, the r sound or the l sound. (This is so because since the writer had such a choice-the reader does too... the decesion being frequently based on whim, design or mistake anyway.)

Anyway if you really want, I will try to track down the orginator of the name and get them to pronounce it for us. Who knows, it might make a funny U tube! (But I am afraid nothing can beat the Professor singing karaoke while holding a piece of Einstein's brain in his hand!)

[Photo Engineer]

Of course, I always heard this: コカ・コーラ pronounced as Ko Ka Ko Ra! It was very clear to me although I have heard the mixed l/r sound.

PE

[Ray Rogers]

Yes, I find the biggest (?) problem is usually an over compensation... ie Japanese forcing an r sound where it does not belong.
This most likely originates from the romaji system(s) that your speaker was drawing upon.

Actually, I have never paid much attention brown Coke, as I much prefer Pepsi myself. When you were here, do you remember what size and price was typical? Do you remember the vending machines that sold 60 yen glass bottle coke? Standing next to the porno mags that had the pubic hair scratched out of each picture? My, how things have changed!

[tiberiustibz]

It is very common that when Japanese pronouce the word "rice" in English and if they are not careful about the sound, they tend to pronouce it more like "lice."

Fried lice sounds not so appetizing...

[Photo Engineer]

I remember stories about odd things being found in soft drinks, but I never saw it. "Friends" just told me, probably as a joke being the young newbie. I too drink Pe Pu Si which is written that way: ペプシ. Or, it might be Pe Fu Si!

Japanese is an open syllabic language which does not permit single consonants and all syllables must end in a vowel. IIRC, the one exception is "N".

PE

[Photo Engineer]

Fried lice sounds not so appetizing...

It is flied lice which is even worse!

PE