If you keep up with iPhone news, you might know about the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus’s camera with the new bokeh effect for portraits. After watching video reviews of the iPhone 7/Plus on YouTube, I’ve noticed that many people are pronouncing “bokeh” incorrectly.
It might be because Phil Schiller (senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple Inc.) pronounced it wrong when he introduced the feature at the Apple Special Event introducing the new iPhone 7 on Sept. 7, 2017 in San Francisco. (Video link here, fast forward to 71:50.)
I want people to know that “bokeh” should be pronounced “bo-kay” (“kay” rhymes with say, may, day, etc.) not “bo-ka” or “bokah” as Mr. Schiller pronounced it. “Bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “bokeru” which means “blur.” “Bokeru” can also refer to a senile person, meaning that the person is not mentally “sharp.”
And don’t ever pronounced it “bakah” or “baka,” especially when you’re taking someone’s portrait. Because that means “idiot.”