How do you say 'banjo'?

Question

Just doing lesson 4.12 and two words are without audio. One is 'banjo'. Same word in English, but how is it pronounced in Spanish?

I know from the rules it would be 'banho' (to an English person) but there are a number of imported words which keep their pronunciation, so I wondered if this was one?

• Great question! - --Mariana-- Nov 8, 2009
• Thank you! I thought the audio *would* have to be missing for that one - it wouldn't have mattered for any of the others! - Jespa Nov 8, 2009

Answer 1

When I looked " banjo" up in the Real Academia Española it sent me to ...

banyo.

(Del ingl. banjo, de bandore, y este quizá del esp. bandurria).

1. m. Instrumento musical de cuerda que se compone de una caja de resonancia redonda cubierta por una piel tensada, un mástil largo con trastes y un número variable de cuerdas que se hacen sonar con los dedos o con púa.

• Thanks Marianne! Now, is that -yo or -jo? :-) - Jespa Nov 8, 2009
• Toco mi banyo en el baño? - aloshek Nov 8, 2009

Answer 2

banjo, pronounced banho, according to yahoo

link

Answer 3

I'm gonna make up a symbol for that gargly k/h sound that Spanish makes for j or for g....let's see...kh will work.

/BAN-kho/

Just take the jo from José and make that sound after ban.

• Oh, wait, you wanna know if it keeps its English pronunciation...I dunno. - webdunce Nov 8, 2009