How's it pronounced?

[Tombo]

...is it JO-hansson or YO-hansson?

I've heard different media types pronounce it BOTH ways,and I'm confused!

Does Bob-San know?

Tom xx

[Pockets]

The Americanized way is JO-hansson, and the Danish pronounciation is YO-hansson. Considering that she was born in New York City and has lived in the States all of her life, I would say that we'd pronounce it the American way. I believe that in every media mention of her name including her guest appearance introductions for the talk show circuit, it's been said the Americanized way. So I would go with JO-hansson as the correct way.

[Bren]

...is it JO-hansson or YO-hansson?

I've heard different media types pronounce it BOTH ways,and I'm confused!

Does Bob-San know?

Tom xx

I would have thought it was the latter, but as Pockets said, the Americans pronounce it as the former, so, I guess we'll have to go with that.

[Pockets]

There are other names with the same dilemma (like some French names), but when in North America, unless the speaker is from that particular foreign or from another country in that vicinity, pronouncing it the original way can come off as pretentious.

[Pockets]

Again, if Scarlett had been born in Denmark and spent more time there, and I had a chance to meet her, I might politely ask when pronunciation she would prefer. But when someone is obviously very Americanized (born in the States), I would think that it more polite to consider her a full American, rather than focus on her ethnicity. Most young Americans would prefer being considered 100% American and the whole melting post thing, rather than being singled out as being different. With Scarlett, it might put her on the spot as being expected to speak some Danish etc... and that might be too much scrutiny and intimacy (from her point of view), from most other people who would be only passing acquaintances to her.