What is the correct pronunciation for Bonaire? Is it bow-(like "low")-nare (like "hair")or is it more like bow-nar(like "car")-ay (like Buenos Aires) or am I totally off the mark?

Are you talking about the English pronunciation? I say it like "bone" "air". I believe this is the most common way to say it. Drives me nuts to hear people call it "bon" as in "bonfire" "air".

But I'm no expert, I'd rather be there than talk about it.

Brian...I'm with you...I'd rather be there on "Boneair" as well! LOL!

Maybe we should start a petition to have the spelling changed... ;)

I do a short bon, slightly longer air but no pause in the middle. Maybe more emphasis on the end. No guarantees I'm saying it 100% either.

Locals never end it with ay like Buenos Aires. Although the agents in San Juan pronounced it that way when they first started flying here. I didn't know where they were talking about at first. They also spelled it Bon Aire.

Sorry guys I don't think any Antilleans call it Bone-air. But we won't hold it against you. You're in good company which ever way you say it.

Interesting. This according to Dictionary.com:

Bo·naire - Pronunciation Key: (bô-nâr)

Somebody should take an audio survey around the island. That could be fun.

One small note, Linda, I don't include a pause between the two syllables, either. Was just breaking up the two for distinction in pronunciation.

Text-based communication can sure be a hindrance when talking about pronunciation! Fun topic, though.

Brian, those little squiggly things above the vowels do nothing for me...maybe someone from Bon-AIRE (Linda, trying to do a short "Bon" and a little longer "Air") can insert a sound clip...Linda, how do the Dutch pronounce it? Where's Martini when we need him with a sound bite???

Sorry Cynde, my microphone is out of service...

Dang!

I just hate it when people mispronounce my home state (Cauleefoarneah...) (that's my Arnold impersonation) and would like to appear somewhat more world-wise when we get there. (You know... like Roma versus Rome, Firenze versus Florence, Venezia versus Venice, Muenchen versus Munich) I don't know why we Americans (most of us anyway) have to butcher the names of places we visit... But I digress...
Is there a local name for the island or is it Bonaire (like "bunair"?) in all languages?

Joe Pacific...welcome to another left coaster...hee hee...have you been to bonaire before?

There is Boneiru in Papiamentu. The last sound being roo like in kangaroo. For example, Tene Boneiru Limpi is the group to keep Bonaire clean.
bandera di Boneiru is the Bonaire flag
The Papiamentu/Emglish dictionary lists both spellings with no explanation on pronounciation or uses.

Linda, Thank you for the input. Perhaps Boneiru means "of Bonaire" as in "flag of Bonaire" or "clean group of Bonaire"? I guess I won't offend anyone if I just join everyone else and say it "bone-air" (with a short bon and a longer air, of course)

Cynde, never been before. We usually go to Maui every fall for our anniversary but this year I decided to do things a little differently. I Googled world's best snorkeling sites and voila - we're going to Bonaire.

Joe, you will have a fabulous time! Snorkeling (and diving) on Bonaire is much different than Hawaii, loads of different marine life! Plus, you have so many more options in regard to places to snorkel. It's a desert island, so it's not lush tropical green like Hawaii, but it is certainly worth the long trip from the left coast!

Hi All,
Martin and Angela have just informed me that the Dutch say
bon air ruh with the rrrrrrs rolled as one would do in Rrrrrrroterrrdam.

-Mary W

Bonaire means beautiful sky in french.(for as far as i can remember).In papiamentu it is Bonairu and Curaçao is Korsou.the right pronounciating is
bo nai re ("bow" minus the w, "nai" as in hair and then "re" as in rent)
I speak papiamentu fluently since my kids are half antillean and my ex husband taught me the language.it isn't all that difficult if you speak spanish you can understand what they are talking about.Mi ta stima Bonairu hopi.(i love bonaire a lot.)
greetz ameera

Thanks Ameera!
And welcome to the BT Talkers.

Mi ta stima Bonairu hopi.

I love Bonaire a lot too.

Mary w

I had some extra time in the studio tonight so I attempted my take on the pronunciation of Bonaire in English, Dutch and Papiamento (is that with a U or O at the end?)

Perhaps I have only succeeded in making a fool of myself, but perhaps it's relatively accurate and can be used as a helpful reference.

Click here to view the page with a link to a streaming mp3 file. Enjoy!

Hai guys,
Well Bonaire here we come,I booked my plane ticket from holland last week and will be there on the island in december with christmas holidays and new years celebrations.I'll be celebrating it with my kids on the beach.This will be weird since i am used to the freezing cold here in holland.

Hi Ameera,
Sebastian and I hope to be in Bonaire during Christmas. Perhaps we will see you and your family at Gibi's?
Ayo,
MaryW

is it too early to start a list for Dec.and Jan????
we will be there January 15th -22nd

Hrm...I'm kinda surprised nobody has corrected my pronunciations yet. Anybody? Am I right, wrong, close?

They sound good to me Brian!

Brian,
That's the way I say Bonaire (in English) but I'm just a "mountain woman" in Colorado.

No matter how you say it...Bonaire is a great place to live...The name most likely came from the indian word "bonai" which rougly translated as "flat ground"

If you really wanna experience living on the island you should try to rent a house for a month at a real estate broker they often have cheap places from 400 dollar to 600 dollar you'll be living in the neighbourhood areas on bonaire in between the general population.I tried that in the summer of 2001 when my child was 6 months old it was wonderful,barbeque's in the backyard with loud music and we invited the neighbours next door so nobody would complain of the noise hahahahhahaa.
we also had barbeques on pink beach and at
Lac-baai.at night this was.i really feel home sick and so does my 8 year old son.
greetz ameera

hi brian i listened to your pronounciation,and the dutch version you forgot to add the e as in eggs and in papiamentu it is bon ay roo

mi por papia papiamentu bon bon pasobra mi tabata kasa ku un homber antillanu.Mi dos yunan ta jama jonathan i nathaniël.

ik spreek papiamento heel goed omdat ik getrouwd ben geweest met een antilliaan,mijn twee kinderen heten jonatahn en nathaniël.

i speak very good papiamento because i was married to an antillean man my two children are called jonathan and nathaniël,

see all three languages next to eachother now you can puzzle which word is which.

hahahhah i was just playing,

greetz ameera

I just noticed Ameera's comments on my recording...for some reason I didn't get the e-mail update when they were posted so I missed them.

Thanks for the input! Sometime soon I'll re-record them correctly.

Although, I'm not complete clear on adding the "e" for the Dutch version. Do you mean on the end of the word? "bone-air-reh"?

A pronuciation is available at: http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/b/b0380300.html

Hi Rick,

Welcome to Bonaire Talk!

May I amend your statement to say that An American pronunciation is available at....

I'm a Noo Yawka.
We say Howston Street for Houston Street
cawfee for coffee
wawda for water
and my Dutch friends taught me how to pronounce
Bon AYR ru.

Martin! where the heck is your gadget when we need it!

Mare

Just came from diving in Bonaire last week, and I was really curious about the pronunciation because it keeps coming up. My friends who have been diving there for years, are certain its pronounced "Bon-air" as in (bon bon), but looking it up on dictionary.com shows it as "Baw-nair", which is very close. Nothing in my travels or investigations, has shown it to be pronounced with a French accent, or something like (Bone-nare), as many people swear by.

Sean, I suggest looking it up on a Dutch based site, since it's a Dutch island...

The pronunciation has nothing to do with us being a Dutch island! The correct pronunciation is as varied as the cultures that make up the population. In papiamentu, it is BO NAY ROO! No matter how you say it, you are right. The new edition of the Papiamentu dictionary is on its way to the island and it contains a section on how to pronounce our words.