Since the beginning of the month, Guyana has been in the news due to Venezuela’s desire to annex Essequibo, an area larger than the state of Ceara and located in Guyana’s territory. So, the question was asked: What is the correct way to say the name of the small country in South America: “Guyana” or “Guyana”?
The correct pronunciation is “Gúiana” with the lowered sound in the letter “U.”
Henrique Braga, professor and author of teaching materials for the Anglo system, explains that there is an assimilation in the “gui” syllable, indicating that the “u” should be pronounced. An assimilation is a syllable in which two vowels appear and are pronounced together.
“When we turn to reference works, we unanimously agree on the pronunciation of the letter ‘U,’” said Henrique, PhD in Philology and Portuguese Language from FFLCH-USP.
This is not always the case. In words like “Guilherme,” “guiar,” and “geisha,” the “U” is not pronounced.
Guyana It is a word that has been used by the indigenous people of the region for centuries It means “land of many waters.”
Guyana is a country in South America bordered by Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname. In mid-November, the country was in the news due to a Venezuelan attempt to annex Essequibo province.
Venezuela claims to be the true owner of the region, which represents about 70% of Guyana’s total area and crosses six of the country’s ten states.
On December 3, a referendum to annex the state that Venezuelans called “Guiana Esquipa” was approved by a 95% majority of voters present. The turnout rate is equivalent to half of Venezuelan voters.
The referendum ignited the decades-long conflict and fear of armed conflict on the border with Brazil.
On Saturday (9), the Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela confirmed that they would meet in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a Caribbean country, on Thursday (14).