How to Pronounce ‘Fanuc’

Fanuc machines are a great resource for your industrial applications, and you may have a lot of questions about them. You may wonder about all the things they can do, what to do if they need repair and what the best way to maintain them is. But if you’re like most people, the first thing you’re wrestling with is the most important question: How do you pronounce Fanuc, anyway?

How to Say Fanuc

What’s so difficult? Just pronounce it the way it sounds, right? Well, this is not as easy as it sounds. First of all, it’s important to realize that Fanuc is not actually a word. It’s an acronym that stands for Factory Automation Numerical Control.

Some people assume that it is a Japanese word because it is in part a Japanese company, but this is not the case. With this in mind, let’s check out some pronunciation options.

1. Fa-NOOCH (rhymes with “the mooch”)

Some people may be tempted to pronounce the last syllable as if the c is the diphthong “ch,” like a Slavic word. This is definitely not right, and you may get some confused stares or laughter if you try to pronounce Fanuc this way. However, if you’re the type who likes to dance to the beat of your own drummer, give it a try and see what happens.

2. Fa-NOOK (rhymes with “the book”)

This pronunciation makes a little more sense, especially if you think of the acronym, since numerical has a “noo” sound. This pronunciation also may sound a little more Japanese to some, but remember, Fanuc is not a Japanese word.

3. Fa-NUCK (rhymes with “the duck”)

This seems to be the most logical way to pronounce Fanuc, and if you pronounce it this way, most people will know what you’re talking about. However, general consensus, at least among American Fanuc branches, is that this is not exactly right.

4. FA-nick (rhymes with “panic”)

Yes, for whatever reason, the popular pronunciation of Fanuc puts the stress on the first syllable, not the second, which also gives the second syllable more of an “ick” sound than the “uck” sound you might expect. Perhaps it’s because there is no “k” on the end, or maybe it’s just the dialect of the workers in the first plant where they were manufactured that stuck. Whatever it is, though, this seems to be the most widely accepted pronunciation.

Now you know.

While this is obviously a major issue in industrial electronics, you can probably get away with any reasonable way of pronouncing Fanuc — except maybe number one, above. However, if you’re a real stickler for the “right” pronunciation, just remember: “Don’t panic. You’ve got a Fanuc.”