Ludwig or Ludvig: Mozart or Motzart

[Preston]

I know that this seems like a silly question. I have always pronounced Beethoven's name: Lud-wig, and Mozart's: Mo-zart. When I listen to the movies and the way they pronounce their names it sounds like they are saying Lud-vig, and Mot-zart. So what I am wondering is what is the correct pronunciation of their names?

Thanks,
Preston

[Chris]

Ludwig is pronounced LOOD-vihg, and Mozart is pronounced MOE-tsart.

[Preston]

Thank you Chris for clarifying that. I thought that might be the case but was not sure.

[Quijote]

Preston, it isn't a silly question in-and-of-itself, but does rather expose the linguistic weakness of many Anglo-Saxons. Here in continental Europe such dilemmas hardly raise an eyebrow, but it is a sad comment, is it not, on our incapability (read total ignorance) to pronounce such names 'correctly'.

[PDG]

Ludwig is pronounced LOOD-vihg, and Mozart is pronounced MOE-tsart.

But surely: LOOHD-VIG, and MOAT-ZART.

Pedantic PDG

[Quijote]

Shurely shome mishtake?

[PDG]

Preston, it isn't a silly question in-and-of-itself, but does rather expose the linguistic weakness of many Anglo-Saxons. Here in continental Europe such dilemmas hardly raise an eyebrow, but it is a sad comment, is it not, on our incapability (read total ignorance) to pronounce such names 'correctly'.

Hmm...Well, I don't think that Preston is an Anglo-Saxon. But I am! The best French I ever heard was in the Pink Panther films, with Peter Sellers.

[PDG]

Shurely shome mishtake?

Still hitting the claret a bit too hard, Phil?...

[Quijote]

PDG, you are smelly Brit that never washes and you eat horrible food. QED. Basta, voilà !

[PDG]

Well, some of that's true. But the rest, I deny!!

[Sorrano]

Hmm...Well, I don't think that Preston is an Anglo-Saxon. But I am! The best French I ever heard was in the Pink Panther films, with Peter Sellers.

And don't tell me the best German you heard was from the Monty Python seris....

[PDG]

No, actually, it was in Hogan's Heroes...

[terry]

Ludwig is pronounced LOOD-vihg, and Mozart is pronounced MOE-tsart.

I once asked a similar question, so I add this particular again: don't German pronounce the final G as a K, so LUDVIK (lood-vik for English speakers)? Please Germans here help!

[Sorrano]

One online pronunciation guide (German Department of the University of Exeter) gave this instruction:

But "g" hardens to a "k", when it occurs at the end of a word or syllable, or before an "s" or a "t".

[Fanny del Rio]

Hi everybody,
I'm not so good in English, but I'm from Germany and I want do help you in the question how to pronounce Ludwig and Mozart.
First of all there are a lot of dialects here in Germany but the common pronunciation of Ludwig is very simple Lud - wig like you'd - Loud and sick - wig and the w is like in week (a short ee like in sick). It is prounced very straight not with a melody in ou and w in it.
Mozart is very difficult -- Mo is like show or mole but only o not ou -- and zart is like smart and z like zipper -zart
I hope I could explain a little bit.
Beethoven used the French version of his name a lot of years in his early time in Vienna and everybody knew him as Louis - French pronunciation Loui