He might be busy appearing on 'SNL' lately, but when he's not on TV or at home binge-watching Netflix, Elon Musk tends to make a lot of headlines. But he once made headlines for a peculiar reason: the way he pronounces his youngest son's name.
How Does Grimes Pronounce X Æ A-12 ?
Both Grimes and Musk spend plenty of time on social media, and the singer took time to answer fan questions after their baby was born. For one thing, she offered a written-out explanation of how to produce the baby's name, writing "it's just X, like the letter X. Then A.I. Like how you said the letter A then I."
Going off Grimes' pronunciation guide, X Æ A-12 is pronounced ex-ay-eye. She didn't offer a detailed pronunciation guide on how to say the last part, so maybe fans can assume it's just "ay-twelve."
How Does Elon Musk Pronounce X Æ A-12 ?
Elon, however, gave a different explanation of how to say their son's name. Musk said in an interview that the name is pronounced "ex ash." So they're agreed on X, but to Mustk, Æ equals "ash."
It's very different from the way Grimes enunciated the moniker (at least, via tweet). So how can fans reconcile the two? And, for that matter, how will the baby?
What Accent Does Elon Musk Have?
For fans who are wondering, Elon has a South African accent, though it's not always noticeable. Lots of fans agree that Musk almost sounds American at times, though some words are distinctly different because of where he grew up.
At the same time, some think that Elon is trying very hard to "adopt an American accident," pointing out that a lot of his "rhoticisms sound definitely deliberate." Alright, so what does this have to do with his baby son's name and how he and Grimes pronounce it?
Is Elon Musk's Accent To Blame For The Difference?
To be fair, probably not. Elon Musk's accent doesn't explain away the difference between "A I" and "ash." Which is interesting, because in Elon's explanation of how the couple chose their son's name, he credited Grimes with selecting the moniker.
He noted that she "mostly came up with" the name and called his partner "brilliant." The pair did agree that the A-12 was Musk's addition, and it refers to the Archangel 12 plane. Neither parent elaborated on whether baby boy Musk would go by the full title or just the abbreviation.
And in true Grimes fashion, the singer doesn't seem to be concerned about correcting the pronunciation of the name she supposedly picked. Just like Musk's defense of "men's rights activism," Grimes seems totally fine with letting her man do and say whatever he wants, even if it conflicts with her personal views.