Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmette
This is a great question. I believe the "wen" version is a westernized version. Perhaps someone of Vietnamese descent who is a bit older and wiser can help out, but I think the true pronunciation is ngwen. But this is too difficult for you whities to say. 
Just pretend you are saying a verb ending in -ing, hold on to that last sound and then add -wen. |
Yup, in all school and work settings, folks with this last name have used "wen", definitely not N-goo-yen or Noo-yen. However, the real pronunciation is perhaps too difficult for Western tongues.