How Do You Pronounce AT-AT?

Everett

Yes, I know I’m a bit late for Techland’s Star Wars month, but hey, every month is Star Wars month for true Star Wars aficionados.

The question at hand, the proper pronunciation of the AT-AT walker, arose after watching Techlander Allie Townsend’s Star Wars Yoga video. Her Star Wars Yoga master pronounced AT-AT phonetically as “at at,” as in it rhymes with “hat hat,” however, I have always held the belief that the vehicle was pronounced by saying its letters, or Ay Tee-Ay Tee. This seemingly improper pronunciation was irksome and one mini-nerdrage later, I decided to use my journalistic mettle to settle the matter.

There is much evidence within the Star Wars universe itself to support my pronunciation given that other walkers like Return of the Jedi’s AT-ST and the prequels’ AT-TE are pronounced by their letters. Even everyone’s most beloved droid, R2D2, is pronounced by the letters that comprise its name, whereas there is little, if no, precedent for the pronunciation of AT-AT phonetically.

So who’s correct, the Star Wars Yoga master (unlikely), or me (most definitely)?

An email blast to Lucasfilm’s public relations department provided the definitive verdict. The official pronunciation for AT-AT is the phonetic one, as in it rhymes with “hat hat.”

Alas, the force was not with me.

Star Wars Yoga Master: 1

Joseph Lin: 0

How do you pronounce AT-AT and will this change your pronunciation of the iconic walker?

otggamer

Sorry Joseph, but I’ve always pronounced it phonetically as “at at” and never even considered it would be pronounced any other way…until now.

Although perhaps with R2D2 and C3PO setting some pronunciation precedence I’m willing to give you just barely enough leeway to see where you may have pronounced it the (incorrect) way that you did. ;)

PS. That video was hilarious.
chimparzan

I will still call it by Ay Tee-Ay Tee, they are what cemented empire as my favorite star wars film. I have always like the big scale battles in star wars that didnt rely so heavily on light sabers for action.
tereglith

I always have and always will pronounce it as Ay-tee Ay-tee. It only makes sense to be consistent across the pronunciation of all AT models.
http://youwillnotbelieve.us mattlatmatt

Vindication! I am happy to hear Joseph that I was correct in my pronunciation during the Star Wars Yoga session. I’ve got a perfect remedy for your bout of nerdrage: A few parsecs in collapsed AT-AT and you will be just fine. (http://www.youwillnotbelieve.us/pursuits/2009/3/10/star-wars-yoga-at-at-collapsed-at-at.html)
fredcoupon

I’d take LFL’s ruling with a grain of salt, because the Big Man himself doesn’t know how to pronounce Hoth (Houth), Boba Fett (Bubba Fett) or Count Dooku (Doyku).

Besides, the beauty of Star Wars is that it doesn’t get bogged down in minutiae like Star Trek does -not necessarily a bad thing, but definitely gives it a stigma. “at-at,” “aytee-aytee” whatever floats your boat. Considering neither is mentioned in the films (“we’ve spotted imperial walkers on the north ridge!”), it’s open to interpretation.
cydonos

No doubt this verdict was handed down by whoever first proposed the name “Jar Jar”.
mxwp

“whereas there is little, if no, precedent for the pronunciation of AT-AT phonetically.”

Before some other nerd mentions it… the biggest precedent is the TIE Fighter. Everyone says “tie” and no one calls it the “tee eye eee” fighter or the “twin ion engine” fighter.
Joseph Lin

You’re right mxwp, I stand corrected. I forgot that TIE is in fact an acronym.

Either way, I still stand by my “incorrect” pronunciation. Long live Ay Tee-Ay Tee!

And mattlatmatt, thanks, but I’ll have to pass on the AT-AT yoga. My dexterity is unfortunately limited only to the keystrokes that I need to for playing computer games.
Allie Townsend

TEAM JOSEPH!
Rorschach

It’s definitely AyTeeAyTee.

And if it isn’t, it should be.
http://www.thisismywww.com Daniel Porter

And AT-AT is an acronym as well…. All Terrain Armored Transport… thus should be AyTeeAyTee!
toochivalrous

What says the most to me is how un”definitive” your post has made the issue LMAO!
I’m all for ay-tee ay-tee as well… screw you Lucas, you get no say about Star Wars after creating Jar Jar Binks
jujube1080

“At At” is such a goofy name for a huge death robot. A-T-A-T is definitely correct, even if Lucasfilm doesn’t realize it.
grekken

It is AyTeeAyTee.

If it’s not, then what do you call the AT-ST? All Terrain Scout Transport from Return of the Jedi.

You can’t pronounce that phonetically.