This story makes me giggle every time
A friend told me this story, no idea if it's true but it makes me laugh. He worked in the accounts division of a fairly major company who had dealings within the Aerospace Industry.

One of the women had to call Thales to check something on one of the accounts. She rang up and said 'hello, is this Thales?' The person on the other end of the phone replied 'no, it's accounts'. She didn't know that Thales is pronounced 'talis'
(muppers, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 16:16, 11 replies)

Clicking I like this
even though I don't. But you educated me, since I'd heard of Talis and Thales, and it never occured to me they were the same company.
(Schrodinger's Goldfish, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 17:13, closed)

Exactly.
If I wanted to found a company called Talis, I'd probably make a point of not calling it Thales (charitably, I suppose Thales might be pronounced Tails, but certainly not Talis).
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 17:50, closed)

Even
if you were French?
(Vice Admiral Sir Charles Cockbrush KCB MBE DSO, who is finding it increasingly difficult to log into b3ta.com wants to duck your aunt and kick your puppy, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 19:28, closed)

Some of us have standards.

( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 20:31, closed)

They're not
Well, there's Thales-pronounced-Talis and Talis-pronounced-Talis and they're different companies. Thales is French so the 'i' is probably not quite how you're meant to say that one...
(ChaRleyTroniC is invincible with his chips and cheese, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 20:54, closed)

I do some work for Thales
And always pronounce it "Tal-es"

Not that it really matters...I just want a go in a flight simulator but I stand a better chance with Boeing next door (in Crawley) :)
( snee held his breath since, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 7:59, closed)

You have to know it's pronounced Talis
for this story to begin to make sense.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 10:47, closed)

Hmmm it's my first go
And I thought that most people would pronounce it 'thales' in the first instance, I'm sure that's the way I read it when I heard it. Still, all feedback gratefully received.
(muppers, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 10:58, closed)

Hah. It's no good writing it down like that.
I read it as '. . most people would pronounce it [rhymes with 'whales'] in the first instance. .'

Come on, don't be offended.
( Not Pineapple anymore, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 11:23, closed)

Not offended!
Honest!
(muppers, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 11:33, closed)

I have been educated today.
I thought it rhymed with whales as well.
( sanityclause is waiting until, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 11:26, closed)