How to pronounce Segoe, the font or typeface

In Windows 8 and Windows Phone, you’ll see widespread use of a typeface called Segoe.  I’ve always wondered exactly how to pronounce this.  It could be SEE-goh, see-GOH, SEG-oh, seg-OH, etc.  I took a look at its Wikipedia page, and learned that the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) pronunciation is /ˈsiːɡoʊ/.  According to my understanding of the IPA, I concluded that its pronunciation is SEE-goh, with emphasis on the first syllable.  It sounds a little like the English word seagull.

However, I often hear it pronounced seg-OH, with emphasis on the second syllable.

Being the curious type that I am, I decided to do some detective work.  I poked around Bing and learned that the font is named after Segoe Road in Madison, Wisconsin.  On Yelp, I found a yoga studio which was near there and called them up.

Them: “Hello, this is Inner Fire Yoga.”

Me: “Hello, my name is Matt Harrington, calling from California.  I have a strange request.  I see on Yelp that you’re near Segoe Road.  How do locals pronounce that name?”

Them: “SEE-goh.”

Me: “So it would sound funny if I pronounced it seg-OH?”

Them: “Yes.”

So there you have it.  The font, or more correctly the typeface, was named after Segoe Road in Madison, Wisconsin, and locals definitely pronounce it SEE-go.  If English is your second language, start by learning to pronounce the English word seagull, and then change the last part from gull to go.