That's how I pronounce gen and meme like the work meme. :)

Yeah I pronounce it like gen (hard g) and mem.

Yeah, I would pronounce gen like 'jen' - in other words, like the beginning of 'general' because that's where it comes from. 'Meme' I'm not so sure on, but I would pronounce it as written, with 'e' like in 'end'.

Richard Dawkins, who originally coined the word meme in a somewhat different context from how it works on the internet today (in his book The Selfish Gene), chose the word meme because he wanted "a monosyllable that sounds a bit like 'gene'" He actually specifically says it should be pronounced to rhyme with "cream".

But that was 30 years ago, and the word has taken on some new meanings, and possibly new pronunciations along the way!

Wow, that's some interesting information. I had no idea. Thanks!