# Asterisks **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 8, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052 "2009-06-08T00:06:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/21 "2009-06-08T06:17:45Z")
The phenomemon of reversing the position of two sounds in a word has historically been quite common in English and is the reason why, for example, we pronounce “iron” as we do. In England, it’s particularly associated with West Country accents, and these in turn have influenced the development of American English. So we get things like “purty” for “pretty” and “ax” for “ask”. American speakers probably see these things as regional, but to the rest of the English speaking world they sound distinctively American (as in, we know not all Americans speak like this, but anyone who speaks like this is an American). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/22 "2009-06-08T07:04:22Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Does anyone say the last syllable as “isk”? Yes. It’s amazing that people have trouble saying “asterisk,” but have no trouble saying “aster” and “risk.” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/23 "2009-06-08T11:54:45Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Oh, also the “th” in clothes. You uncouth North Americans really should pay attention to detail. 😉 Let me hear you enunciate the -xths in “sixths” with every phoneme distinct. I used to teach elementary school math, but I quit-- largely because of having to pronounce that demoniacal denominator. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/24 "2009-06-08T12:07:57Z")
Definitely just IMO, but … -isk is the sign of somebody who graduated from at least middle school. -x or -ick is the sign of someone who didn’t. (for non-US types, “middle school” is typically age 11-13.) ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/25 "2009-06-08T13:50:12Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Only those who can read. > > Knowledge of phonics helps. The snark is uncalled for. Of the languages I studied, English is the one the phonetics of which are least tied to its spelling. As the old linguist joke goes, fish could be spelled “[ghoti](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghoti)” As for myself, I pronounce it “ass-teh-risk”. Never heard the “ick” variation, although the “icks” one is fairly common. I blame Goscinny. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/26 "2009-06-08T13:58:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Better not ask the OP how he pronounces obelisk… She pronounces it… Er… I have never actually had occasion to say “obelisk” out loud. Oe-beh-lisk? Ah-bee-lisk? I am a bit insulted by the snarkiness in this thread. Yes, I graduated middle school. In fact, I’m in my second year of college. The responses here seem to indicate that “asterick” is a regional variation. There’s no call for the condescending tone. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/27 "2009-06-08T13:58:32Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Let me hear you enunciate the -xths in “sixths” with every phoneme distinct. > > I used to teach elementary school math, but I quit-- largely because of having to pronounce that demoniacal denominator. :smack: I saw this post, and I thought “Uh-huh”, and then I saw who posted it, and I thought “?!?” - believing as I did that \*your \*polyglot tongue was used to rasslin’ down and hog-tyin’ many harder phonemes than this one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/28 "2009-06-08T14:00:31Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > So we get things like “purty” for “pretty” and “ax” for “ask”. Not in educated society, we don’t. I once had to sit thru an entire lecture hour by an illiterate army sergeant who told us how to “ex-cape”. I didn’t ax any questions. We’ll return to this thread momentarily. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/29 "2009-06-08T14:23:29Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > She pronounces it… > > Er… > > I have never actually had occasion to say “obelisk” out loud. Oe-beh-lisk? Ah-bee-lisk? Don’t worry, it was a joke. See [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix#Synopsis_and_characters). Apologies for the gender mixup. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/30 "2009-06-08T16:23:36Z")
[Second one down](http://www.absurdnotions.org/page47.html). 'Bout sums it up for me. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/31 "2009-06-08T16:47:48Z")
I pretty sure I do. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/32 "2009-06-08T17:04:24Z")
Was it Patrick Henry? “I regret that I have but one \* for my country.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/33 "2009-06-08T17:04:46Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Definitely just IMO, but … > > -isk is the sign of somebody who graduated from at least middle school. > > -x or -ick is the sign of someone who didn’t. > > (for non-US types, “middle school” is typically age 11-13.) I went to an Ivy League graduate school but we didn’t have a graduation ceremony for middle school. Maybe that explains why I use the ignorant variation. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/34 "2009-06-08T22:29:11Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Not in educated society, we don’t. > > I once had to sit thru an entire lecture hour by an illiterate army sergeant who told us how to “ex-cape”. I didn’t ax any questions. > > We’ll return to this thread momentarily. My scoutmaster delivered a first-aid lecture which frequently referred to “discolated” joints. He took ill any discussion of etymology from a too-smart ten-year-old. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/35 "2009-06-09T01:18:10Z")
One way to get in the habit of saying asterisk correctly is to think “at risk” and then add the missing s in. There’s a sort of natural breathy transition between “ast” and “risk” that almost automatically puts the e in for you. As long as I start off thinking that way, I’m fine. But if I let myself start thinking “aster isk” I’ll inevitably pronounce it “asterix” ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/36 "2009-06-09T01:25:14Z")
I dunno how to pronounce it. I’ll go aks my mother. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/37 "2009-06-09T02:38:05Z")
I’ve done some more asking around. My father says aste_rix_ (“With an X at the end.”) My sister’s Jamaican caretaker couldn’t recall what the \* was called at first, but then decided on aste_rick_. My neighbor said something like “ass-track”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/38 "2009-06-09T03:23:01Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > My neighbor said something like “ass-track”. No, this is an ass-track: )( By the way, what’s your location? ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/39 "2009-06-09T07:15:49Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > No, this is an ass-track: )( > > By the way, what’s your location? And this is an asshole: \* ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052/40 "2009-06-09T14:48:12Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > By the way, what’s your location? New Jersey. And no, we don’t speak with that ridiculous “Joisey” accent your hear on TV. So if you’re thinking it’s an accent thing, people in my area sound just like New Yorkers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asterisks/499052.md?page=3)