Is there a regional or cultural distinction in the pronunciation of the word “broccoli” similar to the aych/haych pronunciation for the letter ‘H’?
I say “broccolee” and so does a friend of mine, but a lot of other people say “broccolai” (especially where I’m living at the moment). It drives me nuts.
So is there a history to this split?
I’ve never heard anyone pronounce it “broccolai.” Where are you?
In the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Australia. I grew up in the suburbs of Sydney, and so did my friend.
I know that’s pretty obscure, but I’m wondering if the “broccolai” pronunciation exists anywhere else in the world (e.g. Ireland, say, or parts of the US).
When I saw that aitch/haitch distinction, I figured you were from Oz and either Catholic or Protestant with Catholic friends. I have a work mate who was schooled at a Catholic school and always pronounces it haitch.
Back to the OP. Generally as you pronounce it around here, although I have heard the other, but can’t remember where or when.
Yes, while I’m not Catholic (or Protestant, for that matter – I’m Orthodox), most of my friends were Catholics when I was young, and I so was bombarded with the “haitch” pronunciation regularly.
Maybe you heard “broccolai” from some Blue Mountains residents visiting NZ… 
I’ve heard it pronounced broccol-eye but never with an ‘ai’ sound at the end. I’m a broccolee (but not a long ee sound) person, myself,
Just to clarify, by “broccolai” I mean “broccol-eye”.
Never heard that, but I hear brock-lee (2 syllables) very commonly.
Yeah, that’s the one I thought he was going to be talking about. Hearing it pronounced brock-co-lee is like hearing chocolate pronounced chock-co-late (long a).
Haitch is fairly common in the UK, albeit it is perceived as an incorrect pronunciation. I have never heard “broccol-eye” in either UK or US.
I’d say it’s a regional Australian thing. I’m just back from visiting friends on the Gold Coast (southern Queensland) and they pronounced in Brocol-eye. It didn’t strike me as particularly odd (although I obviously noted it), after all they call courgette’s ‘zucchini’ and aubergines ‘egg-plant’. Bloody strange, you colonials…
OB
Pronounced “zoosh-‘n’-eye”, of course.
'Merkin checking in. Broccoll-eye is not something I’ve ever heard in any part of the US.
The predominiant pronunciation here seems to be BROCK-lee or maybe BROCK-uh-lee where the middle uh sound is so minimal it’s almost a schwa.
When my husband and I make dinner together we sometimes find ourselves choppin’ broccoleye because this bit cracked us both up. We like broccolay, too.
Most people around here call it “broc-cull-ee” although it’s not foreign to hear it referred to as “broc-coll-ee”
Metro NYC checking in: This thread is the first I’ve ever heard of either brockolai or haitch.
From the thread title, I thought the question was going to be about the “cc”. Like someone thought it was “brotcholee” or something.
All I’ve ever heard, all my life, was either “BROCK-lee” or “BROCK-uh-lee” (which is how I say it). Of course, since I’ve moved to WV, I have heard it pronounced as “Yew know, that ‘ere green vegeble what looks like trees; but I don’ wan’ it 'less it’s real well-cooked”. 
It has to be some weird Australian quirk and yet… it’s not universal, even down here. Weird.
Definitely ‘Brock-lee’ on Long Island (NY) - going to a chinese takeout for ‘Beef & Broc-ca-lie’ just doesn’t work… (and the & is pronounced ‘en’: Beef n Brock-lee…or Chicken n Brock-lee; alas the menu numbers aren’t standardized to just say ‘L9’ at any chinese takeout and have it mean, say, Chicken n Cashews, unlike say Taco Bell or Wendy’s.)
I’m from Long Island and I’ve always heard it as Brock-uh-lee, with the “uh” sound being very quick. Definitely more than just “brock-lee” though.