# How do YOU believe the word "divisive" is correctly pronounced? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677 "2012-05-22T01:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/1 "2012-05-22T01:27:51Z")
It drives me nuts when people put non-standard pronunciation to words whose spelling clearly implies a standard pronunciation. For instance, there’s the word “divisive.” It comes up a lot in speeches, and in the news these days. There are two ways I hear it pronounced. One of them appears to assume that since the word is based on the the root _division_, it should be pronounced to rhyme with “permissive.” The other appears to acknowledge that it’s based on the word _divide_, so it should rhyme with “incisive.” I am of the second school of thought. Anyway if “rhymes-with permissive” was right, it would be spelled “divissive.” ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/2 "2012-05-22T01:38:03Z")
If I was going to more-or-less rhyme it with permissive, it would rhyme better with permizzive than with permissive. But I voted rhymes with incisive. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/3 "2012-05-22T04:26:08Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > There are two ways I hear it pronounced. One of them appears to assume that since the word is based on the the root _division_, it should be pronounced to rhyme with “permissive.” The other appears to acknowledge that it’s based on the word _divide_, so it should rhyme with “incisive.” “Division” and “divide” aren’t roots here, they and “divisive” are derivations from the same root. > [@](#): > > Anyway if “rhymes-with permissive” was right, it would be spelled “divissive.” No it wouldn’t. Do you misspell “divisible” on purpose? Or mispronounce it? The “short I” pronunciation is less common, but it’s not wrong, and the spelling does not make a clear statement about the pronunciation – this is English, after all. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/4 "2012-05-22T04:33:38Z")
Am I the only person who uses many pronunciations interchangeably? I refuse to even pick the third option; prescriptivism don’t enter into it. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/5 "2012-05-22T04:50:11Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Am I the only person who uses many pronunciations interchangeably? I refuse to even pick the third option; prescriptivism don’t enter into it. No, that is what I was going to post: I use both pronunciations. I guess it just depends on the context and my mood (or something) at that current time. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/6 "2012-05-22T04:55:30Z")
I, too, use both pronunciations, but I forget if that means it can be pronounced EEther way or AYEther way. It’s one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/7 "2012-05-22T04:57:53Z")
I’ve never heard it pronounced to rhyme with permissive. It’s div-EYE-sieve. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/8 "2012-05-22T05:10:28Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > It’s div-EYE-sieve. Div-EYE-_what_?😕 ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/9 "2012-05-22T05:13:32Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Div-EYE-_what_?😕 sieve. Rhymes with give. [sieve - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sieve) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/10 "2012-05-22T05:23:33Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > sieve. Rhymes with give. [sieve - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sieve) Consider my ignorance fought. Strikes me as a strange phrase to put in a phonetic device though; why not div-EYE-_sive_? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/11 "2012-05-22T05:40:37Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > “Division” and “divide” aren’t roots here, they and “divisive” are derivations from the same root. > > No it wouldn’t. Do you misspell “divisible” on purpose? Or mispronounce it? No, because the “s” is pronounced like a “z” in “divisible.” ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/12 "2012-05-22T11:29:09Z")
I always assumed “eye” was standard American “ih” was standard British – see “privacy” – but maybe I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/13 "2012-05-22T11:43:09Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I always assumed “eye” was standard American “ih” was standard British – see “privacy” – but maybe I’m wrong. That’s been my assumption, as well – p’raps we can get some Brit Dopers to respond. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/14 "2012-05-22T12:08:35Z")
Tourist: Tell me, how do you pronounce Hawaii; is it Ha-why-ee, or Ha-vy-ee? Hawaiian local: Ha-vy-ee. Tourist: Thank you. Hawaiian local: You are velcome. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/15 "2012-05-22T13:00:19Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Consider my ignorance fought. Strikes me as a strange phrase to put in a phonetic device though; why not div-EYE-_sive_? Because sieve is an actual word and sive is not, therefor the latter has ‘well, how would you pronounce _that_?’ issues that the former does not. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/16 "2012-05-22T13:17:44Z")
Yeah because sive would rhyme with five, to me and possibly others. Sieve was just to remove any possible ambiguity. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/17 "2012-05-22T13:21:44Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > I always assumed “eye” was standard American “ih” was standard British – see “privacy” – but maybe I’m wrong. I’m Canadian, I’ve never heard it pronounced with the “eye” sound. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/18 "2012-05-22T14:34:26Z")
I am British, and I prefer div-EYE-sieve. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/19 "2012-05-22T15:02:11Z")
more lop-sided polls ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677/20 "2012-05-22T16:35:13Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > more lop-sided polls Perhaps. I’m just happy to be able to feel vindicated by the direction of the lop. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-believe-the-word-divisive-is-correctly-pronounced/622677.md?page=2)