# How do you pronouce warez **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720 "2004-01-30T06:13:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/1 "2004-01-30T06:13:15Z")
There are different news groups with the name alt.whatever.warez. You know the ones… Anyway, how do YOU pronounce that? Like Juarez Mexico? Like Wares, as in housewares? Just wondering. e3 ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/2 "2004-01-30T06:23:03Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Like Wares, as in housewares? Yes. … Don’t you forget about me I’ll be alone, dancing you know it baby Going to take you apart I’ll put us back together at heart, baby Don’t You Forget About Me Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t You Forget About Me … ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/3 "2004-01-30T07:15:08Z")
The same way Simple Simon pronounced it. No accident, there. ---
**Author:** ![np\_complete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@np\_complete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/np_complete)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/4 "2004-01-30T07:21:52Z")
Mark a vote for Juarez, it just sounds more sophisticated (and 1337). ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/5 "2004-01-30T11:58:22Z")
Rhymes with _shares_ to me. Saying _wah-rez_ is kinda silly. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/6 "2004-01-30T12:11:22Z")
I’ve been told ‘wares’ is the correct way to pronounce it (as that’s what it’s a misspelling of), though I tend to emphasise the ‘z’ a bit to make it clear I’m referring to _warez_ not just any wares. The same way you can tell when “l33t d00d” has zeros in 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/7 "2004-01-30T12:29:17Z")
Okay, this seems like the appropriate place to ask: What are warez? I’ve wondered about this for a while. I’m under the impression that it is computer related, but that is about it. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/8 "2004-01-30T12:45:39Z")
[A definition of “warez”:](http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci213338,00.html) > [@](#): > > Warez (pronounced as though spelled “wares” or possibly by some pronounced like the city of “Juarez”) is a term used by software “pirates” to describe software that has been stripped of its copy-protection and made available on the Internet for downloading. People who create warez sites sometimes call them “warez sitez” and use “z” in other pluralizations. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/9 "2004-01-30T12:49:26Z")
It’s usually pronounced “illegal”, though some prefer the alternative “stolen”. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronouce-warez/226720/10 "2004-01-30T14:33:17Z")
I didn’t want to give my opinion until a few people had posted. A friend of mine pronounces it like “Juarez” and it’s one of those things that just irk the hell outta me! Obviously I’m a “wares” kind of guy, although I have to agree with shade in that I usually make sure I get that ‘z’ sound in there. e3