# How do you pronounce cf. ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978 "2006-01-08T05:45:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/1 "2006-01-08T05:45:29Z")
Just a little question but Google is useless on this for some reason. How should you formally pronounce the abbreviation “cf.” (as in cross-reference) when reading out loud? I know it comes from Latin “confer” but should you just say “cee eff” or should you say “confer” (and how would you pronounce that? Con-fir or Con-fair?) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/2 "2006-01-08T06:04:57Z")
You should say _confer_ (cun-fair). Just as you would pronounce the abbreviation _etc._ by saying the full Latin term _et cetera_. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/3 "2006-01-08T06:09:44Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > You should say _confer_ (cun-fair). Just as you would pronounce the abbreviation _etc._ by saying the full Latin term _et cetera_. Thanks very much. That’s what I thought at first, but then I confused myself by thinking that e.g. and i.e. are just pronounced as abbreviations. I forgot about etc. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/4 "2006-01-08T15:50:28Z")
> [@uglybeech](#): > > Thanks very much. That’s what I thought at first, but then I confused myself by thinking that e.g. and i.e. are just pronounced as abbreviations. I forgot about etc. FWIW, I pronounce them “compare”, “for example”, and “that is” and never use them when I write a paper. What especially irritates me is people who write “c.f.”. But I am a contrarian, as you can see from where I put that last “.”. And fortunately, mathematicians don’t footnote citations so I don’t have to consciously avoid horrors like “op. cit.” and “loc. cit.”. I just read something where I wanted to actually see what the source of a quote was and I had to go back I don’t know how many pages to resolve an “op. cit.”. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/5 "2006-01-09T01:14:53Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > You should say _confer_ (cun-fair). Just as you would pronounce the abbreviation _etc._ by saying the full Latin term _et cetera_. Interesting. I doubt very much you say “id est” for i.e., or “exempli gratia” for “e.g.” I suspect most people say “see eff” just as they say “eee gee” and “eye eee”. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/6 "2006-01-09T01:23:29Z")
If dictating something for exact transcription, I’d say “Cee Eff Period” to clue my wife or whoever is taking it down that the abbreviation is what’s called for. If reading text aloud in a steady stream, I’d autotranslate to “Compare.” ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/7 "2006-01-09T01:27:02Z")
> [@](#): > > FWIW, I pronounce them “compare”, “for example”, and “that is” I assume this is because you are in a English speaking country, while **Walloon** must be in a place where they speak Latin as their common language 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/8 "2006-01-09T01:35:30Z")
> [@Hari Seldon](#): > > I just read something where I wanted to actually see what the source of a quote was and I had to go back I don’t know how many pages to resolve an “op. cit.”. The recommendation given to me early on in using footnotes, that I’ve stuck to, is to only use ‘op. cit’ when the original reference is still visible. And FWIW, I never would pronounce ‘cf.’ as ‘confer’, only as ‘C F’. I wonder how people who disagree describe the ‘CC’ field on emails… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/9 "2006-01-09T01:37:05Z")
Hmmm…the Cambridge Dictionary likes the ‘see eff’ pronunciation: [http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=12324&ph=on](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=12324&ph=on) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/10 "2006-01-09T02:03:55Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I assume this is because you are in a English speaking country, while **Walloon** must be in a place where they speak Latin as their common language 😃 I had two years of Latin in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/11 "2006-01-09T02:37:07Z")
Hmmm… I see what some of the other responders say or “i.e.” and “e.g.” But what’s correct? What’s the typical norm (yeah, redundant) for pronouncing all of these? For example (see, I don’t start sentances with e.g.), when reading aloud, I’d tend to transliterate “e.g.” and “i.e.” as “for example” and “that is” respectively. I still write “e.g.” and “i.e.” though. Interestingly enough, when not reading aloud, I’ll often say “e.g.” or “i.e.” but usually as kind of an exaggeration, i.e., only to strengthen my point. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/12 "2006-01-09T03:49:46Z")
…and while we’re on the subject… Should it be “Post Hahk” or “Post Hoke?” “Post Hoke” sounds better standing alone, but pronouncing the full phrase, “post hoc ergo propter hoc,” correctly sounds kind of like Dan Rather saying “Guatemala.” ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/13 "2006-01-09T03:51:30Z")
> [@saoirse](#): > > …and while we’re on the subject… > > Should it be “Post Hahk” or “Post Hoke?” I say post hock (rhyming with sock). ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/14 "2006-01-09T04:07:50Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I wonder how people who disagree describe the ‘CC’ field on emails… As “Carbon copy”, of course. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/15 "2006-01-09T05:58:31Z")
And the voting stands: Confer - **Walloon** Compare - **Hari** , \*\*Polycarp \*\* when not dictating Cee Eff - **DSYoungEsq** , **Gorillaman** , and the Cambridge Dictionary hmmm…you realize you’re all forcing me to use my “judgement.” That’s not right. And by the way in a formal situation I’d have used “carbon copy” for cc up until maybe 10 or 15 years ago when it became more universally understood. Now I’d say “cee cee” because fewer people would probably understand the carbon copy part. Esp. considering these days it rarely actually means a literal carbon copy. That’s the trouble with cf. I think a lot of people wouldn’t understand the abbreviation when read as cee eff, but since I’m quoting a text I’m not at liberty to just change it as I like. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/16 "2006-01-09T06:05:15Z")
According to the boldly decisive sorts at the _Merriam-Webster Unabridged_ it’s pronounced like “compare”, also “see eff”, sometimes “confer”. So basically, any way you say it, someone will likely make fun of you. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/17 "2006-01-09T10:43:19Z")
I just say “see.” No “eff” at all. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/18 "2006-01-09T15:03:59Z")
> [@uglybeech](#): > > And the voting stands: > > Confer - **Walloon** > > Compare - **Hari** , \*\*Polycarp \*\* when not dictating > > Cee Eff - **DSYoungEsq** , **Gorillaman** , and the Cambridge Dictionary > > hmmm…you realize you’re all forcing me to use my “judgement.” That’s not right. It seems to me that all are correct. So you need not exercise your “judgement”; you need only exercise your “preference.” > [@](#): > > And by the way in a formal situation I’d have used “carbon copy” for cc up until maybe 10 or 15 years ago when it became more universally understood. I would have just said “copies to.” I don’t think the first _c_ was originally meant to stand for “carbon.” > [@](#): > > That’s the trouble with cf. I think a lot of people wouldn’t understand the abbreviation when read as cee eff, but since I’m quoting a text I’m not at liberty to just change it as I like. In my experience _C-F_ is the most common pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/19 "2006-01-09T15:21:22Z")
Another vote for pronouncing it as the word “compare”. I’m not sure I’ve ever had the occasion to read it aloud to anyone, though. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978/20 "2006-01-09T15:28:23Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I would have just said “copies to.” I don’t think the first _c_ was originally meant to stand for “carbon.” We had a discussion on this some months ago. “CC” definitely originally stood for “carbon copy”’ (or “carbon copies”). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-cf/338978.md?page=2)