# How do you pronounce coitus? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 3, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237 "2006-06-03T02:29:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/21 "2006-06-04T15:14:02Z")
[The CMU pronouncing dictionary](http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict?in=coitus) sez > [@](#): > > coitus > K OY T AH S [Here’s how the British pronounce it](http://montypython.joolsc.net/downloads/sounds/COITUS.WAV) (small wavfile) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/22 "2006-06-04T18:29:12Z")
“You mean coitus?” [koy-tus] > [@Excalibre](#): > > Especially given that books _do_ use “vittles” - a perfect example of pronunciation spelling. I know “victuals” is supposed to be pronounced “vittles”, but it seems so wrong I can hardly bear to say it that way. I almost drove myself nuts last year by reading a book with a character named Siobhan in it. I know how it’s pronounced, but I couldn’t get my brain to translate it on first glance. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/23 "2006-06-04T18:32:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “You mean coitus?” [koy-tus] > > I almost drove myself nuts last year by reading a book with a character named Siobhan in it. I know how it’s pronounced, but I couldn’t get my brain to translate it on first glance. In fairness, the spelling systems used in Irish and in Scottish Gaelic were clearly developed by drunks. ---
**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 4, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/24 "2006-06-04T21:07:46Z")
I admit I never looked it up, so I guessed. “Co,” as in together. “It,” as in doing it. “Us,” as in she and I. I was wrong, apparently. Still, KOY-tus sounds like the coughing of enormous goldfish. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/25 "2006-06-04T21:47:44Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “You mean coitus?” [koy-tus] > > I almost drove myself nuts last year by reading a book with a character named Siobhan in it. I know how it’s pronounced, but I couldn’t get my brain to translate it on first glance. So… how is Siobhan pronounced? It looks like “See- ob- hann” to me. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/26 "2006-06-04T22:24:07Z")
I’ve always heard it pronounced Sheh-vaughn. Oh, and another vote for coy-tus. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/27 "2006-06-04T22:46:10Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > So… how is Siobhan pronounced? It looks like “See- ob- hann” to me. One pronunciation of Siobhan is pronounced Shi-vawn but at least one person says this: > [@](#): > > Q: How do you pronounce the name Siobhan? > A: /soy-bun/, protein and grains together at last I have one acquaintance from Scotland that has a sister Siobhan and they pronounce it shuh-VAHN. So, it is a tough one. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/28 "2006-06-05T00:01:40Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > One pronunciation of Siobhan is pronounced Shi-vawn but at least one person says this: > > I have one acquaintance from Scotland that has a sister Siobhan and they pronounce it shuh-VAHN. > So, it is a tough one. > > Jim shuh-VAHN. If some website tells you otherwise, take that as evidence for how bad information on websites can be. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/29 "2006-06-05T01:19:05Z")
One of my college history professors was an authority on the history of birth control. And he did love to talk about it. So he frequently had occasion to mention “ko-eye-tus interruptus.” But he was a quirky guy with a strong Louisiana accent, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he used a non-standard pronunciation just because he liked it better. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/30 "2006-06-05T02:30:33Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > shuh-VAHN. > > If some website tells you otherwise, take that as evidence for how bad information on websites can be. That is how I try to say it but I was not sure if it varied between Scotland and Ireland. My last name has at least 3 accepted pronunciations in the US but only one in Italia. So there could be variation from country to country. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/31 "2006-06-05T02:46:19Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > That is how I try to say it but I was not sure if it varied between Scotland and Ireland. My last name has at least 3 accepted pronunciations in the US but only one in Italia. So there could be variation from country to country. > > Jim I should be clear that that’s the Irish pronunciation. I wasn’t aware that the name was used in Scotland. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/32 "2006-06-05T02:54:57Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > I should be clear that that’s the Irish pronunciation. I wasn’t aware that the name was used in Scotland. I cannot claim any really knowledge but my WAG is that it is not common in Scotland. I have talked to person whose sister was named Siobhan in over 10 years so I cannot verify where the name came from or if it is at all popular. They did come from the highlands region near the Isle of Skye. This is an area that speaks and uses a lot more Gaelic, so it might be common in the region. Jim {I worked for a company with a business office in Aberdeen, that is how I knew this guy, we used to like to talk as I love Scotland and I was the one programmer in the department that could best understand his heavy Brogue} ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/33 "2006-06-06T16:41:46Z")
A little coitus never hoit us. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/34 "2006-06-06T16:51:45Z")
In the interest of helping complete this, uh, compendium of Siobhan-knowledge, the traditional, authentic spelling is Siobhán, with the fada on the a. Helps explain the length of the sound, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/35 "2006-06-06T16:56:10Z")
He’s causing coitus stir. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/36 "2006-06-06T17:09:30Z")
Koh-I-tuss, with a long I. (That’s what she said!) Oh yeah, and I always thought Siobhan was pronounced Syohb-han. I knew it was wrong, but that name just don’t scan. Of course, this would be one of the “trendy names” now. Good luck giving your kid a name most Americans can’t pronounce. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/37 "2006-06-06T17:14:28Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Koh-I-tuss, with a long I. (That’s what she said!) > > Oh yeah, and I always thought Siobhan was pronounced Syohb-han. I knew it was wrong, but that name just don’t scan. Of course, this would be one of the “trendy names” now. Good luck giving your kid a name most Americans can’t pronounce. Judging by what I’ve seen, there will be no problem with most Americans pronouncing it because there will be about five in every kindergarten classroom. It makes your child different and unique to give them the same trendy name that all their classmates have, and all the moreso if you do it by stripmining a culture that you don’t actually know anything about! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/38 "2006-06-06T17:29:11Z")
Co-EE-tus. I’d pronounce the verb “CO-it.” ---
**Author:** ![James66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@James66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James66)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2024, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/39 "2024-01-28T02:48:45Z")
This IS the correct way to pronounce it. Ko ee tuss ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237/40 "2024-01-28T03:27:00Z")
Geez, didn’t people have dictionaries in 2006? The OED says both /ˈkoʊədəs/ (KOH-uh-duhss) and /ˈkɔɪdəs/ (KOY-duhss) are correct in US English. But not /i/ (ee) as the middle syllable. Merriam-Webster and Collins agree. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coitus/359237.md?page=3)