# How do YOU pronounce "coyote"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406 "2010-05-05T14:38:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [May 5, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/61 "2010-05-05T21:58:43Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > In neither one or anywhere else legitimately, AFAIK: kaI o ti :dubious: What is your standard for “legitimate”? I believe others in this thread have already cited to dictionaries that note this pronunciation, indeed as the _first_ pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/62 "2010-05-05T21:59:45Z")
ETooLateA: The WB [theme song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9aoVRKeyZs) seems a bit divided on the subject: \*Road runner, the “ky oat” is after you… That “ky yo tee” is really a crazy clown\* ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/63 "2010-05-05T22:00:50Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > :dubious: > > What is your standard for “legitimate”? I believe others in this thread have already cited to dictionaries that note this pronunciation, indeed as the _first_ pronunciation. That’s just wrong, son. [/Foghorn] ---
**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:** [May 5, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/64 "2010-05-05T22:04:24Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > [/Foghorn] Is that your “I’m jus’ bein’ an ornery so-and-so” so don’t take me seriously tag? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/65 "2010-05-05T22:10:55Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Funny they should be interbreeding with wolves though. I was under the impression that wolves generally regarded them as food. But you can get bobcat/housecat mixes so I guess human’s aren’t the only species that “plays with its food” from time to time. Sex beats eating. Always. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/66 "2010-05-05T22:13:35Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Sex beats eating. Always. Clearly you’ve never had a good lobster bisque. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/67 "2010-05-05T22:47:00Z")
Ka-yo-tee ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/68 "2010-05-05T23:35:23Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > [QUOTE=AHunter3 [/quote] > > [/Foghorn] Is that your “I’m jus’ bein’ an ornery so-and-so” so don’t take me seriously tag? [/QUOTE] That, I say, that, is my tag by which I say, as I said before, that as far as I know, there ain’t but one legitimate way in English to say it, which is as I said it, just like I said. And I did say as far as I know, and don’t you go saying otherwise, now, you hear? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/69 "2010-05-05T23:39:22Z")
I love saying the indiginous ‘tl’ (probably very poorly, but who cares?) It’s just a fun sound that isn’t used in normal words\*. So most of the time. unless around people who I don’t want to realize my wierdness,I say Coyotl, In my best guess at the original way. Avocotl too. Don’t get to say Quetzalcoatl very often \*or at least I used to seldom get to, of course these days I get to say Chipotle all the time. so my need is somewhat assuaged. Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/70 "2010-05-06T00:40:25Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > Ka-yo-tee Yes. I don’t say kai. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/71 "2010-05-06T00:56:16Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > ETooLateA: The WB [theme song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9aoVRKeyZs) seems a bit divided on the subject: > > \*Road runner, the “ky oat” is after you… > > That “ky yo tee” is really a crazy clown\* I’ve always heard it as the “ky yo tee’s after you.” I say it with three syllables, too, but I sometimes hear it as “ky-oat” on nature shows, such as on Animal Planet. It’s uncommon enough here (I’m also in Arizona) so as to make me go, “Huh?” ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/72 "2010-05-06T05:29:51Z")
I pronounce it “kie YO tee” out of lifelong habit. Can’t bother making the effort to pronounce it (more) correctly, which I assume is “coy YO tay.” And “kie YOAT” is for hillbillies. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/73 "2010-05-06T06:43:48Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > \*\* > Nava \*\*is in Spain. They’re not commonly found roaming the streets there. Well, I happen to be in Spain today, but the Americans I’ve heard say coyote were from Philadelphia. > [@AHunter3](#): > > In English: kaI ot (accent on the 1st syllable) > > En Español: kɔI o te (accent on the middle syllable) > > In neither one or anywhere else legitimately, AFAIK: kaI o ti That would be kɔ Io te; the y is considered a consonant and part of the second syllable, in Spanish (the only case where “y” is considered to represent a vowel sound is in the word “y”, meaning “and”). ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/74 "2010-05-06T07:43:34Z")
kai yo tee Born and raised in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/75 "2010-05-06T12:30:27Z")
Wisconsin. People around here use both pronunciations. I hear and use the three syllable pronunciation the most. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/76 "2010-05-06T15:59:37Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle,Chipotle 🙂 Dude, don’t get me started! You’ve just ruined my latest attempt to lose weight, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![SMullen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@SMullen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SMullen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/77 "2010-05-06T16:18:41Z")
I’m from Southeastern Washington State, and have always said “kai-YO-tee”. I usually feel a little awkward with that, but “KAI-ote” feels more awkward. As in interesting side note, people where I grew up would say a shy person was being “kai”, as in, behaving like a coyote. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/78 "2010-05-06T17:06:06Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Well, I happen to be in Spain today, but the Americans I’ve heard say coyote were from Philadelphia. Coyotes are found throughout the continental U.S. There isn’t a state that doesn’t have them. Although few people see them in the wild. Then again, our zoo has them, and you can’t often see them in the zoo either (they and the wolves both like to hide back in the brush). ki YO tay ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/79 "2010-05-06T17:56:16Z")
I rhyme it with my user name. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406/80 "2010-05-08T15:29:38Z")
> [@badbadrubberpiggy](#): > > I pronounce it the way you do, with three syllables, and I’m from New Hampshire. Me too, but there _are_ people here who say it with two syllables too, kind of like Ki-oat, so it’s not just a regional thing. It always confuses me for a second when they do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-coyote/538406.md?page=5)