# How do you pronounce 'experiment'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300 "2023-02-24T13:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/1 "2023-02-24T13:31:03Z")
It’s always been ‘ex-SPARE-i-ment’ as far as I know. Yet, lately I’ve been hearing it pronounced ‘ex-SPEAR-i-mint’ a lot lately, mostly by younger people I think, say, the oldest Gen Zs or younger millenials. Just this past week I heard it pronounced the minty way in a TV commercial and a YouTube video. Is it a generational thing? A regional thing? ETA: there’s a poll a couple posts down… ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/2 "2023-02-24T13:38:07Z")
ex-PERR-i-ment (“PERR” as in “Perry”). ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/3 "2023-02-24T13:39:26Z")
I thought this was going to be a reference to Sheldon Cooper, as he pronounces that way on **Big Bang Theory.** That character / actor is from Texas, so maybe it _is_ a regional thing? Personally, I’ve only ever said it the same as the OP. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/4 "2023-02-24T13:39:50Z")
Oh hey, I’ll put a poll in before I get too many replies… _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/4))_ ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/5 "2023-02-24T13:41:36Z")
I say ek-sperr-iment, with sperr rhyming with perry. Both spare and spear look equally weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/6 "2023-02-24T13:47:20Z")
Spear here. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/7 "2023-02-24T13:47:47Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > ex-PERR-i-ment (“PERR” as in “Perry”). > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I say ek-sperr-iment, with sperr rhyming with perry. Both spare and spear look equally weird to me It sounds like you both pronunce it the way I do, I just phonetically spelled it differently. ‘sperr’ or ‘perr’ as in ‘Perry’ is the same as saying ‘spare’, rhyming with ‘pear’, no? ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/8 "2023-02-24T13:48:59Z")
PERR and PEAR are different sounds ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/9 "2023-02-24T13:50:07Z")
I’m… not sure: it’s not something I’ve ever thought about before, but I think I lean more toward the “spear” pronunciation (same first two syllables as in “experience”) than the “spare.” Doing a little googling, I find this, which suggests that it may indeed be a generational thing: > **[Pronunciation of "Experiment" – A Way with Words, a fun radio show and...](https://www.waywordradio.org/pronouncing-experiment/)** > > Pronunciation of "Experiment" - - A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/10 "2023-02-24T13:50:40Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > PERR and PAIR are different sounds So how do you pronounce PERR as in ‘PERRY’ then? I would pronounce it ‘PAIR-ee’. As in, Perry Mason. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/11 "2023-02-24T13:56:43Z")
The vowel sound is “eh” in Perry, not “ay”–do you pronounce “air” and “err” identically? ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/12 "2023-02-24T13:57:03Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](#): > > I thought this was going to be a reference to Sheldon Cooper, as he pronounces that way on **Big Bang Theory.** That character / actor is from Texas, so maybe it _is_ a regional thing? > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Doing a little googling, I find this, which suggests that it may indeed be a generational thing: Interesting link, Thudlow, thanks! The daughter in that link is from Montana, so maybe it’s generational _ **and** _ regional…? ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/13 "2023-02-24T13:57:37Z")
I do. Not everyone does. We’re running into our old pal, the Mary-merry-marry merger here, my friends. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/14 "2023-02-24T13:58:39Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > The vowel sound is “eh” in Perry, not “ay”–do you pronounce “air” and “err” identically? In the specific case of the name Perry, yes, and that’s not unusual. Watch an episode of SCrubs where they say Dr. Cox’s first name. It’s pronounced “Pair-ee.” ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/15 "2023-02-24T13:59:47Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > In the specific case of the name Perry, yes, and that’s not unusual. Not where I come from. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/16 "2023-02-24T14:00:05Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > …do you pronounce “air” and “err” identically? I do. It’s possible that that’s an err on my part, that I pulled that pronunciation out of the air, or perhaps _ **that** _ is a regional thing…? > [@slicedalone](#): > > Not where I come from. Where do you come from, may I ask? ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/17 "2023-02-24T14:03:52Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Where do you come from NYC metro area ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/18 "2023-02-24T14:07:04Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Where do you come from > > NYC metro area > [@MrAtoz](#): > > We’re running into our old pal, the Mary-merry-marry merger here, my friends. Didn’t we have a long post on Mary-merry-marry regional pronunciations fairly recently? I may have to look that up and cross reference it with where slicedalone is from. Oh man, I may have just dug a rabbit hole for myself here… ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/19 "2023-02-24T14:15:34Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Didn’t we have a long post on Mary-merry-marry regional pronunciations fairly recently? Almost certainly. It crops up sooner or later in almost every thread we have about pronunciation. Inevitably you get people saying, “X rhymes with Y, but A rhymes with B.” And other people will say, “But all four of those rhyme!” Using IPA would help very much in these sorts of discussions, but for some reason many people are triggered by IPA. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300/20 "2023-02-24T14:18:43Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > Using IPA would help very much in these sorts of discussions, but for some reason many people are triggered by IPA. I personally get more friendly and agreeable after a certain amount of IPA, but yeah, some do get more argumentative under the influence. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-experiment/980300.md?page=2)