# How do you pronounce "gyro"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 3, 2000, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393 "2000-07-03T00:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/21 "2000-07-03T09:47:52Z")
I pronounce it “the number 3”, but then I’m not much for confrontation. ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/22 "2000-07-03T10:19:50Z")
GEE Row Hard “G,” roll the “R.” ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/23 "2000-07-03T11:02:07Z")
In the UK you would pronounce it ‘donna kebab.’ I think it is a Turkish influence. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/24 "2000-07-03T11:53:34Z")
Ist YEE ROW ---
**Author:** ![malaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@malaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malaka)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/25 "2000-07-03T12:37:04Z")
Its pronounced “yee-row”. Telos! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/26 "2000-07-03T13:56:19Z")
I like a nice souvlaki. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/27 "2000-07-03T18:05:31Z")
[sarcasm on] Gee, thanks for clearing that up for me :rolleyes:[\sarcasm off] ::walks away, 50x more confused than when entering, mumbling about sticking to American food from now on, well, that and sushi:: ---
**Author:** ![blahedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@blahedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blahedo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/28 "2000-07-03T22:10:18Z")
‘yeeroh’ is probably the closest equivalent you could write in English. In fact, though, that first consonant is not a ‘y’ but a fricative ‘g’. (Does anyone really want to hear this?) To pronounce this, start with a ‘y’ sound, and increase the tension on your tongue and the airflow acrost it. Those of you that speak German, this is similar to the consonant in “ich”, but with voicing. I hear that ‘g’ between vowels in Spanish is similar as well. And while I’m at it, I should point out that the ‘r’ is should be tapped (or trilled, even, depending on who you talk to) as in e.g. Spanish or Italian. ---
**Author:** ![Floompy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e56c9b/32.png) [@Floompy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floompy)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/29 "2000-07-05T15:46:17Z")
I say “Gear-row”. Never heard it any other way up until a couple years ago. One of my friends confused me by calling it a “Hero”. Boy, was that a source of discussion for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![ReservoirDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@ReservoirDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReservoirDog)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/30 "2000-07-05T18:05:10Z")
Mmmmmmm… Baby sheep… ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/31 "2000-07-05T20:07:29Z")
This is all greek to me… But seriously, I have a friend whose father is from Greece, and he says Guy-ro. I don’t believe him. ---
**Author:** ![Edwardina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Edwardina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edwardina)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/32 "2000-07-05T23:26:14Z")
I used to work for at a restaurant owned and run by a man called “The Greek” by everyone (including his American wife), and he said, “yeero,” and would become enflamed (he was easily enflamed) if anyone pronounced it otherwise. I’ve said it all different ways, and been scoffed at and corrected no matter which variation I use. So, I just stick with “yeero.” It is the most common, and I can usually convey my meaning just fine that way. And, once you’ve been ed by The Greek, you never make that mistake again. The “yeero/geero/guyro/j-eye-row” thing seems to be like the “Keltic/Seltic” controversy. Once you’re pretty sure you’ve got the correct pronounciation down, any variation just grates on your ears. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2000, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393/33 "2000-07-05T23:50:37Z")
Year-o. Woe betide the poor fool who pronounces it otherwise in front of me. No, I’m not Greek. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-gyro/24393.md?page=1)