# How do you pronounce "porcupine"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599 "2012-10-03T17:01:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/21 "2012-10-03T20:51:20Z")
Just like Moe at about [2:27](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0eVX34DxFQ) here. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/22 "2012-10-03T20:54:34Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Attention SDMB and the rest of the Galaxy: > Choose option #1 if you pronounce it closer to **“pork-you-pine.”** eh? Oh, um, yeah, that’d be me, too. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/23 "2012-10-03T21:26:18Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Huh, I do pronounce it ‘por-cue-pine’, with a noticeable gap after the ‘por’ but voted for the first option before the PSA cunningly changed it… Well, it’s more or less a catch-all for “por-cue-pine” and pork-you-pine", so you’re fine. For myself, I feel like the second syllable starts on the hard-c sound, and the first and third syllables are the ones stressed. **“POR-cue-PINE.”** **“pork-YOU-pine”** sounds similar, but perhaps more southern. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/24 "2012-10-03T22:15:11Z")
It depends on whether I’m in Ohio or California. In Ohio, I say porky-pine. In California, I say porky-pine with a rising inflection. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/25 "2012-10-03T22:20:34Z")
It’s common to indicate which syllable you accent, and the poll doesn’t indicate. I would say POR-q-pine. POR-kee or POR-kee-pine is a colloquialism. I wish he would stop chewing on my porch, no matter what his name. Rarrraarrraaarrrh… ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/26 "2012-10-03T23:04:19Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Mine’s kinda like that, but more of a “pork-ya-pine.” Ditto here. I voted #1. I never noticed this “porky-pine” pronunciation. I’ll have to keep an ear out for it. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/27 "2012-10-03T23:05:19Z")
A baby porcupine is called a porcupette (aw!) or a pup. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/28 "2012-10-04T05:27:41Z")
Porky-pine works for me. They provide us with cinnamon-glazed ham. With a side dish of cooked honey-glazed punkin! ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/29 "2012-10-04T05:39:34Z")
Ee-KID-nah. Or porky-pine. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/30 "2012-10-04T06:13:01Z")
Pork-You-Pine. Why is Pork-You-Pine acceptable to people who do not accept Jag-You-Are? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/31 "2012-10-04T08:47:34Z")
I _think_ I say pork-you-pine… but in reality it probably comes out very close to porky-pine. I am still mouthing it and whispering it over and over and seeing what sounds most naturally to me. DAMN YOU CMYK! Between this and coupon I’m going to be obsessive. “Porcupine coupon… porcupine coupon… porcupine coupon…” \<— Me going nuts in the corner of the room. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/32 "2012-10-04T10:13:07Z")
I saved poor cmyk from himself and fixed his poll options. 😃 Ellen Fixer-upper ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/33 "2012-10-04T14:24:47Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I saved poor cmyk from himself and fixed his poll options. 😃 > > Ellen > Fixer-upper I’m glad you clarified. I was really confused. And more comically, I pronounce it por-q-pine. which has a slightly different inflection than pork-you-pine in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/34 "2012-10-04T14:32:52Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I saved poor cmyk from himself and fixed his poll options. 😃 > > Ellen > Fixer-upper You’re the best mod that ever was! Just don’t tell any of the other mods. Apparently porcupine is the most mashed up word as far as pronunciation goes. I’m starting to think no one is really sure _how_ to pronounce it, so they just sort of slip past the middle part, hoping it sounds right to the listener. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/35 "2012-10-04T16:02:14Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Apparently porcupine is the most mashed up word as far as pronunciation goes. I’m starting to think no one is really sure _how_ to pronounce it, so they just sort of slip past the middle part, hoping it sounds right to the listener. That’s why I just call them Land Stabbers. ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/36 "2012-10-05T02:35:45Z")
It’s more like por-que-pine to me. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/37 "2012-10-05T03:46:06Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I never noticed this “porky-pine” pronunciation. I always thought that was Walt Kelly’s doing. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/38 "2012-10-05T03:51:08Z")
The first one. So there. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/39 "2012-10-05T03:59:46Z")
Old Pogo joke: one character asks another, “How do you spell ‘He blew up the Dnepr Dam?’” The other guy answers, “I never do.” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599/40 "2012-10-05T04:11:51Z")
Hedgehog. No wait. Echidna. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-porcupine/636599.md?page=3)