# How do you pronounce RE:?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-re/206849>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-re/206849 "2003-10-11T15:43:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-re/206849/21 "2003-10-12T18:35:13Z")

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Yes, but we’re trying to emphasize that while _re_ does mean “regarding”, it does not _come_ from “regarding” and is not an abbreviation.

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**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-re/206849/22 "2003-10-12T19:42:47Z")

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Of course, in practice these days, most mail programs have a Subject: line, not a Re: line; most mail programs prepend Re: to the existing contents of the subject line when replying to a message. This has probably added to the confusion, associating Re: with “reply” or “response.” Many of my clients have told me with great aplomb that it means “reply” or “response” or “regarding,” and nobody ever believes me when I say it’s actually from Latin.

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