# How do you pronounce "read:"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-read/297352>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 2, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-read/297352 "2005-04-02T02:20:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-read/297352/21 "2005-04-03T00:43:39Z")

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I’ve heard both, depending on usage.

Generaly _/red/_ is used when it’s explaining how you should pronounce something when reading it aloud. “Dynamic Hyper-Text Mark-up Language (read _[/red/ aloud as]_: DHTML)”. I really can’t see this one cropping up too much outside of communications manuals.

When it’s meant to provide subtext, I’d pronounce it as _/reed/_.

I really don’t see any justification for it following the tense of the sentence  
“He is reading an adult magazine (_/reed/_: Porn).”  
“He was reading an adult magazine (_/red/_: Porn).”  
It’s a structure completely independent of the ongoing narrative- a little aside directed at the reader. It should be the same every time, either _/red/_ or _/reed/_. I’d say _/reed/_.

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**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-read/297352/22 "2005-04-03T00:59:25Z")

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Very strange. It was always blindingly obvious to me that it was the past tense, meant to indicate “to be **read** as:”.

The imperative just seems like the wrong part of speech. Substituting other words, this seems normal:

> [@](#):
>
> He was reading an adult magazine (meaning: porn).

But this seems awkward:

> [@](#):
>
> He was reading an adult magazine (interpret as: porn).

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**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-read/297352/23 "2005-04-03T01:16:08Z")

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So I’m the only one who pronounces it as /ʁeɑdʰ/? 🙂  
(I really do pronounce it like that, but only privately for myself. I like uvular sounds, you see. If I had to say it in front of others, I’d say it like “reeeeed”)

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**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-read/297352/24 "2005-04-03T02:35:52Z")

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Having read all of the prior posts concerning reading I am now seeing RED!

"Ah me, t’is spring  
See the bird upon the wing  
My word, how absurd  
I thought the wing  
Was on the bird?

HELP Calling Wordsmith!

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