# How do you pronounce "Sherbet"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2008, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805 "2008-10-14T00:31:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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 15, 2008, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/61 "2008-10-15T19:10:30Z")
Once again, “hypercorrect” relative to the way my peers speak. And you’re entitled to speak as you wish, as well. If your natural dialect is the prestige dialect, fine. Like I said, I shuffle between various different dialects subconsciously depending on who I’m communicating with. Or “with whom I’m communicating,” if you prefer. ---
**Author:** ![Spurious\_George](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Spurious\_George](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spurious_George)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/62 "2008-10-15T19:14:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Also, remember that there is a variant spelling, “sherbert.” No, I don’t think there is. A pronunciation mistake (or dialectical difference) does not automagically create a variant spelling of the same word. That’s like saying that \*\*nukular \*\*is a variant spelling of _nuclear_, or \*\*ax \*\*is a variant spelling of _ask_. (I pronounce it sher-bit, which like many, makes me unique in my family.) ---
**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 15, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/63 "2008-10-15T19:15:18Z")
> [@Spurious\_George](#): > > No, I don’t think there is. Have you tried checking a dictionary? ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/64 "2008-10-15T19:23:19Z")
Heh - I opened this can of worms in one of those "things you’ve only realized recently’ types of threads. I made it for 32 years of life calling it sherbert, and it’s only been within the last year that I noticed the spelling on the carton. So sure was I that my pronunciation was correct, I actually believed for about 10 seconds that they had mispelled it on the label. Until I looked at all the different brands. Pretty sure they didn’t all spell it wrong. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/65 "2008-10-15T20:48:53Z")
Is there really a dialect in which sherbet is not pronounced correctly? I don’t think it has anything to do with a dialect; I think it’s just incorrect pronunciation like newcuelar. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/66 "2008-10-15T21:01:10Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Is there really a dialect in which sherbet is not pronounced correctly? I don’t think it has anything to do with a dialect; I think it’s just incorrect pronunciation like newcuelar. Maybe it’s the dialect of pre-schoolers? Along with which you will find “lie-berry”, “aminal”, and “pasghetti”. ---
**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 15, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/67 "2008-10-15T23:17:34Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Is there really a dialect in which sherbet is not pronounced correctly? I don’t think it has anything to do with a dialect; I think it’s just incorrect pronunciation like newcuelar. “Nucular” is also dialectical. And, yes, of course it has to do with dialect. Do you think I’m lying when I’m saying that nobody I know pronounces it “SHER-bit”? Do you think it’s just coincidence that everyone in my dialectical region pronounces it wrong, or is it more reasonable to assume that, in my dialect (and, once again, many others as witnessed in this thread), “sherbert” is the pronunciation? Just like in some dialects “wash” becomes “warsh.” Or are they mispronouncing, too? ---
**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 15, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/68 "2008-10-15T23:21:29Z")
[Here’s an informal poll on the common pronunciation of “sherbet.”](http://comeseptember.livejournal.com/152191.html) So, yeah, while it’s only the result of one poll, and I have no idea what the dialect region is, the majority of people responding to that poll pronounce it “sher-bert.” ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/69 "2008-10-16T02:10:12Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Is there really a dialect in which sherbet is not pronounced correctly? I don’t think it has anything to do with a dialect; I think it’s just incorrect pronunciation like newcuelar. Apparently, yours! You pronounce it sher-bit? Everyone knows it’s pronounced sher-bert. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/70 "2008-10-16T02:23:21Z")
One thing I would defy anyone to do is find a food package that spells it out S-H-E-R-B-E-R-T. I’d bet that anyone who says _warsh_ still knows it’s spelled W-A-S-H. And I’d bet they had every opportunity in school to learn how to pronounce it _wash_. Here’s a question. Can similar dialects develop many miles apart? It would seem not if they claim to be regional. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/71 "2008-10-16T02:34:22Z")
> **[Essay About Nutrition | Bartleby](https://www.bartleby.com/topics/Essay-About-Nutrition)** > > Free Essays from Bartleby | Nutrition H.D. seems to be an overall healthy adolescent; however her eating habits do worry me a bit. She seems to be a little... ---
**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 16, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/72 "2008-10-16T03:00:37Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > I’d bet that anyone who says _warsh_ still knows it’s spelled > W-A-S-H. And I’d bet they had every opportunity in school to learn how to pronounce it _wash_. And I say it “sherbert,” but spell it “sherbet.” My first post states that technically, “sherbet” is “SURE-bet,” and “sherbert” is “SURE-bert,” but I’ve only seen the former spelling and the latter pronunciation. That reflects my usage and spelling. > [@](#): > > Here’s a question. Can similar dialects develop many miles apart? Of course. But people who say “sherbert” instead of “sherbet” don’t all necessarily belong to the same dialect. That pronunciation is found across a number of American dialects. If I had to bet, I’d venture that “sherbert” is by far the dominant pronunciation for “sherbet” in the Inland North Dialect (Chicago, Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit) that I am a native speaker of. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/73 "2008-10-16T04:03:29Z")
Which brings us to: Mischievous. I am full aware that most people pronounce it _mis-chee-vee-us_. That doesn’t make it dialect. Can you admit that it’s just people looking at the word and not really paying attention to how it’s spelled? Or more accurately they’re thinking they’re seeing what isn’t really there. I worked for a cable station called Kaleidoscope TV. While on location once a gentlemen informed his companion that we were from _cuh-lie-dee-uh-scope_ TV. Just not seeing the word right. Everybody thought the world was flat at one time. ---
**Author:** ![jimpatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9e5f3/32.png) [@jimpatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimpatro)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/74 "2008-10-16T04:06:38Z")
Oh yeah, my point about dialects developing independent of each other was just a way to say that people tend to make the same mistakes no matter where they are. No big deal. Not saying anybody’s stupid. I pronounced sandwich as _sang-gwich_ when I was a kid. Everybody around me (Hispanics) did too. When I learned better I stopped. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/75 "2008-10-16T04:43:01Z")
Apropos of very little (but someone else brought it up first) - In a spontaneous survey of coworkers just last week it was discovered that none of the Colorado natives could tell the difference between nuclear and nukular. And according to the non-natives, all 3 Colorado natives pronounced it nukular without realizing it. I also say Salmon: “sam-men” Almond: “ahw-men” (accent on first syllable) But at least I can say Saguache and Buena Vista the right way (inside joke, the town is pronounced “Byoona Vista”) And coyote… Jeez I hate it when people pronounce the “E”. I’ll start saying “Sherbert” if everyone else stops saying “coyoteE” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/76 "2008-10-16T04:44:58Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > I am full aware that most people pronounce it _mis-chee-vee-us_. > > That doesn’t make it dialect. That’s the definition of correct! > [@](#): > > Can you admit that it’s just people looking at the word and not really paying attention to how it’s spelled? Or more accurately they’re thinking they’re seeing what isn’t really there. Cite? (I mean cite that spelling has fuck all to do with it.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/77 "2008-10-16T04:54:23Z")
The mispronunciation is from the song: “Shoot the Sherbert to me Herbert” [http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/card/0,,553501,00.html](http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/music/artist/card/0,,553501,00.html) It’s been mispronounced every since. ---
**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 16, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/78 "2008-10-16T05:23:30Z")
_nevermind_ ---
**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 16, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/79 "2008-10-16T05:35:34Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > Can you admit that it’s just people looking at the word and not really paying attention to how it’s spelled? Or more accurately they’re thinking they’re seeing what isn’t really there. Or how about they’re just speaking like the people around them speak? Plenty of words don’t look like how they’re spelled. I’ve given you several examples above. I also say “FEB-you-ary,” but spell it “February.” I know people who say “MON-dee” although, judging by the spelling, it should obviously be “MON-day.” A word’s pronunciation is based on how a majority of people decide it should be pronounced. I mean, hell, if we can decide that “colonel” should be pronounced “kernal” and the Brits can say “lieutenant” is “leftenant” and somehow “Featherstonehaugh” becomes “Fanshaw,” fuck it. “Sherbet” can be “sherbert.” You want to call it a mispronunciation, go ahead. I call it a dialectical or non-standard variation. People around here don’t say “sher-bit.” I wouldn’t be surprised if saying “sher-bit” for “sher-bert” would get rocks thrown at you in certain neighborhoods here. (Exaggerating of course, but that pronunciation would quickly identify you as someone “not from around here.”) If that’s not part of what constitutes dialect, I don’t know what is. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805/80 "2008-10-16T06:23:09Z")
> [@jimpatro](#): > > It’s fine to pronounce the _h_ in _herb_. In the U.S.? Only if you’re talking about your Uncle Herb. You know, the one whose birth certificate reads “Herbert.” It always comes back to Herbert. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/467805.md?page=5)