# How do YOU pronounce "sherbet"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264 "2009-08-30T16:33:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/1 "2009-08-30T16:33:12Z")
My wife mentioned that her friend, who has worked in an ice cream parlor, pronounces the cold treat as “sher-bet”, just as it is spelled… My wife was dumbfounded, as she’d only ever heard it pronounced as “sher-bert” - and that’s the only way I’ve ever heard it said, too. My wife grew up in Western Kentucky, I grew up in Da Bronx, and her friend is from Cincinnati. The dictionary shows “sher-bet” as the normal pronounciation, and “sher-bert” as an acceptable variation. Dopers, how do you say this word? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/2 "2009-08-30T16:34:34Z")
sure bert ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/3 "2009-08-30T16:36:09Z")
I’ve always said sher-bet. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/4 "2009-08-30T16:37:49Z")
sher-bert ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/5 "2009-08-30T16:41:04Z")
sher-bert ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8797f3/32.png) [@Brainiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/6 "2009-08-30T16:53:57Z")
sore-bay ---
**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:** [August 30, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/7 "2009-08-30T16:55:50Z")
Shure-Burt. ---
**Author:** ![ragerdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ragerdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ragerdude)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/8 "2009-08-30T16:55:53Z")
> [@Brainiac](#): > > sore-bay that’s funny! ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/9 "2009-08-30T17:15:47Z")
Shur-bit ---
**Author:** ![StaudtCJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@StaudtCJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaudtCJ)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/10 "2009-08-30T17:22:42Z")
I’ve heard and said Sure-Bert and Sore-Bay. I’ve never heard Sure-Bet. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/11 "2009-08-30T17:32:26Z")
sure bet ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/12 "2009-08-30T17:32:39Z")
I grew up saying _sher-bert_ but switched to _sher-bet_ a few years ago. I don’t recall why I made the switch. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/13 "2009-08-30T17:32:56Z")
_Sher Bert_ when I was in grade school, but _sher bit_ once I knew better. I’m surprised _sherbert_ is acceptable now. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/14 "2009-08-30T17:35:33Z")
Bob ---
**Author:** ![StaudtCJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@StaudtCJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StaudtCJ)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/15 "2009-08-30T17:38:10Z")
The extent of my idiocy: I never really paid attention to the fact that there’s only one “R” in Sherbet. Sure-Bert is obviously wrong, and I’m going to make an attempt to remove it from my vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/16 "2009-08-30T18:00:20Z")
Soir Beaux, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/17 "2009-08-30T18:01:12Z")
I pronounce it “sherbet,” just like it’s spelled. I suspect people who pronounce it “sherbert” of pronouncing “wash” as “warsh.” ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/18 "2009-08-30T18:59:44Z")
> [@StaudtCJ](#): > > The extent of my idiocy: I never really paid attention to the fact that there’s only one “R” in Sherbet. Sure-Bert is obviously wrong, and I’m going to make an attempt to remove it from my vocabulary. Me too, until a couple of years ago. However: [This can be either.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorbet#American_terminology) [This is always sherbet.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherbet_%28powder%29) ---
**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:** [August 30, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/19 "2009-08-30T20:27:05Z")
Bert: “Hey Ernie, Would you care for some desert?” Ernie: **" Sure Bert!"** ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264/20 "2009-08-30T20:31:32Z")
Somebody explained to me that “shur-bert” and “shur-bet” and “sore-bay” were all three different but somewhat similar frozen deserts, which made me think the whole thing (I mean all those deserts, not the pronunciation question) was just stupid. Why can’t there just be “ice cream” and “some other kind of trick ice cream that has fruit but no cream (or whatever their deal is)”? That way, we could at least understand what we were eating, and the one with the completely unworkable name would goddam disappear. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-sherbet/508264.md?page=2)