# How do you pronounce Z **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867 "2004-03-06T17:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![odd-socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@odd-socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odd-socks)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/21 "2004-03-06T23:41:22Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Just for kicks, if there was a cola named just ‘Z’, would it be “Zed Pop”, or “Zee Soda”? Discuss. could be “en” for dyslexics 😉 ::don’t flame, don’t flame me:: ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/22 "2004-03-07T00:04:16Z")
UK - zed 's dead baby. ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/23 "2004-03-07T00:12:18Z")
‘zee’, because I’m an Uhmuhrican, ‘zed’ because I’m a ham (KF4VCC) ‘zulu’ because I log radio contacts in GMT, AKA ‘zulu’ time. Vlad/Igor ---
**Author:** ![jastu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@jastu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jastu)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/24 "2004-03-07T02:59:09Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Just for kicks, if there was a cola named just ‘Z’, would it be “Zed Pop”, or “Zee Soda”? Discuss. Neither it would be Zed cola. Here, cola is cola, soda is only used only for soda water and pop is not used at all. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/25 "2004-03-07T06:18:31Z")
I’m American, and also say “Zee.” In fact, are there _any_ Americans who primarily say “Zed”? Furthermore, which pronunciation is older? I like how “Zed” is distinct from other letters–“Zee” could sound too similar to “C.” But I don’t know if that means “Zee” was changed to “Zed” because of the similarity, or if “Zed” has always been a preferred pronunciation in the UK (and the Commonwealth). ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/26 "2004-03-07T08:29:19Z")
I’d think zed would be older since the Greek zeta is how we got it. It seems like there’s been a steady shift from the more complex names for letters to names based on how they sound. Beta and Delta have given way to bee and dee. Zee seems to follow that logic. It’s too bad we can’t get rid of double-u and replace it with wee. No, we have too many ee sounding letters, how about way. A B C D E F G H I J K LMNOP Q R S, T U V way and X, Y and Z. That works nicely. Wow, [this](http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/latin.html) is pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/27 "2004-03-07T13:49:41Z")
I use zee, because I live in the United States. In fact, until now, I didn’t even know one _could_ pronounce it properly as zed. In Spanish, we use zeta. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/28 "2004-03-07T17:08:23Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > I > Wow, [this](http://www.wam.umd.edu/~rfradkin/latin.html) is pretty cool. That is cool. ---
**Author:** ![grisham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@grisham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grisham)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/29 "2004-03-07T21:21:41Z")
U S …zee ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/30 "2004-03-07T21:45:31Z")
Zed - UK ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/31 "2004-03-07T22:45:41Z")
> [@Skopo](#): > > I’m American, and also say “Zee.” In fact, are there _any_ Americans who primarily say “Zed”? I’m starting to, since I am used to hearing it on amateur radio. The example would be: “This is **4R** ZED\*\*M” for a local station \*\*4RZM. But I would consider myself in the minority. I don’t hear many other people adopting ‘zed.’ > [@](#): > > I like how “Zed” is distinct from other letters–“Zee” could sound too similar to “C.” But I don’t know if that means “Zee” was changed to “Zed” because of the similarity, or if “Zed” has always been a preferred pronunciation in the UK (and the Commonwealth). Good question. I know from personal experience that the pronounced letters V, C and Z all sound more or less the same on the radio or telephone (which is why I usually announce myself as KF4 victor charlie charlie, even for local FM contacts), as do T, G, D and P. Vlad/Igor KF4VCC ---
**Author:** ![fiercesheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@fiercesheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiercesheep)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/32 "2004-03-07T23:21:33Z")
Zed. Always zed. Although strangely, it would still be ‘zee zee top’. I guess that would make me multi-cultural 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/33 "2004-03-08T17:13:51Z")
I’m from UK so I pronounced it zed. But a few months back I had a revellation. Those Americans are right, it should be zee ! B = bee not bed P = pee not ped ergo Z = zee not zed ---
**Author:** ![generica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@generica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/generica)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/34 "2004-03-08T19:30:13Z")
Both. Canadian born and raised, and my parents are/were American… When I say it out loud, I say “zed”, but when I read it I pronounce it “zee” in my head. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2004, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/35 "2004-03-09T22:36:40Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I’m from UK so I pronounced it zed. But a few months back I had a revellation. Those Americans are right, it should be zee ! > B = bee not bed > P = pee not ped > ergo > Z = zee not zed That’s the first thing I wondered when I heard about this odd zed thing: why don’t they say bed and ped too? Then I wondered if people go to see Zedbras at the Zedoo. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/36 "2004-03-10T00:25:09Z")
I’m in the U.S., and I say it “hizking boot.” It’s got a silent “hiking boot.” ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/37 "2004-03-10T03:16:52Z")
I’m a Canadian who lives in the US. I say Zed, but sometimes will have to clarify as ‘zee’ to Americans. I don’t know if there is anywhere else in the English speaking world that says ‘zee’. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/38 "2004-03-10T03:43:22Z")
“Well the horror, the pain and the alphabet from a to migraine, from nausea to zed” ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/39 "2004-03-10T13:14:24Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by elfkin477_ > That’s the first thing I wondered when I heard about this odd zed thing: why don’t they say bed and ped too? Then I wondered if people go to see Zedbras at the Zedoo. Well, we don’t say Zedbras, but we do call them ‘zebras’ (with a short ‘e’). Don’t Americans call them Zeebras? ---
**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:** [March 10, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867/40 "2004-03-10T15:28:32Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > I’m from UK so I pronounced it zed. But a few months back I had a revellation. Those Americans are right, it should be zee ! > B = bee not bed > P = pee not ped > ergo > Z = zee not zed There you go, introducing logic to a place it doesn’t belong - like the old 'all the other elements end with ‘um’ not ‘ium’ (false) argument - you might as well be asking why K isn’t pronounced ‘Kee’ and ‘L’ doesn’t come out as ‘Lee’. BTW, UK=zed for me, if you hadn’t already guessed. The first syllable of ‘Zebra’ contains a short e, as in Deborah, in this locality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce-z/232867.md?page=3)