# How do you pronounce: **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049 "2008-06-24T13:36:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/1 "2008-06-24T13:36:04Z")
MST3K? I don’t know why, but I say Mystic 3. Feel free to add any other acronyms you pronounce a little strangely… ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/2 "2008-06-24T13:54:59Z")
I say Misty Three-Kay. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/3 "2008-06-24T14:11:20Z")
“Em-es-tee-three-kay” What’s the big deal? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/4 "2008-06-24T14:32:07Z")
“Mystery Science Theatre Three Thousand”. Not really. I spell it out like **BrotherCadfael**. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/5 "2008-06-24T14:59:45Z")
[QUOTE=BrotherCadfael] “Em-es-tee-three-kay” [/QUOTE] Like this. I hate it when people pronounce acronyms like words - United Parcel Service is Yew-Pee-Ess, not “ups,” ferchrissake! Joe ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/6 "2008-06-24T15:27:22Z")
Yeah, but MST3K looks so much like a word. It’s tempting just to say “mist-thrick” or something. I’ve only ever heard it as “Mystery Science Theatre Three Thousand”, though. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/7 "2008-06-24T15:34:53Z")
[QUOTE=wheresgeorge04] Like this. I hate it when people pronounce acronyms like words - United Parcel Service is Yew-Pee-Ess, not “ups,” ferchrissake! Joe [/QUOTE] But a lot of acronyms are intended to be pronounced as words. I learned BASIC, not be-ei-es-ai-see. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/8 "2008-06-24T15:35:35Z")
I would spell it out, but if I had to pronounce it as a word it would be “Misstek”, with the accent on the second syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/9 "2008-06-24T16:47:06Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] But a lot of acronyms are intended to be pronounced as words. I learned BASIC, not be-ei-es-ai-see. [/QUOTE] True. I think it bugs me when the acronym isn’t intended to be a word. “UPS,” for example, presumably wasn’t named United Parcel Service because it fit the acronym U.P.S. Some people just call it “ups.” Like BASIC, the old GOPHER and VERONICA computer-related acromyms don’t bug me at all. On a tangent - one that pissed me off as a kid, and still does, I guess, is BASS - [Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Anglers_Sportsmen_Society). The main reason is that, in my mind, **the first word of the full name can’t be the same as the acronym!!!** AAARGGH! Also, to a lesser dergee, it’s a completely awkward and contrived name, designed to fit the initials B.A.S.S., but with no humor intended, unlike [VERONICA](http://www.ou.edu/research/electron/internet/veronica.htm). Joe ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/10 "2008-06-24T17:06:54Z")
Mist Three Kay, unless it’s with people who won’t know what that is, in which case, it’s ‘Mystery Science Theater’ I really wanted the acronym for California State University Channel Islands to be pronounced ‘scuzzy.’ ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/11 "2008-06-24T17:33:06Z")
“Em ess tee”. Haven’t had anyone get confused yet as to which one I mean. It can also be used as a verb, e.g., “let’s go rent _Bloodrayne 2_ and MST it”. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/12 "2008-06-24T20:11:44Z")
[QUOTE=wheresgeorge04] On a tangent - one that pissed me off as a kid, and still does, I guess, is BASS - [Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_Anglers_Sportsmen_Society). The main reason is that, in my mind, **the first word of the full name can’t be the same as the acronym!!!** AAARGGH! [/QUOTE] I see an example of this every day from the train. There’s a sign on the side of a factory that reads: **B** ELL **E** LECTRIC **L** AMPS **L** IMITED :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Pseudocode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/59ef9b/32.png) [@Pseudocode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudocode)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/13 "2008-06-24T22:01:49Z")
Ah, yes, the good old [recursive acronym](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursive_acronym). ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/14 "2008-06-24T22:26:20Z")
[QUOTE=BrotherCadfael] “Em-es-tee-three-kay” [/QUOTE] Bingo. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/15 "2008-06-24T23:14:23Z")
[QUOTE=wheresgeorge04] I think it bugs me when the acronym isn’t intended to be a word. [/QUOTE] Actually, all _acronyms_ are supposed to be read like a word. If it’s not meant to be read as a word, then it’s called an [initialism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym). ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/16 "2008-06-25T05:40:47Z")
I also spell it out M - S - T - three - K, though I sometimes leave off the 3k. I do refer to the fans as Misties though. ---
**Author:** ![threnodyangelfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/17 "2008-06-25T07:17:37Z")
This demonstrates just how how much I think about food. In my mind I pronounce it: Miss Steak 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/18 "2008-06-25T17:17:38Z")
In a related vein, when I see ads for the TV show “Numb3rs,” I invariably find myself stumbling over the name and cursing its producers. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-pronounce/454049/19 "2008-06-25T17:28:45Z")
[QUOTE=Tom Tildrum] In a related vein, when I see ads for the TV show “Numb3rs,” I invariably find myself stumbling over the name and cursing its producers. [/QUOTE] I usually pronounce it: “Is that show still on?”