# How do you read 'pwned?' **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 1, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017 "2007-08-01T18:37:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/1 "2007-08-01T18:37:14Z")
I know what it means (at least I think–“owned”), but how do you read it, “owned” or, as I do, “pooned.” And actually, it’s kinda extended when I read it, more like “pOOOOOOned!” Anyone?? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/2 "2007-08-01T18:38:21Z")
I didn’t know how it was meant to be pronounced till that South Park World of Warcraft episode. I always pronounced it puhwnd. (Which was terribly difficult and mostly in my head.) ---
**Author:** ![rucciface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rucciface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rucciface)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/3 "2007-08-01T18:42:02Z")
I’ve never said it aloud, but in my head it sounds like “pawned”. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/4 "2007-08-01T18:43:19Z")
I think of it as ‘powned’, IOW owned with a p in front. ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/5 "2007-08-01T18:44:39Z")
I’ve always read it as “powned,” or just “owned” with a p- on front. Translated to 1337: OMGWTF u nub 1+'s p0//||3|)!!!1111onehundredeleventhousandonehundredeleven ---
**Author:** ![Litoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@Litoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Litoris)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/6 "2007-08-01T18:45:02Z")
Heh, I have always said it like “owned” but with a p at the beginning. POWNED! “Pooned” sounds like you stuck their head in your…uhm, wait, you’re a guy, aren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/7 "2007-08-01T18:50:50Z")
I mentally pronounce it as “pwuhnd”. Luckily I have never had to pronounce it out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/8 "2007-08-01T18:53:11Z")
Rhymes with “phoned.” ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/9 "2007-08-01T18:53:16Z")
Yeah, I hear it as “pownd” too. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/10 "2007-08-01T18:56:25Z")
“Illiterate.” ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/11 "2007-08-01T19:00:20Z")
“Pawned”. Like, that’s how I’d feel if I actually read it as “owned”. So I always read it and say it, pawned, because that’s what these people are doing in using such a senseless possessive. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/12 "2007-08-01T19:00:27Z")
I don’t. My eyes glaze over, I slump to the floor, drooling and convulsing violently until someone with a better mastery of the English language strolls by and beats me over the head with the OED until I come to. OG help us all if any of the boot scrapings from L33T ever make it into the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/13 "2007-08-01T19:00:33Z")
In a WSOP (poker) event last year, Daniel Negreanu described Mike Matesow as being _pwned_ by Mike Sexton when Sexton called a big Matesow bluff with bottom pair. He said it like “owned” with a “p” in the front. I would write it out as p’owned. ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/14 "2007-08-01T19:07:33Z")
Powned/poned. Owned with a p in front of it. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/15 "2007-08-01T19:24:36Z")
I read it as “too stupid or illiterate to use the correct word.” And I don’t even try to pronounce it. ---
**Author:** ![Yag\_Rannavach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/858c86/32.png) [@Yag\_Rannavach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yag_Rannavach)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/16 "2007-08-01T19:27:30Z")
[QUOTE=The Chao Goes Mu] OG help us all if any of the boot scrapings from L33T ever make it into the dictionary. [/QUOTE] Every dictionary should have an entry for roflcopter. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/17 "2007-08-01T19:30:08Z")
[QUOTE=LouisB] I read it as “too stupid or illiterate to use the correct word.” And I don’t even try to pronounce it. [/QUOTE] Word. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/18 "2007-08-01T19:38:36Z")
[QUOTE=rucciface] I’ve never said it aloud, but in my head it sounds like “pawned”. [/QUOTE] Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/19 "2007-08-01T19:51:47Z")
I see it as powned. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2007, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017/20 "2007-08-01T19:52:19Z")
I somehow thought it was meant to represent “porned” (round here, “pawn” and “porn” are pronounced the same way). Of course, what is “porned” supposed to mean?.. humiliated, as one would be if made to appear in porn, maybe? Something like that. As you can see, I’ve never really thought this through. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-read-pwned/414017.md?page=2)