Avoid pecan desserts in New Orleans – this is strongly “puh-CAWN**” country down here.
** and yes, “Don” and “Dawn” don’t rhyme here, making the “CAWN” part all the more inscrutable.
I didn’t realize this was a difficult question. I probably haven’t heard it pronounced in decades, but it always was /dikæl/. I think the stress was pretty even, but heavier on the first syllable if not and never heavier on the second syllable.
I’m 55 from SW Michigan and I’ve only ever heard it as dee-kal.
Now I have the image stuck in my head that I’m assembling a model in the middle of a stadium and the entire crowd is chanting “DEEEEE-CAL!!!”
I’m in Arkansas, and my mother was visiting. At a restaurant, my mother asked the waitress if one of their pies had any pee-cans in it. The waitress looked puzzled and when my mother repeated herself said, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what pee-cans are.” I had to let the waitress know my mother was asking about puh-kaans.
I’m guessing you’re most likely from the Northeast or Atlantic Coast. That’s where that pronunciation is most prominent.
That’s so bizarre to me! I’ve heard people saying PEE-cans all the time here in Arkansas. Sure, I don’tusually say it that way, but many people do. The more rural they sound, the more common it is. I’ll use it when I’m trying to sound more hillbilly.
DEE-cal. Grew up in Chicago, now in NY state. Never heard it any other way.
Go DEEEEE-CAL RIPKEN!
It’s funny that I hadn’t used or heard decal in at least 20 years.
Then Youtubers started selling them to support their channels. I hear it used frequently now.
I don’t mind supporting my favorite channels. Merch is a good way to donate.
Come up and live in Canada for a few years and let us help you to see the error of your ways.
The first pronunciation given in Merriam-Webster is “dee-cal”, which makes it sound like “decal” is a verb representing the opposite of a “cal”, as in “laminate”, “delaminate”. Whereas “di-'kal”, with the emphasis on the second syllable, sounds like a pre-Revolutionary French nobleman: “Le Compte D’Equalle”.
I tells ya, the Canuck pronunciation is the only correct one!
That’s the ONLY time I’ve heard it (mis)pronounced so as to rhyme with freckle. Took me a while to realize what the heck they were talking aboot.
Born and raised in So Cal. Lived in 3 of the 4 corners of the USA, plus the very middle.
I’ve always said DEE-kal. I’ve been aware for years that the the “deck-'l” pronounciation exists. I’ve never heard it in the wild. Not once.
Isn’t the Canadian pronunciation, “Di-eh?-'kal”?
DEE cal. (Texan)
Bob pronounced it deckle. I always had to stop and figure out what he was talking about
Youtube, etc says “dee-cal”
I’ve lived up and down the west coast. DEE-cal is all I’ve ever heard or used. I first heard the “deckle” variant on a YouTube video and I was certain that that YouTuber was pronouncing it wrong. I was very surprised to learn that another pronunciation existed.
Dee-cal is the commonly accepted pronunciation.
That includes “decal” (decalcifying solution) used in histologic tissue processing to soften bone before sections are cut for glass slides.
I guess I’m the only one to put the emphasis on the last syllable
deh-KAL, rhymes with canal.
In the United States.