# I might feel no slight delight if I heard "height" pronounced right. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447 "2006-11-07T17:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/21 "2006-11-07T19:52:37Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Can I “axe” you why people “itch themselves” when they get “stung” by a mosquito? [/QUOTE] “Was you ever bit by a dead bee?” ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/22 "2006-11-07T19:52:40Z")
[QUOTE=amarone] Do you live in the south? I hear “heighth” here a lot, and cannot recall hearing it anywhere else. [/QUOTE] I live in CA, but have lived in the north, south, and east, as well. I’ve heard it all over, but maybe from transplants. I’m amazed o how often I hear it on television. In fact, just the other day on one of the political talk show, Hardball I think, one of the pundits (I forget which one) uttered it. I hear it often. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/23 "2006-11-07T19:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] It’s a _very_ common pronunciation in Ireland. Perhaps this is whence the southern US pronunciation is derived? [/QUOTE] I was feeling great shame, for I often say “th”. Why do all of you hate the Irish? Got all those leftover “th” sounds from t’ings like “t’ousand” that have to go somewhere… I say “nukular” just to piss you off, however. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/24 "2006-11-07T19:57:26Z")
My dad pronounces it “heighth”. He’s originally from Nebraska. He also pronounces the “ch” in “architect” like the “ch” in “chalk”, and leaves the “t” off the end. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/25 "2006-11-07T21:16:52Z")
Interesting that “heighth” is current usage in Ireland. The second variant of “height” that OED lists is actually “highth”. Some early usages: > [@](#): > > 1398 TREVISA Barth. De P.R. XVII. xviii. (1495) 613 A shrub that neuer growyth passynge the heyeth and quantyte of two cubytes. > > 1667 MILTON P.L. VIII. 413 To attaine The highth and depth of thy Eternal wayes. So it’s archaic at worst. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/26 "2006-11-07T21:20:02Z")
> [@Etymonline](#): > > The modern pronunciation with -t not established till 18c., and heighth is still colloquial. > **[Search 'height' on etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=height)** > > Search results for 'height' on etymonline ---
**Author:** ![Pseudopod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecd19e/32.png) [@Pseudopod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudopod)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/27 "2006-11-07T23:28:56Z")
I live in Canada (south-western New Brunswick) and our math teacher always said “heighth” when we were learning things like volume and area. Our chemistry teacher, who took a course in nuclear medicine, pronounces “nuklear” as “nukular”. I recently came across someone who wanted to buy an oh-belisk for her garden, and little kids are always eager for a trip to the liberry. Is it true that if my face is constantly cringing, it’ll stay that way forever? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/28 "2006-11-07T23:34:22Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens] My dad pronounces it “heighth”. He’s originally from Nebraska. He also pronounces the “ch” in “architect” like the “ch” in “chalk”, and leaves the “t” off the end. [/QUOTE] Never heard that one! And I agree that it should be spelled (spelt 🙂 ) heightth, since most people seem to pronounce the “t” before the “th”. You can look that up in the libary. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/29 "2006-11-08T00:42:40Z")
My cousin, who was from Iowa, used to say “hangabur” for hamburger. We teased her mercelessly. [QUOTE=chappachula] Mayber pronouncing it “height **h** ” is a mid-western/southern USA thing. People on the coasts don’t seem to say it that way, and the **Brits never do.** [/QUOTE] The Brits make up for it with their cute and impossibly weird pronunciation of **Aluminium** using 5 syllables. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/30 "2006-11-08T00:50:23Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] The Brits make up for it with their cute and impossibly weird pronunciation of **Aluminium** using 5 syllables. [/QUOTE] Hey, we invented _both_ spellings, thank you very much! Do you want to change the spelling of Americium, too? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/31 "2006-11-08T01:12:41Z")
My Momma used to say ‘heighth’. Then she died. Draw your own conclusions. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/32 "2006-11-08T01:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=magellan01] What is so friggin’ annoying about this is that about 90% of the time I hear it pronounced incorrectly? So, to the 90% of you who were absent during 4th Grade, now you know. It’s “Height”. with the hard “t”. Aight? [/QUOTE] I agree with you and I’ve complained about that on this board more than once, but not as frequently as the superfluous apostrophe in the possessive form of “its”. But the errors I hear most frequently are “I **seen** her at the movies.” and “ **Him** and **her** went to the movies with Joe and **I**.” I hear national figures do this on tv. Double AAARRGH. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/33 "2006-11-08T01:18:16Z")
[QUOTE=Ensign Edison] I enjoy variable pronunciations, and find them interesting. They don’t seem to have anything to do with intelligence that I can tell. But then, neither did 4th Grade. [/QUOTE] You might be very interested, then, in _free variation_. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/34 "2006-11-08T01:23:48Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Hey, we invented _both_ spellings, thank you very much! Do you want to change the spelling of Americium, too? 😛 [/QUOTE] I can’t even think of how that’s pronounced. Am-ere-uh-see-um? We visited some friends in England and had them say “Aluminium” just because it was so much fun to hear. Al-loo-min-ee-um. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/35 "2006-11-08T01:35:59Z")
Am-er-EE-see-um. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/36 "2006-11-08T01:46:01Z")
As a kid I was always confused that only in America could you find aluminum. What was this mystical think they made sidings from. I didn’t have a clue what sidings where either but that was the lesser of the two from my POV. I was disapointed to find out it was just aluminium. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/37 "2006-11-08T01:52:47Z")
What’s even worse is the use of “pacific” when the speaker means to say “specific.” “Could you be more pacific?” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/38 "2006-11-08T02:02:27Z")
I got reprimanded in Sunday School when I was maybe eight or nine for correcting the teacher when she said “heighth.” Granted, I was a little asshole about it, but I was right! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/39 "2006-11-08T02:03:57Z")
At first, I couldn’t understand what the OP was talking about. “heigth” just did not ring a bell for me. I played with pronunciation a little and then “heighdth” rang a bell. Sounds correct next to length and width. Now I have to worry about inadvertantly using the wrong pronunciation in the future. Damn ! ---
**Author:** ![SkiDemon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@SkiDemon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkiDemon)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447/40 "2006-11-08T02:08:43Z")
Not only Clockwork Orange but also Catcher in the Rye! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-might-feel-no-slight-delight-if-i-heard-height-pronounced-right/379447.md?page=3)