# Newscasters pronunciation of the word "news". **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 7, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265 "2014-06-07T12:23:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Buddyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@Buddyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buddyboy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/1 "2014-06-07T12:23:17Z")
Increasingly over time, I have noticed newscasters pronouncing the word news with a soft s, instead of a z, similar to the word noose. Imagine pronouncing the word Thursday with a soft s, as in thirst. Totally wrong. It annoys me to no end. I consider such mispronunciation as a speech impediment, totally unfitting for a radio newscaster. Maybe you have not noticed it but listen carefully and you will hear quite a number of them do it. Why is this happening? Are they making some kind of statement? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/2 "2014-06-07T12:52:35Z")
In Britain it rhymes with Blues or cruise. not nooz ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/3 "2014-06-07T13:16:37Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In Britain it rhymes with Blues or cruise. not nooz In America, it rhymes with Blues, cruise, _and_ with nooz. And with Blues Clues ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/4 "2014-06-07T13:17:49Z")
Actually, I would say in most British accents it rhymes with “excuse”, i.e. with a “yuh” sound somewhere in the middle. Though I realise this is not the point being made. I agree that it is wrong with a non-voiced “s”, but I have never heard it said that way. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/5 "2014-06-07T13:23:52Z")
I read the noose today, oh boy. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/6 "2014-06-07T13:38:58Z")
Sorry I put it badly. News is not supposed to be like the ‘nooz’ in snooze, but more like the ‘roos’ in kangaroos. My guess about the soft ‘s’ is that some announcer used it and decided it sounded cool, so others have emulated them. Hopefully it is just a silly fad that will drown in the Atlantic. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/7 "2014-06-07T14:43:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I read the noose today, oh boy. that’s how Willie says it. ---
**Author:** ![CateAyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@CateAyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CateAyo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/8 "2014-06-07T18:08:55Z")
I probably pronounce it wrong, but I have always said something approximating “Nyews”. Am I the only one? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/9 "2014-06-07T19:01:27Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Sorry I put it badly. News is not supposed to be like the ‘nooz’ in snooze, but more like the ‘roos’ in kangaroos. … Snooze, and kangaroos are the same ‘z’ sound for me. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/10 "2014-06-07T19:13:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Snooze, and kangaroos are the same ‘z’ sound for me. Me too. And as an aside, most people on the national radio station here in Canada seem to pronounce it “nyews” rather than “nooze,” although I know that’s not the main point here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/11 "2014-06-07T19:14:58Z")
> [@CateAyo](#): > > I probably pronounce it wrong, but I have always said something approximating “Nyews”. Am I the only one? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Buddyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@Buddyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buddyboy)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/12 "2014-06-07T19:40:04Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > My guess about the soft ‘s’ is that some announcer used it and decided it sounded cool, so others have emulated them. Hopefully it is just a silly fad that will drown in the Atlantic. I think Bob has it right. My observations relate mainly to CBC newscasters. In Britain they have BBC English and pronunciation, where the BBC sets the standard with prescribed spelling, promunciation, grammar, etc. in Canada CBC is the equivalent, but they don’t seem to set much of a standard, if any. It just grates at me that about half the news readers at CBC refer to it as the news with a soft, sibilant s at the end, as in noose. The first part of the word is as in newt, which sounds correct, but to end in a soft s sounds very affected. It’s as though a misguided fad has taken hold of them. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/13 "2014-06-08T05:49:46Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > News is not supposed to be like the ‘nooz’ in snooze, but more like the ‘roos’ in kangaroos. How are they different? I have always spoken and heard them as perfect rhymes. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newscasters-pronunciation-of-the-word-news/690265/14 "2014-06-08T12:22:45Z")
> [@CateAyo](#): > > I probably pronounce it wrong, but I have always said something approximating “Nyews”. Am I the only one? No. It’s a common variant pronunciation and is standard in the UK. Frankly, I’ve never heard the pronunciation described in the OP by any newscaster. I can’t think of any reason they would – it’s not standard, and it makes “news” into "noose,’ hardly an effect anyone would be going for.