# "Pedophile"...the correct pronunciation? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 10, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271 "2004-04-10T03:33:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/1 "2004-04-10T03:33:04Z")
Is it ped-uh-file, or peed-uh-file? Every dictionary I have says peed-uh-file; every reference I hear to it, even by journalists and t.v. talking heads says ped-uh-file. Anyone have an explanation or definative answer? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/2 "2004-04-10T03:41:26Z")
Sorry, I hit submit too soon. My suspicion is that the original spelling was paedophile, similar to encyclopaedia, but no one say en-cy-clo-ped-ia if the ae symbol is dropped in favor of an e. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/3 "2004-04-10T04:29:48Z")
We still spell paedophile as such. And say it “ped-uh-phile” in Australia. So in my opinion, it’s not the original spelling it’s the real spelling 😉 haha. Why is it that Americans spell something differently and suddenly that’s correct? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/4 "2004-04-10T04:33:11Z")
> [@Who Stole My Name?](#): > > We still spell paedophile as such. And say it “ped-uh-phile” in Australia. So in my opinion, it’s not the original spelling it’s the real spelling 😉 haha. Why is it that Americans spell something differently and suddenly that’s correct? I can’t answer that, other than to say that according to my dictionaries (both online and in book form) show the first syllable as being pronounced “peed” even if the spelling is “ped.” ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/5 "2004-04-10T04:37:32Z")
probably a link to when everyone spelt it paed. Technically that’s “peed”. I’ve heard it pronounced that way, but I don’t. Guess it’s cause I’m lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Thingol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Thingol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thingol)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/6 "2004-04-10T04:48:31Z")
It’s pronounced MY-kul JAK-sun ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/7 "2004-04-10T14:14:55Z")
Great. Trial by press :rolleyes: . Over in the UK we (or at least I) pronounce it “peed”. Same for other child based names from Greek, like _paediatrics_. Interestingly enough, I’ve only seen/heard the US spelling for _pederast_ before today, so I pronounce that “ped”. I see in my Concise Oxford Dictionary that _paederast_ is listed as an alternative spelling to _pederast_. All the other child related words, in British English, are spelt _paed-_. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/8 "2004-04-10T18:22:41Z")
> [@Bromley](#): > > Great. Trial by press :rolleyes: . > > Over in the UK we (or at least I) pronounce it “peed” I pronounce it “peed” as well. And have never heard the other pronounciation in the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/9 "2004-04-10T21:21:21Z")
> [@Bromley](#): > > Over in the UK we (or at least I) pronounce it “peed”. Same for other child based names from Greek, like _paediatrics_. Yep, from the Attic Greek for child, παισ, IIRC ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/10 "2004-04-10T22:01:17Z")
The correct pronunciation in modern Greek is “ped” - I’m guessing it would be the same in ancient Greek. ---
**Author:** ![punkkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@punkkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punkkid)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/11 "2004-04-10T22:32:30Z")
Chris Morris pronounced it ‘peed.’ ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/12 "2004-04-10T22:51:01Z")
Okay, the general consensus from around the world is that “peed” is the proper pronunciation. Yet not one of our (U.S.) politicians or newspeople (except Chris Morris, maybe…sorry, I don’t know who he is) don’t know how to pronounce it correctly. Given that this is a board devoted to fighting ignorance, how about we all make our politicians and newspeople aware of the proper pronunciation. (Sorry, as you can probably tell, this rather minor point has become something of a pet peeve of mine.) Still… ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/13 "2004-04-10T22:56:07Z")
I’ve always pronounced it “pedophile”. Just my $0.02. ---
**Author:** ![chula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a4c791/32.png) [@chula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chula)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/14 "2004-04-10T23:12:01Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > Okay, the general consensus from around the world is that “peed” is the proper pronunciation. No. “Ped” is listed as the first pronunciation in the American Heritage Dictionary. I’ve never heard “peed.” ---
**Author:** ![punkkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@punkkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punkkid)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/15 "2004-04-11T01:23:35Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > (except Chris Morris, maybe…sorry, I don’t know who he is) Haha, Chris Morris is a controversial British comic who used to host a show called BrassEye, done in the style of a news show. He hosted one very controversial show on the subject of pedophilia, hence the reason I mentioned him. Now i realize this is a random reference and sidetrack. That teaches me not to drink and Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/16 "2004-04-11T06:43:15Z")
> [@punkkid](#): > > Haha, Chris Morris is a controversial British comic who used to host a show called BrassEye, done in the style of a news show. He hosted one very controversial show on the subject of pedophilia, hence the reason I mentioned him. > > Now i realize this is a random reference and sidetrack. That teaches me not to drink and Dope. Not a problem at all. We Yanks don’t get too much British t.v. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/17 "2004-04-11T07:10:35Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > this rather minor point has become something of a pet peeve [nitpick] Shouldn’t that be pæt pæve? [/nitpick] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/18 "2004-04-11T07:23:06Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > [nitpick] Shouldn’t that be pæt pæve? [/nitpick] > > 😃 Mmmm…could be, but I don’t think so. 😉 Btw, how’d you get that “ae” thing in your post? I’ve been wishing I could do that since I started this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Creosote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Mr\_Creosote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Creosote)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/19 "2004-04-11T07:37:00Z")
Am I the only one that assumes that pedophile is someone with a (reasonably) healthy love of feet whilst paedophile is something entirely more icky. Perhaps that’s just a slightly warped British point of view though. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2004, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271/20 "2004-04-11T07:44:25Z")
> [@Mr Creosote](#): > > Am I the only one that assumes that pedophile is someone with a (reasonably) healthy love of feet whilst paedophile is something entirely more icky. > > Perhaps that’s just a slightly warped British point of view though. Dammit! Now every time I read or hear “pedophile,” I’m gonna think about that! 😃 Reminds me of something Fred DeCordova said in his autobiography: “A friend pointed out to me that the word ‘molester’ could just as correctly be pronounced ‘mole-ster.’ Now every time I read it that’s exactly how it appears…which was his intention all along.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pedophile-the-correct-pronunciation/239271.md?page=2)