# Poh-lice, or police? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541 "2009-01-16T03:21:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spike404](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@spike404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spike404)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/1 "2009-01-16T03:21:02Z")
I am an avid watcher of real cop shows. Cops, and The First 48 are my favorites. I have noticed that the cops often, when knocking on doors, etcetera, announce themselves as the “poh-lice”. It is not a strictly southern occurrence, it is done in many locals. The question is, why? I am guessing, but I think it may be that the cops want no confusion about who they are. “Police”, could be heard as “please”? Any cops have an opinion? No, my use of the word,“cops”, is not derogatory in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/2 "2009-01-16T03:22:49Z")
I always say ‘poh-leese’ and it always has two syllables. How are you pronouncing it so it could be confused with ‘please’, which always has one? ---
**Author:** ![spike404](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@spike404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spike404)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/3 "2009-01-16T03:30:59Z")
The strong accent on the first syllable, as opposed to the slight accent on the second syllable. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/4 "2009-01-16T03:34:36Z")
In Scotland at least, it seems to be pronounced as “pleess” fairly often. ---
**Author:** ![MatthewStabile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dfb087/32.png) [@MatthewStabile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MatthewStabile)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/5 "2009-01-16T03:42:01Z")
While it may be correct to pronounce the word “police” as Poh-Leese, if said quickly it could sound like “please” very easily. Try to say “police” in one big rolling syllable. “Police, open the door!” said very quickly and loudly could sound like “Please open the door!”. I can see where **spike404** is coming from. ---
**Author:** ![Cider\_Depot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Cider\_Depot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cider_Depot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/6 "2009-01-16T04:59:27Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > In Scotland at least, it seems to be pronounced as “pleess” fairly often. Also by “broad-accented” Australians ---
**Author:** ![sundog66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@sundog66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sundog66)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/7 "2009-01-16T05:21:58Z")
There are at least two pronunciations for “police” in American English: [pə’lis] and (what you’re hearing on the shows) ['polis]. I don’t think the latter is used as a way of avoiding confusion, I just think it’s a variant pronunciation that may be correlated with certain regions and/or social classes. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/8 "2009-01-16T05:24:28Z")
> [@sundog66](#): > > There are at least two pronunciations for “police” in American English: [pə’lis] and (what you’re hearing on the shows) ['polis]. I don’t think the latter is used as a way of avoiding confusion, I just think it’s a variant pronunciation that may be correlated with certain regions and/or social classes. Specifically, I identify the latter with Southern whites and blacks, and (to a lesser extent), non-Southern blacks (and, a much lesser extent, non-Southern whites). Hence the nickname po-po, most common among blacks and poorer whites (AFAICT). ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/9 "2009-01-16T06:07:35Z")
> [@Cider\_Depot](#): > > Also by “broad-accented” Australians It’s not just “broad-accented” Scots who do it: I hear it on the Scottish TV news. But to me it’s something like “pohl-ees”, with even stress. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/10 "2009-01-16T06:18:00Z")
I almost always say something akin to /plis/ or /p@lis/ (where we pretend that is a schwa because I’m posting from my phone) I only say it with a long O when singing about fornicating with them. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/11 "2009-01-16T06:25:09Z")
I’ve always said “puh-lease” myself. Whenever I hear someone say “po-lease”, it gives me the impression they’re trying to sound silly or stupid or something. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/12 "2009-01-16T08:40:50Z")
I say puh-LEESSE. Not like “please” stretched out - more emphasis on the s at the end. Born and raised in NJ, but away from there for 12 years. I must admit, I have an immediate, visceral negative reaction to someone who says “PO-leese,” unless it’s a joke. It’s redneck, back-woods, swamp-Okie talk to me. No offense to swamp-Okies. My wife’s family is ALL swamp-Okies. Joe ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poh-lice-or-police/481541/13 "2009-01-16T10:16:19Z")
“p’leece” or “puh-leece”