# Q-pon or coo-pon? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821 "2014-03-04T13:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/1 "2014-03-04T13:51:03Z")
How do you pronounce the word that describes a little piece of paper that offers a financial discount, usually in the range of 20 cents to two dollars? It’s spelled “coupon” but has two different pronunciations-- one of which is right, the other is from the devil himself. So how do you pronounce “coupon?” ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/2 "2014-03-04T14:48:53Z")
And incidentally, I’ll be keeping my eye on those of you using the devil’s dialect. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/3 "2014-03-04T14:53:20Z")
I grew up with /kjupon/ but it’s been so long since I said it I’m not sure what would come out when I’m not thinking about it. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/4 "2014-03-04T15:05:10Z")
I say it the right way. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/5 "2014-03-04T15:25:36Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I say it the right way. That makes two of us. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/6 "2014-03-04T15:54:12Z")
There is no “q” in “coupon”. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/7 "2014-03-04T15:54:20Z")
I say it correctly, but my wife doesn’t. I once made the mistake of pointing out the difference, and now she’s really paranoid about saying it wrong and sounding stupid. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/8 "2014-03-04T16:04:18Z")
Ron White pronounces it “coopin.” 😉 And I completely disagree with **panache** and **sandra nz**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/9 "2014-03-04T16:06:01Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I say it correctly, but my wife doesn’t. I once made the mistake of pointing out the difference, and now she’s really paranoid about saying it wrong and sounding stupid. The other day my friend got 10 by adding 4 and 6 together. I laughed at the idiot and explained the proper method using 5s. He won’t be making that mistake again any time soon! ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/10 "2014-03-04T16:33:57Z")
Weirdly, I grew up saying “cue-pon”, but a few years ago started thinking that sounded dumb. So I switched to “coop-on”, which never felt right in my mouth. Now, after a few years of this, I feel like a pretentious fool when everyone I know says it “cue-pon” and now I’m going to switch back. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/11 "2014-03-04T17:40:32Z")
I say cue-pon because I’m from the South. It ain’t right without the drawl. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/12 "2014-03-04T17:44:10Z")
coo-pon here, but I actually say it the way the people around me are saying it. If you start the conversation by calling it a cue-pon, then I’ll do the same for the rest of our discussion. It’s one of those regional differences that I’m not going to fight about. coo seems to fit the spelling better, but pronunciations and spelling are only casually acquainted. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/13 "2014-03-04T17:44:13Z")
Poe-TAY-toe ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/14 "2014-03-04T18:09:19Z")
thrōt-,wȯr-blər man-ˌgrōv 😃 I say Q-pon, but I think either pronunciation is correct. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/15 "2014-03-04T18:36:26Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > The other day my friend got 10 by adding 4 and 6 together. I laughed at the idiot and explained the proper method using 5s. He won’t be making that mistake again any time soon! Heretic! 3 + 7 or death!! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/16 "2014-03-04T18:38:27Z")
Can’t believe we have so many devil-tongued rapscallions posting here. Fie on your money-saving mispronunciations! ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/17 "2014-03-04T18:39:02Z")
Around here, most people said q-pon. I was corrected by someone I respected and have said coo-pon ever since. Even though I am now aware that person could be wrong and small stuff like this really doesn’t matter in the big scheme of things. But there is fun to be had in the argument. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/18 "2014-03-04T18:43:27Z")
I don’t know - I’ve pronounced it both ways. I guess it kind of depends. In other words, what **dracoi** said. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/19 "2014-03-04T19:24:00Z")
Until the mid to late 70s cue-pon was the most commonly used pronunciation and coo-pon was considered to be the “coot widdle kid” pronunciation. It’s kind of like the shift from catsup to ketchup, around the same time, except not for the same reason. Hearing it pronounced coo-pon still grates on my ears, even though it’s been over 30 years since the shift. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/20 "2014-03-04T20:05:53Z")
I have used both, without rhyme or reason. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821.md?page=2)