# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/21 "2014-03-04T20:29:10Z")
[Identical poll from a few years ago.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=608329) ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/22 "2014-03-04T20:44:52Z")
Are Brits more consistent? I suspect they’d be more likely to say Q-pon, just as they say dyooty rather than dooty. (Well, a lot of them actually say juty, thinking that’s the same as dyooty. I remember someone asking me if I got something at the “Judy Free”. I said “Judy who?” Talk about two people looking at each other as though they were nuts. Just one of the delights of international travel: trying to communicate with people who speak English. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/23 "2014-03-04T21:23:49Z")
Sort of right between the two. The “q” is there, but it’s subtle. It isn’t a hard “q” like in “Quiet” or “Quick.” It’s softened a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/24 "2014-03-04T21:25:38Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Ron White pronounces it “coopin.” 😉 I thought he said “coopun”. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/25 "2014-03-04T22:19:47Z")
I say it koo-pon. **Learjeff** , I don’t think Brits say Q-pon, as that seems to be an American variant. I have never heard it pronounced anything but koo-pon. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/26 "2014-03-04T22:34:53Z")
Most of the time, the “you” pronunciation comes from either the spelling “ew” or “u,” likely due to previously being pronounced with an “umlaut vowel.” Are there any other words where “ou” is pronounced like “you”? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/27 "2014-03-04T23:07:11Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > Are Brits more consistent? I suspect they’d be more likely to say Q-pon, just as they say dyooty rather than dooty. Brit here. I don’t think I’ve heard anything but coo-pon. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of any words spelt “oo” or “ou” that we would insert an extra “y” sound into. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/28 "2014-03-04T23:08:41Z")
I say coo-pon. No yods for me. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/29 "2014-03-04T23:16:53Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > I thought he said “coopun”. I always heard it as COOP’n. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/30 "2014-03-04T23:27:24Z")
I vacillate between the two. I _think_ Q-pon is the pronunciation I grew up with, but I’m not 100% sure. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/31 "2014-03-04T23:34:43Z")
I say “kyoopon”, but “koopon” doesn’t sound wrong or pecyuliar to me. I grew up in Cleveland, with roots in northern Appalachia, for what it’s worth. And I have no idea which pronunciation **Happy** considers “right”. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2014, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/32 "2014-03-05T00:21:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > …And I have no idea which pronunciation **Happy** considers “right”. I think that was kind of the point. (leaving it ambiguous) ---
**Author:** ![tffan75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tffan75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tffan75)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/33 "2017-04-15T21:07:54Z")
I have never heard “coo-pon” except on TV. Everyone I know says “cue-pon.” ---
**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:** [April 15, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/34 "2017-04-15T21:37:09Z")
> [@tffan75](#): > > I have never heard “coo-pon” except on TV. Everyone I know says “cue-pon.” Don’t you know, people on TV never lie? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/35 "2017-04-15T22:37:27Z")
I don’t vote in public polls. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/36 "2017-04-16T01:05:22Z")
coo-pon but spelled Z-O-M-B-I-E? 😉 ---
**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:** [April 16, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/37 "2017-04-16T03:37:26Z")
Still surprised how well “Baba Booey” did. ---
**Author:** ![CoastalMaineiac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@CoastalMaineiac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoastalMaineiac)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/38 "2017-04-16T11:57:46Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Heretic! 3 + 7 or death!! I’ve taken several computer science classes. 1+1=10;) ---
**Author:** ![Santelia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Santelia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santelia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/39 "2017-04-16T12:30:57Z")
voucher ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821/40 "2017-04-16T12:37:35Z")
It’s a q-pon, y’all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-pon-or-coo-pon/682821.md?page=3)