# US Pronunciation of Warrior - Woy-er or Worrier **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885 "2007-07-15T20:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wendigo1974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@wendigo1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendigo1974)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/1 "2007-07-15T20:57:34Z")
Watching TV in my yoof in the 80’s you got used to the Americanised pronunciations of certain words. I had always taken as read that the american pronunciation of Warrior was ‘Woy-er’ - completly omitting the double R for a Uhh sound. The original series of BattleStar Galactica used this pronunciation to describe Apollo and Starbuck and the rest of the Viper pilots. The UK pronunciation is worrier, worrior or worriah depending on regional location and inflection. I then came to the personal conclusion that the Americanised pronunciation was based on the Native American Indian anglicized name for their tribes warriors as ‘Woy-er’ - whether that is correct or not is part of the question. This I thought was confirmed during an episode of Baywatch were Hobie discovered an arrow head on some hill side in Malibu and the guys and gals in swimsuits endevour to have the site listed as an ancient burial ground. Once again Hobie utters “Woy-er” and at some point a gnarly old indian poles up in a head dress to utter “The Woy-ers can sleep in peace once more …” or somesuch. Thereby almost comfirming my theory. In the 90’s Buffy battled Native American braves and once more Xander was shooting from the lip about being stuck by some ‘Woy-er’ … theory is still going strong. Then 10 years later I’m sitting in a hotel room in Bahrain watching Fox news and there is Bill O’Reilly plugging his book “Culture Worrier” (Culture Warrior) What did I miss - which is it and are the Navajo involved? ---
**Author:** ![Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Sunshine\_and\_Smiles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunshine_and_Smiles)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/2 "2007-07-15T20:58:54Z")
Well, I for one say “war-ee-or”. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/3 "2007-07-15T21:03:16Z")
Woy-er is closer than worrier to how people I know say it, though really it’s woy-yer. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/4 "2007-07-15T21:07:24Z")
Um, in the parts of the United States I grew up in, lived in, and still live in, it’s war-yer, at its worst (always the “r” sound prounounced). Usually it’s war-i-er or war-i-yer, with a very short “i” syllable in there. Never heard anyone pronounce it woy-er or woy-yer (and having just rewatched the whole of the original Battlestar Galactica, do not recall them saying it in a way that dropped the “r”). I can easily imagin someone from the NorthEast dropping an “r”, though… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wendigo1974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@wendigo1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendigo1974)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/5 "2007-07-15T21:24:20Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] having just rewatched the whole of the original Battlestar Galactica, do not recall them saying it in a way that dropped the “r” [/QUOTE] The R’s are dropped in middle not the end, and **Elfkin477** has reminded me the pronunciation is much more “Woy-yer” Go re-watch. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/6 "2007-07-15T21:35:40Z")
[QUOTE=Sunshine and Smiles] Well, I for one say “war-ee-or”. [/QUOTE] Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/7 "2007-07-15T22:00:23Z")
The first difficulty is establishing just which U.S. dialect is the one you wish to identify as “the” U.S. dialect. I’m with **DSYoungEsq** in speaking (and hearing) WAR-yer most often. I will acknowledge hearing WOY-yer, as well, but I could not immediately place the origins of folks from whom I’ve heard it. (I do not ever recall hearing “worrier” which has a sound much closer to /oo/ in the first syllable in my region. In fact, the word worrier is most often pronounced pretty close to worry-er.) So pick a few specific actors who give each pronunciation and let’s see where they grew up (and hope they have not had some odd speech coach mess up their native pronunciation). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/8 "2007-07-15T22:07:28Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Seconded. [/QUOTE] I also say ‘war-ee-or’. (Or ‘war-ee-er’, really.) Definitely an ‘ar’ sound on the first syllable and not an ‘or’ sound. On preview: > [@tomndebb](#): > > I’m with **DSYoungEsq** in speaking (and hearing) WAR-yer most often. It’s funny how little I actually hear the word. (Unless someone is talking about a Piper, which doesn’t happen much nowadays.) But to me it’s always had three syllables. ---
**Author:** ![wendigo1974](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@wendigo1974](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wendigo1974)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2007, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/9 "2007-07-15T23:46:58Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] The first difficulty is establishing just which U.S. dialect is the one you wish to identify as “the” U.S. dialect. I’m with **DSYoungEsq** in speaking (and hearing) WAR-yer most often. I will acknowledge hearing WOY-yer, as well, but I could not immediately place the origins of folks from whom I’ve heard it. (I do not ever recall hearing “worrier” which has a sound much closer to /oo/ in the first syllable in my region. In fact, the word worrier is most often pronounced pretty close to worry-er.) So pick a few specific actors who give each pronunciation and let’s see where they grew up (and hope they have not had some odd speech coach mess up their native pronunciation). [/QUOTE] Jeremy Jackson - Hobie - Newport Beach, California Dirk Benedict - Starbuck - Helena, Montana Robert Hatch - Apollo - Santa Monica, California Nicholas Brendon - Xander - Los Angeles, California If a few Californians chime in with Woy-yer as there favoured pronunciation then we have half an answer (Faceman may have just been trying to fit in) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/10 "2007-07-16T00:00:48Z")
[QUOTE=wendigo1974] If a few Californians chime in with Woy-yer as there favoured pronunciation then we have half an answer (Faceman may have just been trying to fit in) [/QUOTE] Johnny L.A. – San Diego, Lancaster, Los Angeles, CA. ‘War-ee-er’. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/11 "2007-07-16T01:16:21Z")
War-ee-er. And I don’t recall ever hearing it any other way (though I don’t hear it all that often anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/12 "2007-07-16T01:56:51Z")
I would say most intend to say war-ee-or, but laziness usually makes it comes out the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/13 "2007-07-16T02:00:19Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Johnny L.A. – San Diego, Lancaster, Los Angeles, CA. ‘War-ee-er’. [/QUOTE] Valgard, raised in Berkeley CA. Also “war-ee-er”. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/14 "2007-07-16T05:09:48Z")
I like to think I say “war-ee-er”, but the Mainer in me knows better. So, “war-ee-uh”. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/15 "2007-07-16T05:31:57Z")
The [last word on the subject.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgZCjcFBBJU) This thread can now be closed. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9fc29f/32.png) [@I\_m\_Ron\_Burgundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_Ron_Burgundy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/16 "2007-07-16T07:52:26Z")
Doesn’t Xander from Buffy have a speech impediment? The Woyer pronunication, as far as I know, is a Southern thing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/17 "2007-07-16T11:26:27Z")
**Wor** -yer. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/18 "2007-07-16T11:57:59Z")
War-e-or ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/19 "2007-07-16T12:08:22Z")
I’m originally from southern Illinois, and I say war-ee-ur with three distinct syllables. The big lesson here is that no pronunciation is any more or less wrong than any other. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885/20 "2007-07-16T14:29:48Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] The [last word on the subject.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgZCjcFBBJU) This thread can now be closed. 😃 [/QUOTE] First thing I thought of when reading the subject line as well. And I agree, no further discussion is needed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-pronunciation-of-warrior-woy-er-or-worrier/411885.md?page=2)