# White people. How do you pronounce 50 Cent? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 11, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588 "2011-05-11T23:48:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**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:** [May 13, 2011, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/121 "2011-05-13T07:55:35Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > still, there’s no way he pronounces it ‘fifty’. fi’tee, maybe, but not _fifty._ I disagree. In the video **Nzinga** linked to, it sounded like there was an “f” in there. I was able to find [another instance](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylC5wELfic8&feature=related#t=5m45s) of him saying “fifty,” although in the context of “a hundred and fifty four pounds,” and there’s a clear “f” before the “t,” there, too. (It’s at 5:45 of that clip, if for some reason it doesn’t jump ahead correctly.) ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/122 "2011-05-13T14:55:16Z")
I think the difference between ‘fi’tee’ an ‘fifty’ is so small that one may say it one way sometimes and the other way the rest of the time. But ‘fiddy’ is totally different. I have said ‘fiddy’ ironically myself. Well, not really ironically, but kind of pseudo-slangy, if that makes any sense. In the same way we say ‘oh, you got your hair did, gurrl?’. It is a slang based off the fact that some people really do say it that way. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/123 "2011-05-13T16:12:58Z")
Is it that I’m a Californian, then? Because I don’t hear a lot of difference between fiddy and fitee at all. (Yesterday my kid was writing email to a friend and spelled his town Los Gados, because that’s how we pronounce Los Gatos.) I don’t get the difference. But then I live near a city we call Sacramenno, so apparently we have trouble with T’s out here. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/124 "2011-05-13T16:51:24Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Is it that I’m a Californian, then? Because I don’t hear a lot of difference between fiddy and fitee at all. (Yesterday my kid was writing email to a friend and spelled his town Los Gados, because that’s how we pronounce Los Gatos.) My best friend lived in Los Gatos for years, and I could certainly hear a difference between the way people there said “Gatos” and the way someone would pronoune “Gados.” It’s very slight but it’s there. I just called it “The Cats.” ---
**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:** [May 13, 2011, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/125 "2011-05-13T16:54:50Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Is it that I’m a Californian, then? Because I don’t hear a lot of difference between fiddy and fitee at all. “Fiddy” and “fitty” are pronounced almost exactly, if not exactly the same, in my dialect, too (and I suspect most American dialects). Perhaps the length of the short “i” varies, but the consonant sound is the same: it’s a (voiced) alveolar flap. The difference between that sound and a regular “d” sound is that a regular “d” (or “t”, for that matter") is made by stopping the airflow in your throat, while the flap is made by slapping your tongue against the alveolar ridge. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/126 "2011-05-13T17:37:48Z")
Actually, it’s more “Fitty.” IF it were "cent **s**"then I woudl instinctively have gone with the “Fifty” pronunciation. I never gave any thoghut to how “Black folks” would say it, because that is such a diverse group, it’s silly to try and generalize. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/127 "2011-05-13T17:55:47Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Is it that I’m a Californian, then? Because I don’t hear a lot of difference between fiddy and fitee at all. (Yesterday my kid was writing email to a friend and spelled his town Los Gados, because that’s how we pronounce Los Gatos.) > > I don’t get the difference. But then I live near a city we call Sacramenno, so apparently we have trouble with T’s out here. Fitty and fiddy are the same. The reason some posters (myself included) are taking the extra time to type it out as ‘fi-tee’ or ‘fi’tee’ is because sometimes, when speaking quickly, lots of people drop the f a little bit and it is hardly distinguishable from saying ‘fifty’. But fiddy and fitty is CLEARLY not the same as ‘fifty’. I have to laugh at Trucelt talking about how silly it is to group blacks since we are ‘such a diverse group’. I don’t disagree we are diverse, but I can tell a black American by phone about 99 percent of the time. And so can most people. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/128 "2011-05-13T17:58:58Z")
Yeah, if there wasn’t a “blaccent” then I’d never talk to somebody on the phone and then be surprised to meet them and find out they’re black. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/129 "2011-05-13T18:04:55Z")
If I were using my Fake Black Voice, which I only use in the presence of my cat, I would say “fitty”. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/130 "2011-05-13T18:05:24Z")
I’m white, but “Fiddy Cent” springs in my mind every time I see his name. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/131 "2011-05-13T18:24:24Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > If I were using my Fake Black Voice, which I only use in the presence of my cat… Your cat thinks you’re crazy. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/132 "2011-05-13T18:54:25Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Fitty and fiddy are the same. The reason some posters (myself included) are taking the extra time to type it out as ‘fi-tee’ or ‘fi’tee’ is because sometimes, when speaking quickly, lots of people drop the f a little bit and it is hardly distinguishable from saying ‘fifty’. I’m starting to wonder if what we’re hearing is that flap along with a slight “f” sound. In other words, when you enunciated “fifty” in a controlled way, the “t” is a clear stop, which helps to enunciate the “f,” as well, but if you try to pronounce the “t” as a flap, you can get something that sounds like a cross between “fifty” and “fiddy,” kinda like “fivdy”. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/133 "2011-05-13T18:58:40Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Your cat thinks you’re crazy. The sky is blue, water is wet. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/134 "2011-05-13T19:41:01Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > I have to laugh at Trucelt talking about how silly it is to group blacks since we are ‘such a diverse group’. I don’t disagree we are diverse, but I can tell a black American by phone about 99 percent of the time. And so can most people. What does that have to do with accent, though? I agree that I can tell the difference over the phone, but it’s true no matter how the person speaks–something to do with voice timber. I don’t know why, that’s one of the great mysteries of the universe. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/135 "2011-05-13T19:52:19Z")
But here’s the thing, does every body know what “fitty cent” means? Hint: It has absolutely nothing to do with actual cents. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/136 "2011-05-13T20:16:36Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > What does that have to do with accent, though? I agree that I can tell the difference over the phone, but it’s true no matter how the person speaks–something to do with voice timber. I don’t know why, that’s one of the great mysteries of the universe. Yeah, I don’t know if ‘accent’ is the right word, but I know black people speak differently that white people, usually. ‘Ask’ vs. ‘Axe’ shouldn’t have anything to do with voice timber, but we know that’s a difference that exists. And yes, I know southern people say ‘axe’ some times and plenty of black people (including me) pronounce it ‘ask’. My point is that enough black people pronounce it ‘axe’ that it is a well known example of blacks and whites speaking differently. It’s not racist to acknowledge that. (yes I do realize that no one said it is racist to acknowledge that) ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/137 "2011-05-13T20:53:33Z")
This white person never has a reason to say 50 Cent, but if I did I’d say fifty. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/138 "2011-05-13T20:57:29Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > But here’s the thing, does every body know what “fitty cent” means? Hint: It has absolutely nothing to do with actual cents. Not a clue. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/139 "2011-05-13T21:23:16Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > I say “Fitty Cent” but usually in an ironic way, like I know I’m whitety, ha ha ha… > > I don’t want to say Fifty Cent, since then I sound like a total dork jerk Neidermeyer. > > I don’t want to sound like I suddenly developed a black accent, since I’m clearly not black nor do I have a “ghetto” background, and then I would look like a total dork jerk Panderer. > > Honestly - I try not to refer to him by name, because it is a little uncomfortable. He’s super hot though. Exactly this. Except for the super hot part. Even if I found him attractive to begin with, I can’t imagine how you could listen to that inane Candy Shop song and ever view the singer as a sexually viable candidate again. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588/140 "2011-05-16T15:24:15Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Fitty and fiddy are the same. The reason some posters (myself included) are taking the extra time to type it out as ‘fi-tee’ or ‘fi’tee’ is because sometimes, when speaking quickly, lots of people drop the f a little bit and it is hardly distinguishable from saying ‘fifty’. > > But fiddy and fitty is CLEARLY not the same as ‘fifty’. > > I have to laugh at Trucelt talking about how silly it is to group blacks since we are ‘such a diverse group’. I don’t disagree we are diverse, but I can tell a black American by phone about 99 percent of the time. And so can most people. Well, my “Black” cousins in Atlanta would say “Fee-iff-tee” or “Fee-itty” and my “Black” cousins in Detroit would say “Fiddy”. So it makes perfect sense to me. 😉 Fitty and Fiddy sound different to me. The “i” is much slenderer in fitty, for one thing, and the tt’s are more hissing than the dd’s. Also, for some reason I can eaither say “Fi **tt** y **Cen** t” or “Fi **dd** y **Sun** t”, but not “Fiddy Cent”. ETA: OK, errr, so what _does_ it mean then? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-people-how-do-you-pronounce-50-cent/581588.md?page=6)