# Why do the British refer to the letter Z as "zed"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828 "2005-03-16T15:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/1 "2005-03-16T15:59:00Z")
I’ve heard this used a lot and it always threw me. Being an American, I’m not used to hearing this, but it seems that people from the United Kingdom and Canada refer to the letter Z as “zed”. I’m taking an educated guess that this has something to do with the relation to the Greek letter zeta, but how did this come to be? I honestly hadn’t noticed this until just recently … I kind of figured the letter Z in the English alphabet was always just pronounced “zee” by English speakers everywhere. Anybody know if there’s any sort of etymological explanation as to why calling a Z a “zee” seems to be a uniquely American thing? We’ve got a very international mix here … hopefully someone can shed some light on it? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/2 "2005-03-16T16:01:17Z")
As a possibly interesting aside, in Korea, kids are taught to say the letter Z “jet-ta” or some close approximation thereof. It’s hard to spell out in English. In any case, it’s obviously derived from zed, not from zee, so I’m curious where this comes from as well. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/3 "2005-03-16T16:06:24Z")
[This has been covered by SDStaff Ian](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mzed.html) ---
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/4 "2005-03-16T16:27:38Z")
Thanks for the link to that article … a bit hard to find since I couldn’t search for a three letter word and hadn’t thought to look there. I guess that wraps up this thread! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/5 "2005-03-16T21:22:55Z")
And there was I thinking it was _Zulu_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/6 "2005-03-16T23:33:24Z")
Note that Germans say “tset.” ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/7 "2005-03-16T23:55:02Z")
It’s so that car model names sound cooler. Just compare: Camaro Zed-28 or Camaro Zee-28? It’s obvious, the latter sounds like a puny sissy car compared to the former. Or even more obvious: Nissan 280 Zed Ex or Nissan 280 Zee Ex? The latter scarcely even scans, never mind clocking in as a reasonable appellation for a sports car. ---
**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 17, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/8 "2005-03-17T00:50:40Z")
The ABC song is set to a tune by Mozart? > [@](#): > > from Ian’s report: > . . .take a catchy tune by some pop composer like, oh, say Mozart, and attach the alphabet to it. I had no idea. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/9 "2005-03-17T01:18:47Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > The ABC song is set to a tune by Mozart? > I had no idea. Well, not quite _by_ Mozart. [The Straight Dope on the Alphabet Song](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/malphabetsong.html) ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/10 "2005-03-17T08:37:40Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > It’s so that car model names sound cooler. Just compare: > > Camaro Zed-28 or Camaro Zee-28? > > It’s obvious, the latter sounds like a puny sissy car compared to the former. Or even more obvious: > > Nissan 280 Zed Ex or Nissan 280 Zee Ex? > > The latter scarcely even scans, never mind clocking in as a reasonable appellation for a sports car. How about the Zee Three roadster?! ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/11 "2005-03-17T08:57:23Z")
Zed’s dead baby. Zed’s dead. ---
**Author:** ![MartinL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MartinL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MartinL)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/12 "2005-03-17T09:09:54Z")
Am I the only one who has troubles distinguishing c and z whan Americans say “zee”? Especially over the phone (which is about the only occasion I ever talk to Americans), I can hear no difference. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/13 "2005-03-17T09:12:58Z")
One of my neices suffers from the “Sesame Street Phenomenon” as mentioned in the SD article. It’s quite jarring to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/14 "2005-03-17T09:55:11Z")
Just as a sidenote, it is pronounced zed by Japanese. Partially, this is easier for them to pronounce given the sounds they have in their own language–but I would guess is more related to England being of larger influence in modernizing Japan than the US (which got embroiled in the Civil War shortly after “opening” Japan and subsequently lost interest until about 1930\* when Japan started attacking China.) Also, a semi-related question, are their instances where British say “got” that isn’t used in American English? There seems to be some instance in which I use it that is non-standard (though I can’t pinpoint what phrasing it is specifically that will cause mirth), and I am not sure whether I picked this up from reading too many books from Oxford press or from growing up among hicks? …randomly occured to me to ask. - 1930 may be wrong as I am bad at dates ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/15 "2005-03-17T10:08:57Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > are their instances where British say “got” that isn’t used in American English? There seems to be some instance in which I use it that is non-standard (though I can’t pinpoint what phrasing it is specifically that will cause mirth) I can’t think of a humorous case, but British will say things like “Have you got any money?” rather than the American “Do you have any money?” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/16 "2005-03-17T10:24:34Z")
> [@zagloba](#): > > I can’t think of a humorous case, but British will say things like “Have you got any money?” rather than the American “Do you have any money?” I can see myself saying either. So, I guess that I did indeed pick this up from Britain–even though I never lived there. Anyways, apologies for the topic highjacking. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/17 "2005-03-17T11:38:52Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > Also, a semi-related question, are their instances where British say “got” that isn’t used in American English? There seems to be some instance in which I use it that is non-standard (though I can’t pinpoint what phrasing it is specifically that will cause mirth), and I am not sure whether I picked this up from reading too many books from Oxford press or from growing up among hicks? …randomly occured to me to ask. I got the pox? 😃 “I have the correct money” and “I’ve got the right money” both sound right (even if the latter is colloquial) to my Kiwi ears. What sounds odd to me is “I will write you” (US English), “I will write to you” sounds more natural. English is a funny wee language. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/18 "2005-03-17T13:07:03Z")
> [@Sage Rat](#): > > Also, a semi-related question, are their instances where British say “got” that isn’t used in American English? No examples spring to mind, but I know that British English tends to use “got” where we Americans would use “gotten”. “Gotten” is becoming obsolete in British English. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/19 "2005-03-17T14:10:25Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > No examples spring to mind, but I know that British English tends to use “got” where we Americans would use “gotten”. “Gotten” is becoming obsolete in British English. More likely that is _was_ obsolete in British English but it’s now being reintroduced through the influence of American English. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-the-british-refer-to-the-letter-z-as-zed/294828/20 "2005-03-18T01:24:42Z")
For what it’s worth, the French also pronounce it “zed”.