# Wrapping up the \* project- how do YOU say it?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 14, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561 "2011-01-14T03:45:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/21 "2011-01-14T19:30:10Z")

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Never heard it pronounced as anything other than asterisk with both s’s sounded and all 3 syllables.

I’ve heard the symbol _called_ something entirely different (star, splat), but usually not in a serious context.

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### Author: ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/22 "2011-01-14T19:49:22Z")

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> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#):
>
> AsteriSk. OH-IN region. Many people in my area say it without the second S, and it drives me bonkers.
> 
> I’ve also noticed a tendency in others to say “Assessories” instead of “ACKsessories” (for accessories), but that’s another thread. Like “asterik,” it drives me crazy.

For pronunciation aid, I just remember the quote, “I have only one asterisk for my country”. 🙂

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### Author: ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/23 "2011-01-14T20:21:50Z")

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I’d like to axe how people who say asterick or asterix axe people questions.

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### Author: ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/24 "2011-01-14T20:25:44Z")

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I pronounce both S’s; Midwestern US.

BTW, that pronunciation is the only one that makes this poem make sense:

Pretty Mary bought some skates  
Upon the ice to frisk.  
Wasn’t she a silly girl,  
Her little \* ?

😃

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### Author: ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/25 "2011-01-14T20:40:52Z")

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> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#):
>
> A while ago on these boards, I expressed suprise that there were two s’s in “asterisk”, because as far as I knew it was only pronounced with one.\<snip\>

How do you feel about the fact that there are two “r’s” in “surprise?” 😛

I also pronounce it with both s’s. It’s an awkward word, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

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### Author: ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/26 "2011-01-14T23:03:33Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> You must be one of those pop drinkers.
> 
> AsteriCk, also western NY, grew up in northern NY

My time spent in NE each year cured the pop right out of me. I was the only one of my friends who said soda.

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### Author: ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/27 "2011-01-14T23:11:16Z")

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I also now pronounce both S’s, but before I knew that was correct, I said astriCk with no middle e. Texas.

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### Author: ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/28 "2011-01-14T23:11:26Z")

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I say asterisk. Born in NW IN, now living in IL near Chicago.

I have never heard anyone say asterick. If I HAD ever heard it spoken this way, I would make an assumption regarding the caller’s literary intellect. The same way I do when people say nukular or pronounce every syllable in com-for-ta-ble.

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### Author: ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/29 "2011-01-14T23:20:33Z")

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I say asteriSk. Born and raised in the South.

However, around here I have heard many common corruptions of it, including asterix, asteric, axterix, and axterick. It’s hard for some folks to pronounce.

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### Author: ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/30 "2011-01-16T03:12:23Z")

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> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> How do you feel about the fact that there are two “r’s” in “surprise?” 😛

By misspelling it every time. Thanks, spell check.

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### Author: ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/31 "2011-01-16T04:01:32Z")

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Also, February.

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### 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: [January 16, 2011, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/32 "2011-01-16T07:46:21Z")

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I never knew anyone pronounced it asterick. I thought it was either asterisk or asterix. You know, like the word ask.

I honestly don’t find asterisk hard to say at all. I do find February hard to say: if I try to say it “correctly,” it comes out Febrrrary. So I tend to stick with Feb-YOU-airy.

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### Author: ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2011, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/33 "2011-01-17T08:49:18Z")

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> [@mack](#):
>
> I grew up in northern NJ and never heard anything but asteriSk.

Uh… northeast or northwest? Parallel linguistic universe?

Really, all the people from here that I’ve asked leave out the second s.

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### Author: ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2011, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/34 "2011-01-17T09:30:10Z")

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> [@mack](#):
>
> I grew up in northern NJ and never heard anything but asteriSk.

Same here.

> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#):
>
> Uh… northeast or northwest? Parallel linguistic universe?
> 
> Really, all the people from here that I’ve asked leave out the second s.

Northeast. Though I will qualify that I’ve never actually made an inquiry about it, and it doesn’t really come up in conversation frequently.

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### Author: ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrapping-up-the-project-how-do-you-say-it/567561/35 "2011-01-17T12:39:12Z")

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AsteriCk, usually, but I’m aware it should be -iSk. Grew up in KY if it matters.

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