All of the Canadian youtubers that I watch pronounce the letter z as “zi”, as is done in the United States. However, I have read online that it is more common for Canadians to pronounce it as “zed”, as is done in the United Kingdom. Is this a regional thing? How do you pronounce the letter z?
Like many things, it depends. I’m curious about the context where you’re actually hearing YouTubers say the letter.
It’s usually “zed” and we’re taught it as “zed” in school - at least when i was a kid.
If I’m spelling something it is Zed. I don’t think I’ve ever said Zee in that context.
The alphabet ends with Zee when singing it, due to the rhyme with Vee (and probably Sesame Street).
In my head I will say Nissan Zee for a Z type car. Though if I was to speak the phrase “Nissan Z type” I would say Zed.
When it is used in online slang (GG EZ) it is “Zee” for “easy”.
ZZ Top is Zee Zee Top. Zorro draws a Zed. Things are Zed-shaped, not Zee-shaped in general.
It’s Eee zed Pea zed!
I have always said it as “easy peasy”
They were joking. No one says easy peazed.
Lemon squee zed
Another common one for me that I didn’t even notice for a while was Gen-Z, which I will always say “jenzi”. Zed sounds unacceptable there, even though I say zed in most other cases besides those you’ve outlined.
Yeah another one I thought of is XYZ
For me it’s Zed-axis, but Ecks-Why-Zee coordinates.
We are now, no longer the Canadians who say ‘zi’.
It took me the longest time to figure out whether they wanted strawberries or shrubberies.
What?
Username checks out, maybe…
I am Canadian I say Zed. Plus it’s fun to watch americans lose it when I say Zed Zed Top (heehee).
clears throat
why why zee
leaves promptly
Omg, I actually do think and say it this way. Why Why Zed sounds wrong :(
why are you saying why twice in a row?
Fun fact about ZZ Top. Consists of two guys famously sporting long iconic beards and one who is not. The one who is not, his name is Frank Beard.
But that totally makes sense. Would have been two guys with a beard and one with two otherwise.
Zed. Grew up in Ottawa, since lived in Montreal a long time. French also says zed.
It’s also zed in French, fwiw
Zed. Zee is horrible.
Stand proud, Embrace Zed.
o7 I say it as Zed and will never fall.
both, and i never bother to correct myself, or give it any consideration.
This is the best answer.
I also say both and have no idea which one is going to come out of my mouth until it’s said.
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This Canadian youtuber doesn’t.
I’m Canadian, and I pronounce things the proper Canadian way.
When mentioning measurements or temperature, I use metric, and if I also happen to translate to imperial, I joke that it is a courtesy translation for the 3 countries in the world still stuck in the obsolete units.
That makes sense. I assume it’s that, as well as perhaps consuming a lot of American media. I’ve noticed a lot of non-Americans sometimes using USD.
consuming a lot of American media.
They export American exceptionalism as a default attitude.
And, after a century or more, it has taken hold far more than it has any right to.
I hope the increasing boycott of all things American that Trump has caused will start to reverse somehow that. But it will take a long time to undo - that shit is pervasive.
As a mumbling Canadian, I always say Zed to avoid confusion with the letter C.
In my experience, I find it’s usually g/z that tends to get the most easily confused when pronouncing as “zee,” guessing because both are voiced consonants. One of those cases where I have to request phonetic alphabet spelling if call/chat quality is too low to tell.
I have to catch myself to not say “Dragon Ball Zed”.
Wait… It’s not?
Technically it is. The Japanese pronunciation would say “Zetto” as a close approximation of “Zed”.
But the English dub was done for a US audience (despite the fact that the original English dub was recorded in Canada), so they deferred to the American pronunciation of Z.
This could also be the reason Canadian YouTubers would say zee - why alienate 90% of your market, and Canadians are still used to hearing it from American media.
also be the reason Canadian YouTubers would say zee - why alienate 90% of your market
I doubt it’s any fear of alienating them.
It is likely more the result of those youtubers growing up immersed in American media exports.
despite the fact that the original English dub was recorded in Canada
TIL
Zed is the proper Canadian way to say it. Those people just probably watch a lot of American content so it stuck for them.
Zed is the proper Canadian way to say it.
Also the proper commonwealth way to say it.
It’ll always be zedzedtop.
“Zed” now and forever.
Zed if I refer to the letter itself, but if it’s part of a phrase, like “Gen Zee” etc. I will use that.
Ahh, i see, thank you! i think this was the majority of where my confusion lie.
I intentionally always use zed. Sure it doesn’t rhyme in American-created sayings and acronyms, but I’ll continue to say z instead.
I have this nasty habit of correcting people when they say Zee when it is obviously Zed.
As a teacher, I’ve definitely corrected over a hundred students. I do check if they’re American first, though; like, fair enough if they are. But the Canadian pronunciation is zed.
Zee is better. Zed is a chore.
I say zed. My kids all say zee, to my chagrin. Thanks, US children’s entertainment.
