Poll: How do you pronounce "Zebra"?

[Scarim Coral]

Ok this may seen to be a random thread but read on!

There has been two incidents when the pronouncation of the word "Zebra" has been brought up to me recently-

The first was during Christmas Day when I was at my aunt flat (apartment) watching Madagascar with my uncle and cousin. I said something about the character Marty (the Zebra) which I had said "Zebra" as "Zee-bra" and my cousin quickly rebuttal me that it's "Zeh-bra". Sure I thought nothing more on it until today at work.

The manager and I were trying to find the PLU code (an ID code of the product) of these Zebra printed luggages that we brought down from the warehouse. I got confused at what the manager was saying at finding the code for the "sev-bra" (that what it sounded like to me at first) luggages until I thought back about the other pronouncation of the word Zebra.

So how it got me thinking, how do you pronounce the word "Zebra"? (What? It was a slow day at work.)

A quick pronouncation search reveal that US folks say Zebra as "Zee-bra" and British folks say it as "Zeh-bra". I'm from the UK and yet I say it as "Zee-bra".... which I blame on the media when they pronounce that word.

As for discussion values, has there been a time when you pronounce a word but then someone else quickly told you that it was pronounce something differently?

 

[JoJo]

'Zeh-bra' here, although I do know a few fellow Brits including my own grandfather who say 'Zee-bra', so you aren't alone there.

I've been corrected on pronunciation a fair few times, since I naturally learn best by reading and then occasionally it'll turn out a name is said differently to how I imagined. For example, for a while I thought East Asian words such as Mao were pronounced like 'May-o' rather than the correct 'Moul' sound.

 

[Hoplon]

Just to screw with you, Zeb-ra. Also from the UK.

 

[EeveeElectro]

Zeh-bruh.

Cuz I'm too northern

 

[Barbas]

"Zeh-Bra", and I try to make it sound like I'm saying "The bra" in a bad German accent.

 

[Relish in Chaos]

"Zeh-bra", because I'm British and that's how I've heard it being said the majority of times.

 

[Eamar]

"Zeh-bra", and I've never heard another Brit pronounce it differently.

[small]I'm not calling you a freak, but...[/small]

 

[Raikas]

"Zeh-bra", but now that I'm spending about 40% of the year in the US thanks to a work assignment, it's landing somewhere between the Zeh- and Zee- pronunciations, so I imagine that I sound silly to most people.

 

[DasDestroyer]

The way any real Canadian pronounces it - Zed-eh-bra.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Zee-bra.

Fun story...I once spent the better part of a day trying to convince my girlfriend that "Leopard" was pronounced the same as "Leotard". Alas, I have very little verisimilitude with her.

 

[Jamieson 90]

I'm British and I too pronounce it "Zeh-bra". It probably comes from how we pronounce the letter Z in the first place. In Britain it's pronounced Z'ed while in the States it's Z'ee. Like Jay Z.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Zee-bra, although zee-bruh is a more accurate way of writing it out -- zee-bra phonetically looks like the second syllable should be pronounced as in the short form of brassiere.

And I'm an American. The only place I've even heard it pronounced zehbra before was in the opening cutscene to an old PS1 game, and the accent used there was an accent I couldn't begin to place, but not a native English speaker's accent, at any rate. The game was Omega Boost, if anyone cares. A game which, interestingly enough, had some differences in the cutscenes depending on which country you bought it in, I think mostly to do with the music.

 

[Someone Depressing]

Striped mule

Ze-bra. Not like the American "Z", which is pronounced "xed". Or is it like the American Z?

 

[ace_of_something]

Well it's only got the one vowel between Z and B so you should say it's name Zee-bruh.

Striped mule

Ze-bra. Not like the American "Z", which is pronounced "xed". Or is it like the American Z?

What? In the UK I know you say 'zed' for this letter in America we say 'Zee'

 

[x EvilErmine x]

Just to screw with you, Zeb-ra. Also from the UK.

This man is correct.... As am I! Zeb-ra ftw!

Thirded? That's how I say it too and I'm also from the uk. I thought that's the way everyone says it if they're not american.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Just to screw with you, Zeb-ra. Also from the UK.

Also "Zeb-ra", but I voted for "Zeh-bra" since it was close enough.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

You brits are killing the english language. It's clearly Zee-bra.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Zeh-bra because it's close to Spanish cebra.