Delicious as it is, pecan is the only nut that has driven masses nuts for years and years regarding its correct pronunciation. It ranks among the widely debated dessert topics and why wouldn’t it, considering how no historical, cultural, religious, family etc. etc. event celebration is ever complete till there is a delicious pecan pie decorating the buffet table.
However, before you go forming opinions of your own, we have to tell you this is one of the most playful and healthiest of arguments to occur at gatherings. What can be more light-hearted than engaging in a fun banter of whether Pee-can sounds more appropriate or Puh-KAHN? People from far and wide have contributed their two pennies to this debate but it is only those who excel in the art of phonetics that can guide us.
People are of the opinion that being from the west or south gives them the right to pronounce pecan pie as seems fit for their dialect. They couldn’t be more far from the truth because in reality, the dictionary only states one correct way of pronouncing pecan.
So when you’re grabbing your favourite bag of nuts off the supermarket aisle, what is your first pronunciation of it? If it is pee-can, we hate to tell you that you have been mispronouncing it all your life till now. The dictionary states that “Puh-KAHN” is the only correct pronunciation and regardless of whether you’re from the Midwest, north or south, there’s only this one proper way of saying it.
So the next fall when you’re loading up your buffet table for thanksgiving dinners, remember to ask your guests, “would you like to try a slice of my grandmother’s classic “Puh-KAHN pie?” instead of, “You must try a slice of my finger-licking good Pee-can pie”.
https://thetylt.com/culture/how-to-pronounce-pecan-pie
https://www.rd.com/article/pecan-pronunciation/
