Quote:
Originally Posted by David L.  The only difference I'm aware of is for 'z'
In Britain, we say 'zed'. In the USA, it's 'zee'. |
It is "zed" (or some close variation such as "tzet" in German) everywhere I know of, except the USA. It always amuses me when people there tell everyone else which way is correct. I'm especially sensitive to it living so close to the US border. It happens regularly, if I spell something, that I'll get a very long pause as a reaction if I happen to use the letter Z. Occasionally, the penny drops. More frequently, it does not, and I have to stop to think what I say wrongly in the spelling.
I happen to have a friend who is presently living in the London area. She has a four year old boy, who is in a UK preschool. She quite recently told me that she will be glad to get back to California, where he'll learn the "right way to pronounce 'zee' rather than this horrible 'zed' they use here."
What makes it all the stranger/funnier is that she's married to a Canadian, who is a linguist, and she speaks several languages herself -- all of which use "zed" or some close variation. Yet, she's so ingrained in American English, that she cannot see the advantages in her son having more than one angle on the whole issue.
Oh well!
