pronunciation of bona fide

[Cunning Fox]

How do you pronounce "bona fide"? Dictionaries seem to give two pronunciations /bəʊnə ˈfaɪdi ORˈbəʊnə faɪd/ (and my pathetic search-in-google attempt led to more pronunciations). How do you pronounce it?

An example: "I must admit they're making a bona fide effort to complete the project in time".

 

[jutfrank]

I say /bəʊnə ˈfaɪdeɪ/

 

[tedmc]

The American pronounciation is without the last syllable, "de". Anyway, all online dictionaries provide pronounciations.

 

[Cunning Fox]

The American pronounciation is without the last syllable, "de". Anyway, all online dictionaries provide pronounciations. (Pronunciations)

I know they do. The question is how people really pronounce it.

 

[Glizdka]

They're not English words; they're Latin. You have two choices: go with the original Latin pronunciation, or chose one of the many Anglicized versions out there. It's up to you.

Krummi & Soffía Björg made it rhyme with tonight in this song.

 

[Tarheel]

The dictionaries get everything they have from the real world. Of course, they can't go into much detail.

As for "bona fide" I've heard it pronounced two ways-- one way when it's used as an adjective and another way when it's used as a noun.

(Anglicized)

 

[SoothingDave]

BO na feyed

Three syllables. "BO" like hair bow. "Eye" like eyeball.

 

[probus]

I'd add that when used as a noun it is pluralized, or at any rate an s is added.. For example: "I am not questioning his bona fides ..." pronounced boe na fee days.

 

[SoothingDave]

I would think "fides" is more commonly said like Ides of March. (Not that it is all that much commonly said.)

 

[Tdol]

Oxford give several pronunciations:

Dictionary.com | Meanings & Definitions of English Words

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www.lexico.com

Cambridge go for /iː/

bona fide

1. real, not false: 2. real, not false: 3. real or true; not false:

dictionary.cambridge.org

There doesn't seem to be a universal standard.

 

[probus]

I took Latin in high school. That's probably wjy I favour the Erasmian Latin pronunciation.

 

[Contexicon]

Consistent with the other responses about the American English pronunciation, I found it's pronounced /bəʊnə faɪd/ on the American TV show S.W.A.T. (Season 2, Episode 10):

HONDO: "Corey Barker. Bona fide maniac meth head out of Palmdale."