Last Updated on March 12, 2023
Is it ‘PEE-can’ or ‘pih-KHAN’? How should the word ‘pecan’ be pronounced? Apparently where you are isn’t the only factor.
It was a hot topic in our newsroom this past week as we all had a big Thanksgiving feast on the brain.
Yes, I’m talking about the pecan, which, some might be surprised to learn, isn’t truly a nut but rather a “drupe.” But that’s an entirely different matter that you can debate at your Thanksgiving dinner once you settle the pronunciation issue.
In fact, there are actually four variations in pronouncing the pecan: in addition to the ones I’ve listed, “PEE-can” and “pih-KHAN,” there’s also “pih-CAN” and “PEE-khan.”
In the South, where I am, the most common pronunciation, according to FarmFlavor.com, which actually mapped the pronunciation trends for the word, is “PEE-can.”
But if I’m honest, I have to admit that I’m not consistent in my pronunciation of the word. And I know of a few people who do it the same way I do, so at least I’m not alone.
If we’re talking about a slice of the pictured pecan pie, I’m content to say “PEE-can.” If there’s a can of pecan halves that I’m willing to share, I might ask a friend if they’d care for some “PEE-cans.”
But the flavor butter pecan? That’s a different story: to me, butter “PEE-can” just doesn’t sound right.
So butter pecan becomes the only instance in which I’ll adjust the pronunciation to butter “pih-KHAN.”
Others have noticed this linguistic oddity and one person even asked about it on the largely-useless website Quora. No one has sufficiently explained why people will pronounce the word one way in nearly all uses except one.
So that brings me to the big question of the day:
I’ve actually given some thought to this. I generally use PEE-can – which is how my parents always pronounced it. Oddly, according to the pronunciation map you link to, I should pronounce it, pee-KAHN. I thought, perhaps, it had to do with the fact that my father came from Virginia but that’s pee-KAHN territory, as well. So, I have no idea why, but I say PEE-can. 🙂