How Do You Say Pecan? Mapping Food Dialect Trends Across the U.S.

www.farmflavor.com ^ | June 6, 2013 | By Jessy Yancey

[Red Badger]

See this nut? We’ve posted about how pecans are grown, their nutritional benefits and our favorite pecan recipes, but we’ve never really discussed a popular topic of debate: Are they pee-KAHNs, pee-CANs, PEE-cans, pick-AHNs or some other pronunciation? How do YOU say pecan?

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Turns out, it depends on where you’re from. Joshua Katz, a doctoral student studying statistics at NC State University, recently created interactive dialect maps using data from Bert Vaux at the University of Cambridge. For example, check out the map showing how people pronounce “pecan”:

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It shows that pee-KAHN is dominant nationwide, but in areas of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi, pick-AHN reigns supreme. PEE-can is popular on the East Coast and in New England, while folks from Wisconsin, northern Minnesota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula go with PEE-kahn.

The linguistics department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee just also shared a pecan pronunciation map that gives another option – where people may say pee-KAHN by itself, but then say PEE-can when using a compound word, like pecan pie.

We found this research fascinating, so we’ve compiled a few of these dialect maps related to food. We had no idea that some people never refer to coleslaw as simply “slaw,” if other people also use “caramel” and “carmel” interchangeably, or if there really is a difference between frosting and icing. We did, however, know that The Great Soda/Pop/Coke/Soft Drink Debate will never be resolved.

Take a look at these maps, and learn if you pronounce mayonnaise like the masses, which syllable gets the emphasis in Thanksgiving, or if you’re the odd one out who says something not even provided as an option. Then, leave us a comment to let us know how you say pecan. (For the record, my parents are from Texas and Oklahoma, so I stand firmly with pick-AHN.)

[Larry Lucido]

The north part of Pleasant Grove in Dallas, Texas was known as Pecan Heights (pronounced as “Pee-KAHN”). Area around Jim Miller and Military Parkway.

[WayneS]

I had a pee can once -— until we got indoor plumbing.

[WayneS]

Then I vote for pee-CAN...

[bar sin·is·ter]

PEE-CAN’T

[Red Badger]

There is or was a race track for amateur car racers south of Jacksonville, FL that was heavily advertised on the radio, PEE-CAN Park Race track...............

[colorado tanker]

There are more choices. I say puh-KAHN.

[WayneS]

Carya illinoinensis

[Red Badger]

Same with my plum trees. Must trim them down occasionally............

Also, it has to be 65°F or higher AND SUNNY when they blossom in the spring or there won’t be any bees to pollinate them..............

[dforest]

So do I and I am from Indiana. Where are you from?

[Red Badger]

I love Carya Illinoinensis Pie!................

[Stevenc131]

pah-kahn, here in Georgia and also N. Fla where I grew up. I can’t say for any English speakers in S.Fla, there are so many yankees down there they may say pee-can.

[yarddog]

I have always thought it was Pee Kahn with only a very slight emphasis on the first syllable. My family has been in the Florida Panhandle for over 250 years.

[BenLurkin]

Pick-on

[BenLurkin]

Or peck-on

[DesertRhino]

Whoa, so only Texas and Louisiana say it right? Cool.

[Ted Grant]

I’m from NYC and it’s “puh-kahn.”

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Put all of the variations in a poke and draw one out and use it. Have congress pass a law as they like being authorities on trivial s%&# anyway.

[Responsibility2nd]

No, no no, no. No.

Dummies.

It’s pronounced Carya illinoinensis.

(Sheesh)

[sheana]

I live in California and everyone here says puh-kahn. So if you look at his map it’s wrong.

[Responsibility2nd]

Google search gave me this info. And to an extant - I agree....

How do people say pecan?

The linguistics department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee just also shared a pecan pronunciation map that gives another option – where people may say pee-KAHN by itself, but then say PEE-can when using a compound word, like pecan pie.Jun 6, 2013