Good Lifestyle

In America, there is only one way topronounce The letter Z:zee, sure. However, head in England, Ireland, or just about any other English-speaking country, and you will find thatmost natives refer to the same letter aszed.

To understand this difference in pronunciation, you have to look at the origins of the English alphabet itself. As you can imagine, the Britishzed is the old one of the two pronunciations, and sheDates until 1400 years. The pronunciation comes from Latin and Greek, because the two old languages ​​have a pronounced equivalent in the same way:zipper.

While the most establishedzed has aetymology It makes sense sense, the reason why Z is pronounced aszee In the United States is a little more pragmatic. This iteration of the last letter of the alphabet appeared for the first time inThomas Lye'sNew spelling In 1677, and we think it was changed to reflect theBee, EEC, Dee, EE, Gee diagram that the rest of the alphabet follows. In the 1800s, the pronunciation really took off whenCharles Bradlee wrote the famous alphabet song and includedzeein the place ofzedRhymeme, essentially solidify the new pronunciation of the de facto diction of Americans.

An enthusiastic etymology,Paul Anthony Jonesspeculateon his blog that the Americans may have adapted the most modern pronunciation "to make a stand - no matter the little thing that might seem-counter-British" after the revolutionary war, even if it is just as likely that the settlers have adopted The pronunciation because it was easier to understand.

So there, you have it: when it comes back, the reason why Z is pronounced aszee In America is nothing more than convenience. And for more information on divergences between Americans and foreigners, check these10 American words that do not make sense in the U.K.