Pronunciation Poise: Asterisk
This time, an easy question -- or is it?
We've recently found more uses for asterisks -- such as using them for nonverbal expressions in the middle of sentences, like "*jumping up and down*" -- but do we know the right way to pronounce this symbol? Test your knowledge.
What’s the most correct way to pronounce “asterisk”?
az-tuh-rizk
az-tuh-rix
az-tuh-rih
az-tuh-rick
The correct answer is option one, “az-tuh-rizk.” The word “asterisk” is often pronounced as “az-tuh-rix” as the result of a linguistic process called metathesis, in which two sounds are reversed, and in the case of this word, where the "sk" is transposed to produce a “ks” or “ix” sound, as though the word were spelled “astericks” or “asterix.” (This metathesis is most commonly heard in the pronunciation of “aks” for the word “ask.”) Moreover, because this symbol is often written as one of a series, as ***, for example, some people may think that “astericks” is the plural of a singular “asterick,” which may lead to the “az-tuh-rick” pronunciation. Although “az-tuh-rix” and “az-tuh-rick” have gained some acceptance as a pronunciation, “az-tuh-rizk” is by far considered the most correct pronunciation.