Andrew Week 9: GIF
One of the most commonly used image formats is the Graphic Interchange Format. However, they are more commonly known as GIFs. They are short, animated images that can be used in all sorts of ways. However, what you may not realize is that this simple image format incited one of the most controversial debates in recent memory. Take a second to think about how you just pronounced the acronym. Did you pronounce it with a hard G (such as the "g" in "gorilla"), or with a soft G (such as the "g" in "gentle")? This debate may be trivial, but people have very strong opinions nonetheless.
According to a Mashable poll, the hard G is greatly favored compared to the soft G. In a poll with over 30,000 participants, 70 percent of respondents prefer the hard G, with the remaining 30 percent favoring the soft G. According to The Economist, people who live in more developed countries are more likely to use the hard G, whereas people who live in less developed countries are more likely to use the soft G.
But what if you took a dusty dictionary from your bookshelf and counted every word that started with a G. Which side would reign victorious? Dr. Michael Dow did this exact thing. He counted words that could not be broken down at all, and found that about 64 percent of words that start with G and are followed by a vowel favor the soft G. So, there are reasons for both pronunciations. Many celebrities have even taken a side, including the creator of GIFs, Steve Wilhite, who favors the soft G. Personally, I am on the side of the soft G, as I think its reasons outweigh those of the hard G. So, which side are you on, the hard G or the soft G?
https://mashable.com/archive/mispronounced-words-tech
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2017/06/29/how-do-you-pronounce-gif
https://mcdowlinguist.github.io/2020/08/31/gif-pronunciation.html
Personally, I would say the soft G pronunciation. It honestly just sounds more natural even tho, to the eye, it looks like the hard G.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting as I was never really aware that there is controversy between the pronunciations of the hard G and the soft G in gif. I have always pronounced it with the soft G, and have never considered pronouncing it another way.
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ReplyDeleteI've never understood why people pronounce it with the hard G, and honestly, most people I know only pronounce it with the soft G. Therefore, I find it extremely intriguing that most people say it with a hard G. I believe the soft G is correct because, as Aryn mentions, it sounds more natural. Also, if the creator of GIF pronounces it with a soft G then that must be the correct pronunciation.
ReplyDeleteUnlike the other comments here, I prefer the hard G over the soft G. If it was meant to be pronounced with the soft G, it would be JIF, but it's GIF. I also think since the G stands for graphic, it should be pronounced in the same way, with a hard G.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you pointed out these points, as I have been using them to hard-G-users for years now. I am glad that you share the same feelings toward this controversy as me.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, as I was reading your blog I was trying to figure out which pronunciation I usually opt for. If I recall correctly, I'm pretty sure I usually say it with the hard G. Then again, I most likely switch between the soft and hard G's.
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