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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread How to pronounce 'data' #6116 09/06/2000 7:13 PM Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 1 shale stranger shale stranger Joined: Sep 2000 Posts: 1 Some people pronounce the word 'data' as \'day tuh\, while others pronounce it \'dat uh\ (first syllable rhymes with 'cat'. Does anyone know what regional or occupational backgrounds lead a person to use one form or the other? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: How to pronounce 'data' #6117 09/06/2000 7:40 PM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Some people pronounce the word 'data' as \'day tuh\, while others pronounce it \'dat uh\ (first syllable rhymes with 'cat'. Does anyone know what regional or occupational backgrounds lead a person to use one form or the other? I have never heard the "cat" pronunciation, but in New Zealand, the most common pronunciation is dah-tuh, just to add to your list. I will be interested to see if there is a "right way" to pronounce this much abused plural. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: How to pronounce 'data' #6118 09/07/2000 5:44 AM Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia Bridget addict Bridget addict Joined: Jun 2000 Posts: 444 Sydney Australia >this much abused plural< Max, I assume you mean it is abused because it is used as a singular as well as through 'mis'pronunciation? I'd pronounce it 'dah-tuh' too. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: How to pronounce 'data' #6119 09/07/2000 5:55 AM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max, I assume you mean it is abused because it is used as a singular Data used as a singular noun? Surely not! I have been very pleased to note that, here in New Zealand, when the word is heard on the all-important television, it is still most often heard as the plural of "datum." One small corner of Gaul that has not yet been overrun by the Romans, as it were. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: How to pronounce 'data' #6120 09/07/2000 2:23 PM Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Jackie Carpal Tunnel Jackie Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky Welcome to you, shale. Hope to hear more from you! Being in the middle of the country, more or less, I hear both of your pronunciations, but mostly dat-(cat)a. It never occurred to me that it could be pronounced dah-tuh! Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: How to pronounce 'data' #6121 09/08/2000 4:40 AM Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Bingley Carpal Tunnel Bingley Carpal Tunnel Joined: Apr 2000 Posts: 3,065 Jakarta Shouldn't that be one small part of Rome that hasn't been overrun by gall? Bingley Bingley Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: How to pronounce 'data' #6122 09/08/2000 4:49 AM Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Max Quordlepleen Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2000 Posts: 3,409 Shouldn't that be one small part of Rome that hasn't been overrun by gall? The thought had occurred to me, but I was too enamoured of my Asterix reference to risk obscuring it by inversion. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,916 Posts230,371 Members9,209 Most Online7,006 Mar 7th, 2026 Newest Members Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery 9,209 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 34 A C Bowden 14 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,200 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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