Is it pronounced "koo-pon" or "kyoo-pon"?

[Doctor Q]

Random question-of-little-consequence-of-the-day:

How do you and your neighbors and schoolmates and coworkers pronounce the word "coupon"?​

Dictionary.com says

Coupon [koo-pon, kyoo-], related to cope and coup, is of French origin, from colpon (piece cut off).

It has developed an American pronunciation variant [kyoo-pon] ... with an unhistorical y-sound not justified by the spelling. This pronunciation is used by educated speakers and is well-established as perfectly standard, although it is sometimes criticized. Its development may have been encouraged by analogy with words like curious, cupid, and cute, where c is followed by a “long u” and the [y] is mandatory.​

Despite my personal fondness for the sound of "q", I learned to say coupon as koo-pon, and that's how everyone I deal with daily says it, but I hear it both ways on the radio.

In the U.S., is the distinction a regional thing? Which region?

Is there more consistency within other English-speaking countries?

 

[mad jew]

I've always heard it as koo-pon down here.

 

[Chundles]

rasta-FAR-ee-an.

Dat's how it is maan.

Where's me rum?

 

[bousozoku]

I pronounce coupon either way. It's funny, but it's like saying 9 in Japanese. It can be pronounced ku or kyu.

 

[iRachel]

I say Kyoo-pon, and so do most of my friends and family in the Chicago area - where you tend to here a lot of the "kyoo" pronunciation. I live in wisconsin now, and people make fun of the way I say it - most people up here say "koo-pon."

 

[SamIchi]

What about Koo-pin. I'm a cut me some Koopins.

 

[Kingsly]

Koo-pon

I do not see an 'ue' in coupon.

 

[sushi]

I pronounce coupon either way. It's funny, but it's like saying 9 in Japanese. It can be pronounced ku or kyu.

Yep.

Both ways for 9 (in Japanese) and both ways for coupon.

 

[iMacZealot]

I think both are acceptable but I've always said koo-pon. Just like ant for aunt and Call-oh-rad-oh instead of non-coloradans who say call-oh-rod-oh or call-oh-rad-uh.

 

[xsedrinam]

I've always said "koo-pon", but I do think it's a regional thing. I'm originally from the Midwest (IL), but my wife is from the South (TN). She says "kyoo-pon". But then she also says "po-in-set-i-ah" as part of her dipthonged arsenal. Ain't that "koot".

 

[WildCowboy]

I say "koo-", but my parents say "kyoo-." I can't remember if I used to say it like they do (they and I grew up in Buffalo, NY) and changed since I've moved around the country or if I've always said "koo-".

 

[KingYaba]

It's called Koo-Pawns.

 

[freebooter]

both are correct

 

[Foxglove9]

I pronounce it kyoo-pon. Everyone in my family pronounces it like that, so I did to. However I realized everyone seems to pronounce it with a koo. So I try and say koopon now. But I have to say it just doesn't feel right.

It's funny you started this thread because I really didn't think anyone else pronounced it like my family does. Thanks

 

[iMacZealot]

I think both are acceptable but I've always said koo-pon. Just like ant for aunt and Call-oh-rad-oh instead of non-coloradans who say call-oh-rod-oh or call-oh-rad-uh.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone here say Call-o-rad-oh instead of Call-o-rod-oh? If so, do you live in Colorado?

 

[Kingsly]

aeg or egg? Ant or awwnt? Speghetti or bisquetti? The list goes on and awn.

 

[Nermal]

I've never heard it pronounced "kyoopon".

Just out of curiosity, does anyone here say Call-o-rad-oh instead of Call-o-rod-oh? If so, do you live in Colorado?

I always assumed it was Coll-o-rah-do

 

[iMacZealot]

I always assumed it was Coll-o-rah-do

You're not a Coloradan like myself unless if you pronounce it -rad-. Most out of state people say -rod-. The name derives from the spanish word colorado, which is pronounced -rod-, but the state technically should be pronounced -rad-.

 

[Stampyhead]

I think the difference in pronunciation comes from the original French pronunciation (koo-pon) and the anglicised version which adds the "y" in the typical fashion of British English. Here in the U.S. we don't typically add the "y" sound before the letter U but I guess both pronunciations can be found here. I grew up saying "kyoo-pon."

 

[spicyapple]

Separatist militants pronounce it as, coup-on! That's my little joke for today.

 

[swingerofbirch]

I have heard people say kyoopon, it's usually the people who say school as "skyull."

Around here we get terlut for toilet, hellur for hello, doering for doing. It's fun.

 

[xsedrinam]

Separatist militants pronounce it as, coup-on! That's my little joke for today.

Were you kyooped up, all day at home? Whoops. That's a "coo" miscue. Okay, little, deuce kyoop, then.

 

[iMacZealot]

I have heard people say kyoopon, it's usually the people who say school as "skyull."

Around here we get terlut for toilet, hellur for hello, doering for doing. It's fun.

"Hellur!"
"What's up?"
"Just doering to do my business at the terlut!"

Never did I think doing could be a three syllable word. I should try talking this way and see what sort of reactions I get.

 

[Kingsly]

Separatist militants pronounce it as, coup-on! That's my little joke for today.

 

[ZoomZoomZoom]

I say Kyoo-pon, and so do most of my friends and family in the Chicago area - where you tend to here a lot of the "kyoo" pronunciation. I live in wisconsin now, and people make fun of the way I say it - most people up here say "koo-pon."

Yep, I'm from Chicago too and I call it kyoo-pon. But it's not something I stick with; sometimes a koo-pon slips out.