I was talking to a friend the other day and I said the word "data".
"It's data. The way you say it is annoying." She said to me.
I had flashbacks to my first time on an Ivy League campus where I was corrected on how I spoke several times. No, I did not go to an Ivy League school but the students there felt the need to correct my pronuniciation of several words.
Feeling very self-conscious, because my friends are very smart and bright people and I am not so much, I looked up the pronunciation of the word data. I used dictionary dot com, does anyone actually own a dictionary any more? I wanted to make sure I was saying it the correct way.
Both ways of pronouncing it are correct.
How do you pronounce data?
Day-Ta? or Datta?...
...and which way is annoying?
Day-ta, . . .'Datta' is annoying.
ReplyDelete"Was a matta with the datta"
I say "Datta" and find "Day-ta" annoying! LOL.
ReplyDeleteI say them both. To ***L with those people.
ReplyDeleteI say day-ta. Like the character on Star Trek. One could argue that we're all wrong, as the Latin pronunciation would be dah-tah!
ReplyDeleteMy issue with the word is that I use it as a plural, eg, "These data are evidence that....." and that gets some eyebrow raises except in my field of work (medical research).
I'm amphibious. My brain seems to randomly determine how I will pronounce the word. However, if I do have to use the word multiples times in a single conversation, my brain seems to be consistent.
ReplyDeleteAll that's really important is that I don't pronounce water as wudder.
It's day-ta. You should hear me and one of my co-workers talking. During the course of a conversation, each of us says the word several times. Only she says dat-ta. It's almost like a competition, but neither of us ever mentions it.
ReplyDeleteSo you never told us . . . how do you say it?
Day-ta. And the singular is Day-tum.
ReplyDeleteI say day-ta, and datta is mildly annoying, except now that I think about it, I have sometimes said datta-base.
ReplyDeleteWhat is (are) REALLY annoying, though, not to mention RUDE, is (are) adults who correct other adults' pronunciation (kind spouses, in private, excepted).
Dayta. This happens to be a word I use a LOT in my work, and datta doesn't really annoy me either. I knew both ways were correct. It's not like Cray-on or Crown.
ReplyDeleteI say it Day-ta, but I don't think the other way is annoying.
ReplyDeletehttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/data
ReplyDeleteI say day-ta. tomay-to, tomah-to, mater...who cares? ;o)
ReplyDeleteI prounounce it "datta".
ReplyDeleteI hate when people correct you all the time. Who cares? Unless they are saying a word so totally wrong you feel the need to stop any embarrasment.
I think you are gay-ta.
ReplyDeleteDay-ta. Trust me, I'm a scientist.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about Star Trek, too. Someone called Data Datta. When asked what the difference was, he replied, "One is my name. The other is not."
ReplyDeleteThat's about the only time I can think of that it would matter.
Day-ta. Nevah dattah.
ReplyDeleteI say datta. Dayta sounds snobby. Geez...after reading your comments, I feel like I'm an uneducated redneck. Definitely the odd one. Lol.
ReplyDeleteDay-ta like Next Generation.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming she thought *that* was the annoying way, right? Because she's not a Trekkie. It would explain a lot.
:-)
I say day-ta. But I don't find it particularly annoying either way. I do think that if data is coming up in my every day conversation, something needs to be done about that.
ReplyDeleteSusie speaks for me in regards to this mayta. I mean, matta. Erm... matter.
ReplyDeleteDayta.
ReplyDeleteI'm to the point now where either way I hear it, I'll repeat it in my head the other way.
There's a road we travel on frequently called "Rakow Road." I still do not know if it's "Raycow" or "Rahcow" Road.
Really who cares. I'm sure I've said it both ways but probably more oftan than not "datta"
ReplyDeleteThat's funny that your friend was so annoyed by it.
Now that I think about it I haven't said that word in a very long time, Aww the joys of being a SAHM.
I don't say either. I say info and computer thingie. But I hate it when people say Nev-ahda.
ReplyDeleteAnd I fluctuate with Root and Rowt.
And how rude of her to correct you. What is she, your mother? The pronunciation police? Tell her to stuff it.
I say day-ta, but am not annoyed by datta, the way I am be some alternate pronunciations.
ReplyDeletePeople who correct other's are annoying. It is bad manners.
ReplyDeleteTo make a different reference...I always say datta, because day-ta reminds me of the kid on The Goonies with the backpack and the bad inventions. The kids on my block would always play "the Goonies" and because there were 3 girls on the block but only 2 in the film, I had to play Data because I had a backpack and the other two didn't. I hated that.
ReplyDeleteI say day-ta - and am not annoyed when people say da-ta. I used to get annoyed when our computer guy at work said "data are" I am sure he was right but it sounded so odd to me and he was an ass so it was even more annoying to hear him say it - or anything for that matter.
ReplyDeleteDatta = annoying
ReplyDeleteDay-ta unless you are from the UK. I say it almost daily, because I'm a Day-ta Conversion Specialist. It's like lavatory, no?
ReplyDeletejust for the record...
ReplyDeletea) bill said "datta."
b) i am perfectly aware that both pronounciations are correct. no speech correction occurred. i simply told him his way of saying it was annoying. and it is. highly.
I say it both ways, depending on the company I'm keeping. But then, I say a lot of funny things being a Canadian here in the US.
ReplyDeleteif i have to imput it, then its datta
ReplyDeletebut the person doing the entering is called the Dayta specialist....
i'm just saying....laughs
this is like the couple/few thing, or where you put the sheets on the bed for your kid either facing the kid or facing the door, right? you can't win. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhen I am reading it, it is day-ta. After reading, and tucking it into the briefcase, it becomes datta. I will give my co-worker the dayta to read. She will return the datta to me. I read a lot of Disney dayta this week. It is now the datta at the bottom of the suitcase. Neither one upsets me. It is what it is, either way...information. momo9
ReplyDeleteThat word needs to go the way of the dinosaur. I mean...info is where it is at. I'm with April.
ReplyDelete:) You are so funny.
This topic may be a little gay-ta. As some chicken butt anonymous commenter said, but you are not gay-ta...you are sir William of Poop and Boogies. We only wish we were the blog genius that you are!
The Maid
The Maid
Day-ta. Definitely Day-ta.
ReplyDeleteHmm...I read your post and was saying datta in my mind so I guess that must be what I normally say. I'm also a SAHM so this definitely isnt a word I use often.
ReplyDeleteI'm with April, though. As someone who grew up in Nevada...it is EXTREMELY annoying to me when I hear people say Ne-vaw-duh instead of Ne-va-duh. You can say you are pronouncing it the spanish way all you want...but ne-vaw-duh still wouldn't be correct. What really gets me is when a story is based there and they still say it wrong. The correct pronunciation of a state is the way the people who live their pronounce it.
LOL. Obviously, I feel strongly about that. I only say something if someone does it over and over and over again. Otherwise, I really find it weird for someone to correct your pronunciation. I guess it depends on if they are a good friend who wouldnt make you feel embarrassed. :)
I have to go with Day-tah, that's how I've always pronounced it.
ReplyDeleteExcept for that year in seventh grade computer lab where the old bag teaching the class assured everyone that the correct pronunciation of the word was "Dat-Ah" and would correct it each time we mispronounced. The brainwashing wore off in eight grade and I'm glad to say I've fully recovered. TO be honest, since I work in I.T. - I've heard it both ways over the past 9 years, so I've gotten used to it.
Tomato...Tomata...Missoureee...Missourah...Who gives a rats behind. WHAT is annoying, is having your pronunciation corrected. Unless you are 5...I find it to be totally unnecessary. For the love of all that is good in the world, if a person is speaking English & getting their point across...SHUT YOUR SELF RIGHTEOUS PIE HOLE ANNOYING PEOPLE! By the way, it's Day-ta. lol!
ReplyDeleteOooo.. I say them both. Sometimes 2 different ways in one sentence. Don't get me started on Nuclear...I go both ways with that too.
ReplyDelete"Day-ta" is the droid on Star Trek, and "datta" is what's stored on the computer.
ReplyDeleteWell well well. Guess who? Its Erin your fav beer tub girl from deco. I was talking to Felicia today and she told me about this site. How are ya strange. My email is leospurr9@aol.com email me
ReplyDeleteI pronounce it data... data is annoying.
ReplyDeleteOMG!!!! I ONLY say day-ta and datta is sooooo annoying!!!
ReplyDeleteTo the person above who mentioned "nuclear":
ReplyDeleteThe big difference is that 'data' does have two legitimate pronunciations. Nuclear has one correct way, and another that was a mispronunciation by a US president that became a commonly believed "correct" pronunciation. It is not.
Nuclear. break it out. Nu-cle-ar. That is it. "Nu-kyoo-lar" doesn't even make sense.
Day-tuh.
ReplyDeleteThat's the way they said it on the Goonies, which trumps any dictionary.
It's DAY-TA. Next you'll ask if its indices or indexes.
ReplyDeleteI usually say day-ta but have been known to say datta once in a while. Both are cool in my book.
ReplyDeletei read your blog and love it...found you through sue and charlotte, anyway...
ReplyDeletei work for a nonprofit and i am a grants and data (datta) manager but i always analyze data (day-ta). ii am not sure why i pronounce them different but i do...and i thought you should know.
:)
congrats on the pregnancy!