Pe-CAN vs. Pe-KAHN & the data to back it up.

[Young Drachma]

Dialect Survey Results (http://www4.uwm.edu/FLL/linguistics/dialect/staticmaps/q_21.html)

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc113/Dynasty_DC/pecan_zps7a1b3181.png[/URL]


21. pecan
a. [pi:kn] with stress on the first syllable ("PEE-can") (17.03%)
b. [pi:kn] with stress on the second syllable ("pee-CAN") (9.02%)
c. [pi:kn] with stress on the first syllable ("PEE-Kahn") (13.19%)
d. [pi:kn] with stress on the second syllable ("pee-KAHN") (28.60%)
e. [pkn] ("pick Ann") (1.48%)
f. [pkn] ("pick Ahn") (20.92%)
g. I pronounce it differently when it's alone than when it's in a compound like "pecan pie" (please state how you pronounce the two variants in the comments box) (6.24%)
h. other (3.51%)
(11213 respondents)

[QuikSand]

d

Probably the least geographically skewed of these I've seen. Usually it's just more fodder for pre-existing regional biases. Here, the main takeaway seem to be that nobody lives in Wyoming.

[digamma]

Interesting. My south Georgia relatives may not agree as I have heard many an explanation on the difference between the Can and the kahn.

[Toddzilla]

more likely the people in Wyoming have good taste and don't eat those nutty turds

[cartman]

On a slightly related tangent, I got a hankering to make a pecan pie when I lived in Europe. Ran into a slight problem in Italy. They don't sell corn syrup. No Karo, no pecan pie. When I was in the UK, they had something called golden syrup. Tried it, but it didn't really work too well.

[TRO]

I'm an f, which looks right based on the map as well.

[Ben E Lou]

Pretty sure I use a,b,c, and d interchangeably. I suspect it depends on the audience.

[Young Drachma]

Yeah, I use it based on the audience too.

[Young Drachma]

d

Probably the least geographically skewed of these I've seen. Usually it's just more fodder for pre-existing regional biases. Here, the main takeaway seem to be that nobody lives in Wyoming.

Hey now, ExDir. Don't get ugly.

[cartman]

I find that sometimes my pronunciation changes based on if I'm talking about the nut alone, or in combination with pie, roll, etc.

[kcchief19]

Very interesting ... appears to be little regional influence, just a difference in popularity of the pronunciations.

I'm a pick-ahn person most of the time. I only use PEE-can when quoting When Harry Met Sally.

[Marmel]

I'm a G, but really, who gives a shit?
I guess I do since I am posting in here. :(

[Danny]

I will say it different ways depending on my mood or what I am referring to, though Pikahn is probably the one I say the most when referring to just the nut.

[miked]

I say (a), my wife is from Georgia and tells me (f) is where it's at.

[DaddyTorgo]

G (A when alone, D when in a pie/cookie/etc)

[Shkspr]

I'm pretty sure we can all at least agree that David Khan should be peed on.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

KHAN!!!