How to Pronounce “Species”

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Laura Cardinal. I’m calling from Hereford, Arizona.

Hi, Laura. Welcome to the show.

What can we do for you?

Hi, thank you.

Well, I had a troubling experience listening to the radio. I was listening to one of my favorite NPR programs talking about a national act, the Endangered Species Act. And the host had three different scientists on. And the host would say, we’re here to talk about the Endangered Species Act. And she would introduce Professor so-and-so, and the professor would say, yes, the species that we’re talking about is blah, blah, blah. And then go back to the host, and she would again say, species. And the next guest would say species. And it started to be distracting because the scientists were saying very clearly, enunciating very clearly species. And the host would say species. And I found myself just completely distracted from the discussion and listening to this word challenge between the host and the guests about how to pronounce this word.

Afterwards, I, you know, I, I started listening to how people say it and there seemed to be a real range of the ways people pronounce this word. A lot of people do say species, but a lot of people say species. And I have even heard people say species or species, like, like he, she’s in species. It’s, I don’t know why there’s so many pronunciations of this word. But it was puzzling to me and I thought you guys could figure it out.

You’ve got a great ear. You’ve got a really good listener’s ear, Laura. Let’s just clarify for everyone who’s listening now. So just so they know what we’re saying, we’re talking about the word species, S-P-E-C-I-E-S, species.

Correct.

And what you’re hearing here is like an S-H sound where you would expect to hear an S sound. So you’re hearing shh, what you’re expected to hear sss. You’re going to be surprised, I think, to find that the species, where the last syllable sounds like she, as in the pronoun she, is far more common in North American and British English. Like, by far and away. Like, nine to one.

I’ll be darned. Actually, the scientists have the rarer pronunciation. They were the outliers.

Yeah, they’re the outliers. Yeah, with the word, it sounds more like you’re talking about high seas, species.

Correct.

So that’s what’s really interesting. Both pronunciations are considered standard in North American and British English, and neither one of them has a stigma attached to it or is considered beyond the pale. So they’re both legit and good and cool.

Now, that doesn’t mean that the scientists don’t have within their field a preferred pronunciation. And that happens all the time, particularly like in the medical field, where the professionals have all agreed kind of inside their business, inside their industry, to talk one way. And it’s at odds with the way the regular folks talk, the ones who aren’t specialized in that. And that might be what you heard. But it doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily more correct or that it’s better.

Okay.

All right.

Well, thanks for calling and take care of yourself. Always a pleasure listening to you guys.

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