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Amazon Alexa reveals how to pronounce the word ‘scone’ – and it’s going to anger some people
By Joanna Sarah-Freedman
06 Jun 2022
2m
There are many great food debates out there, but one of the greatest centres around the humble scone.
Some people pronounce it ‘scown’ to rhyme with the word cone, and others pronounce it ‘scon’, to rhyme with the word gone – and whatever camp you’re in, we can guarantee you’re passionate that everyone else is wrong.
But now Amazon Alexa has come along to settle the debate once and for all.
Alexa has settled how to say ‘scone’ (Credit: Alamy)
Yep, the mighty little robot has an answer for the question: “Alexa, what’s the correct way to pronounce scone?”
And you can safely bet her answer is gonna piss some people off…
How do you pronounce the word scone?
When asked the controversial question, Alexa replies and announces that the correct way to say the word scone is to rhyme it with the word ‘gone’, as you do when speaking the Queen’s English.
“I pronounce it scone, to rhyme with gone, just like the Queen does,” she says, in a feature which was added in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee.
Alexa is out here stirring up food debates (Credit: Alamy)
Naturally, this answer is going to work some people into a bit of a state, and there will be many who simply believe the robotic device is wrong.
Let’s dig a little deeper…
Why do people pronounce scone differently?
The pronunciation of scone varies around the country (Credit: Alamy)
According to scientists at Cambridge University, the discrepancy in our pronunciation of the word scone is also down to regional dialect.
Experts created a “Great Scone Map”, which shows how the word is pronounced in different areas.
And they found that those who rhyme the word with with gone are usually from Scotland, Northern Ireland or the northern England.
In contrast, those who rhyme the word with cone are often from southern Ireland and the Midlands, whilst the rest of the country are a mixture of the two.
You say 'scone', I say 'scone'. We've called the whole thing off, finds new research https://t.co/HrPZNFDG7q pic.twitter.com/5p7RMDSKnH
— Cambridge University (@Cambridge_Uni) May 26, 2016
Just to make things a little more complex, some people in Scotland also say “skoon”. We bet this info would absolutely boggle Alexa’s hard-drive.
Of course, the above info basically proves that Alexa’s pronunciation of the word scone means nothing, really.
That might be how the Queen says it, but experts have proven it varies around the country. Nonetheless, if you ever find yourself at a Royal high tea, at least you’ll know how to fit in…
Now we just need to settle whether jam or cream goes on first!
