Piezo pronunciation

[Ondoid]

Not sure if this is too off topic for this forum and I apologize if it is….

I’ve always pronounced piezo as pee-ay-zo.
I hear it pronounced that way or pie-zo. My Wife is Italian and seems to believe it’s pronounced the same way I say it. Sounds Italian. My theory is it’s the same way most Americans pronounce the word “luthier.”

Thoughts?

[mmmguitar]

Thoughts?

As soon as you pronounce it one way, you meet someone who pronounces it another: pee-zoh, pizza, pie-zuh, pee-et-so, pee-eh-zoh, etc. I’ve discussed this with musicians and electricians, and found we were all on the same page: We know what it is that the person’s trying to pronounce; so we just politely pronounce it their way while we’re talking with them.

[vjmanzo]

we were all on the same page: We know what it is that the person’s trying to pronounce; so we just politely pronounce it their way while we’re talking with them.

This is so true!!! And I love this approach!


Having said that…since the word is Greek in origin, I believe it should be pronounced like p’yehtzoh with the “pyeh” as close to one syllable and (I think?) a quiet t before the long zoh , but I say pee-ay-zoh in my very "New Jersey" sort of accent

[Patzag]

I’m with you. I do it Italian style! It always sounds weird when someone says pie-zo to my ear.

[Nefarius]

*starts to sing*
When the moon hits your eye like a big piezzo pie, that's amore!

Greetings...
Nef

[vjmanzo]

[Androo]

A technical answer for completeness:
Piezoelectricity (/ˌpiːzoʊ-, ˌpiːtsoʊ-, paɪˌiːzoʊ-/, US: /piˌeɪzoʊ-, piˌeɪtsoʊ-/)[1] is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins—in response to applied mechanical stress.[2] The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure and latent heat. It is derived from the Greek word πιέζειν; piezein, which means to squeeze or press, and ἤλεκτρον ēlektron, which means amber, an ancient source of electric charge.[3][4]

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity

Merriam-Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/diction ... zoelectric
Audio pronunciation = Pee-ay-zo

Cheers,
Andrew