gif It's pronounced "jif" says GIF creator Steve Wilhite.

[LaP]

I think if I told some a file was in a "jif" format with a "jif" file extension, most people would automatically assume .jif and not .gif LOL. Myself and 99% of the people I know have always and will always pronounce it with a hard g. Eff what the creator of the format says. He can go google himself. (pronounced joogle lol!)

I don't know about english but in french gi is pronounced ji. Anyway all words i know starting with gi are this way. Girafe, Gigolo, Gigot, Gingembre, etc ...

[Raa]

It always has, and will be, GIF. With a "soft" G.

GIF != JIF, sorry dude.

(How would one have to say the second term anyway? JAY-IFT!?)

[Brian Miller]

I've met so many self proclaimed "Graphic Experts" who insisted it was Giff. What idiots!

[dead.cell]

yeah what i said makes me a tool :rofl: , Go be offended..

I think you mean to say "Jo be offended..."

:rolleyes: :laugh:

[devHead]

any other examples where a word starting with 'G' is pronounced as 'J'?

You're kidding, right? What are you, 11?

[Mohitster]

Good, been calling it that since as long as I can remember.

EggZactly! :D

[theyarecomingforyou]

No.

http://esl.about.com.../hardsoftcg.htm

http://en.wikipedia....Hard_and_soft_G

"G" is followed by an "I" therefore it deserves a soft "G".

End of.

As you're well aware, for every rule there is an exception. Here are just a few:

Gift

Git

Gig

Gimp

Giddy

Gill

Give

Girl

Girth

Gizmo

Girder

The point is that the Oxford Dictionary accepts both pronunciations, so anyone pronouncing it with a hard G is perfectly correct. It doesn't really matter what the inventor of the word intended, it comes down to how it is used. Language evolves over time and it's perfectly understandable for people to pronounce it with a hard G given how other similar words are pronounced. Most people will see it as "gift" minus the T.

PS - It's worth bringing up another "rule", the famous "I before E except after C". It was widely taught as an easy way to spell words yet the sheer number of exceptions meant that it fell out of usage and is now rarely taught.

[Crisp]

Sort of like making fun of someone who pronounces it "tomato" instead of "tomato"?

I say "To-mar-toe" you say "To-may-toe.

[threetonesun]

Following basic English would tell you GIF is pronounced with a soft G as in "general".

Gill, gift, gird, gilt, give...

[cork1958]

I will continue to G-if, J-if just doesn't seen remotely right.

Same here. I don't care if the guy is trying to get more attention by making people have to re-pronounce it or not and as said also above, why would it be call "graphical" image format if it was supposed to be pronounced his way?

Word of the year? How stupid is that?!

[raid0]

I always pronounced it "jif" even if people around me don't

[theyarecomingforyou]

Same here. I don't care if the guy is trying to get more attention by making people have to re-pronounce it or not and as said also above, why would it be call "graphical" image format if it was supposed to be pronounced his way?

Indeed. The word "graphics" is pronounced with a hard G, so it figures that the same would apply to an acronym starting with it - that's especially true when you factor in similar words (give, gift, girl, gig, etc). The guy who invented the term is free to offer his opinion of how it should be pronounced but it is just an opinion and the Oxford English Dictionary stated, quite rightly, that the pronunciation of the word is beyond his control. Language evolves and common usage reigns supreme.

[(Account no longer active)]

"jif, as in jigabyte."

Easy.

[Kriz]

This is news.

[The Laughing Man]

"jif, as in jigabyte."

Easy.

Not sure If troll....

[francescob]

Jood to know!

[McKay]

"jif, as in jigabyte."

Easy.

And Jiggawatt.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

i'll keep pronouncing it wrong then. it just sounds better as gif rather than jif. gif, as in, 'gift'

doesnt the G stand for Graphic? not Jraphic, right?

[Torolol]

Gi -> Ji ?

i wish to have a new Jirlfriend.

[lnmnky]

Next you'll be telling us that P.N.G is meant to be pronounced "ping"....

hmm......what?... the creator says it already is...? oh.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Next you'll be telling us that P.N.G is meant to be pronounced "ping"....

hmm......what?... the creator says it already is...? oh.

I pronounce JPG and PNG by simply stating the letters (i.e. J-P-G, P-N-G), as to me it sounds wrong to say jay-peg or ping.

[ANON86364]

As you're well aware, for every rule there is an exception. Here are just a few:

Gift

Git

Gig

Gimp

Giddy

Gill

Give

Girl

Girth

Gizmo

Girder

The point is that the Oxford Dictionary accepts both pronunciations, so anyone pronouncing it with a hard G is perfectly correct. It doesn't really matter what the inventor of the word intended, it comes down to how it is used. Language evolves over time and it's perfectly understandable for people to pronounce it with a hard G given how other similar words are pronounced. Most people will see it as "gift" minus the T.

PS - It's worth bringing up another "rule", the famous "I before E except after C". It was widely taught as an easy way to spell words yet the sheer number of exceptions meant that it fell out of usage and is now rarely taught.

There are exceptions to most rules in English but there are guidelines to avoid the language being a complete clusterf***. The real question is whether GIF is a word in and of itself. It is, and therefore the guidelines should apply. There are exceptions as in the many words that are being repeated in this thread but those are already written in stone. If we are to debate the correct phonetics to a relatively new word, why would we purposefully ignore how it should be pronounced?

Following basic English would tell you GIF is pronounced with a hard G as in "gift".

Also, I would like point out the seemingly snide attempt to use my exact words to completely contradict me without anything more than "he said, he said" when in fact your comment is not correct at all.

I accept that both pronunciations can be used. It should be well noted however that at least GIF with a soft G is backed up with something other than loose proofs such as "other words are exempt therefore I think this should be too" or "Graphics starts with a hard "g" therefore GIF should as well". The latter completely ignores that "graphics" is a "g" followed by an "r" and GIF is spoken as a full word in and of itself.

[Growled Member]

I'll call it what I want and he can call it what he wants. We both are happy. :)

I say gif.

[-Himanshu-]

Always been calling it "Jif".

[theyarecomingforyou]

There are exceptions to most rules in English but there are guidelines to avoid the language being a complete clusterf***. The real question is whether GIF is a word in and of itself. It is, and therefore the guidelines should apply. There are exceptions as in the many words that are being repeated in this thread but those are already written in stone. If we are to debate the correct phonetics to a relatively new word, why would we purposefully ignore how it should be pronounced?

You're missing the point. As I already pointed out, there are so many exceptions to the "rule" as to make it meaningless - that's why it is not widely taught. More importantly, the OED officially recognises both pronunciations and has stated that it is beyond the GIF inventor's control to determine how it is pronounced. That means people are correct to pronounce it with a hard G, just as they are with a soft G.

Also, I would like point out the seemingly snide attempt to use my exact words to completely contradict me without anything more than "he said, he said" when in fact your comment is not correct at all.

My statement was perfectly legitimate and backed up by the OED. Your statement was also correct. Your entire argument seems to be predicated on a rule that isn't enforced, isn't widely known and isn't accurate.

I accept that both pronunciations can be used. It should be well noted however that at least GIF with a soft G is backed up with something other than loose proofs such as "other words are exempt therefore I think this should be too" or "Graphics starts with a hard "g" therefore GIF should as well". The latter completely ignores that "graphics" is a "g" followed by an "r" and GIF is spoken as a full word in and of itself.

I pointed out countless examples of worked beginning with G-I to support my point and shall repeat them, as you clearly seem to have ignored them. There's: give, gift, gill, gig, git, girl, girth, etc. The word "gift" is strikingly similar to "gif" and is pronounced with a hard G.

The English language isn't based on rigid rules and absolutes - it evolves over time and is based on common usage. Frankly, I couldn't care less how you pronounce it, nor that you choose to cling to meaningless rules. I pronounce it with a hard G, as does everybody else I know.