Culture and Lifestyle Quotes and Sayings How Do You Pronounce 'Pecan'? Is it pee-can, puh-kahn, or something else entirely? By Ivy Odom Ivy Odom Ivy is an Editorial Producer for Dotdash Meredith and hosts an array of lifestyle videos. She also authors a bi-monthly recipe column for Southern Living. Ivy has over four years of experience as on-camera talent across multiple platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat, television, and other social channels, as well as extensive producing and editing experience for TikTok. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 14, 2023 Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann Fact checked by Khara Scheppmann Khara Scheppmann has 12 years of marketing and advertising experience, including proofreading and fact-checking. She previously worked at one of the largest advertising agencies in the southwest. brand's fact checking process In This Article View All In This Article What Is a Pecan? How Do You Say Pecan? How to Cook With Pecans Other Foods With Tricky Pronunciations Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: KevinDyer/Getty Images Hold on to your hats, folks. While the pecan itself is a tasty, rather unassuming nut, the question of how to pronounce it can rile up even the most mild-mannered of Southerners. This is one divisive pronunciation. How do you say pecan? It's an eternal question, much like "Do you put sugar in your cornbread?" or "Where is over yonder?" Pecans aren't just part of our favorite pies. They're part of the Southern landscape and the fabric of Southern agriculture. You can scarcely have Thanksgiving in the South without a pecan pie, and you can scarcely drive a few miles on the interstate without seeing a roadside stand selling pecans in autumn (the same stands that sell easier-to-pronounce peaches in summer). So how do you pronounce pecan? It may just be a matter of taste. What Is a Pecan? Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are a species of hickory tree in the genus Carya (from "karyon," which is "nut" in ancient Greek). Pecan trees are native to Mexico and the southern United States. Top producers of pecans include Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas, though you'll find heirloom pecan pie recipes up and down the region from the Texas Hill Country to the Gulf Coast, through Tennessee, Virginia, and Maryland, too. There's not a Southern state the pecan hasn't permeated, which makes our culinary landscape slightly crunchier—and leagues more delicious. How Do You Say Pecan? To the question at hand: What accounts for the differences in pecan pronunciation? It's not a regional difference or a state difference because if you visit any neighborhood in the South, you're sure to find next-door neighbors who pronounce the word differently. The way we see it—or hear it, in this case—there are six widely used pronunciations for the word pecan. (But if you have others, we'd love to know.) In no particular order, they are: puh-KAHNpuh-CANPEE-canPEE-kahnpee-KAHNpee-CAN Whew. That's quite a few options, though, of course, countless more possibilities are out there. Which pecan camp are you in? Do you pronounce the rounded vowels of puh-KAHN or the smiling enunciation of PEE-can? Now, this isn't scientific. We don't have full-fledged polling data to back it up, but we did ask the Southern Living office, and pronunciations here are rather varied. Of those polled, 10 people say "puh-KAHN", four say "PEE-can", and two say "puh-can" or "puh-CAN," a hybrid of the former pronunciations with two similarly stressed syllables. Although to avoid the pronunciation issue, you could always just call them Carya illinoinensis, though, admittedly, not everyone will be in the know. Also, "Carya illinoinensis pie" isn't nearly as catchy to say as "pecan pie" (or as easy to spell). No matter which way you say it—or which way you slice it—pecans make perfect pies, and they provide plenty of conversation once you hear a differing pronunciation. That's the beauty of pecans. We all have our own inflections and emphases, but they're delicious all the same. There are a million and one ways to say it, and we wouldn't have it any other way. How to Cook With Pecans No matter how you say pecan, eating them is a little more universal. From pecan pie to pecan tassies to fudgy pecan brownies, there’s always a place for pecans on the Southern table. Try these recipes: Butter Pecan Scones Cinnamon-Pecan Twists Red Cabbage with Cider and Pecans Fresh Fig, Pecan, and Orange Crostata Pecan Soup Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast Other Foods With Tricky Pronunciations Pecan isn't alone. There are plenty of other foods with tongue-twisting pronunciations. Some vary depending on where you live in the South, like praline, while others are just hard to say, like Worcestershire sauce. And if you aren’t from the region, mispronouncing boudin balls or Conecuh sausage is a sure sign you’re just visiting. Say them how you want, whether they're roasted, covered in chocolate, or baked into a pie, pecans have always been one of our favorite Southern harvests. Have you thanked a pecan farmer lately? The next time you're savoring a slice of pecan pie, remember to thank your local pecan producers—then ask them how they pronounce it. The answer may surprise you. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Southern Living is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Gardener Plant Toolbox. Carya illinoinensis, hardy pecan. National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Pecan production.