Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

How do you pronounce the word “scone”?

How do you pronounce the word “scone”?

  • Total voters
    42
Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. Apologies if this seems like a slightly strange poll, but yesterday, my family and I were having afternoon tea for my older sister’s birthday, and as is typical with afternoon tea, we each had a scone. As we were eating our scones, a discussion ensued about the pronunciation of the word “scone”. Now while I appreciate that everyone pronounces words differently, most will pronounce this word in one of two ways; most either tend to pronounce the word as “Sc-on”, with the “on” sound added onto the end, or they tend to pronounce it as “Sc-own”, with the “own” sound added onto the end. So I’d be keen to know; what side do you sit on in this very British debate? How do you pronounce the word “scone”?

Personally, I’m a “Sc-on” person. When I was a young child and spoke more formally (I had a really posh British accent as a child… like the sort of stereotypical posh British accent you often see in foreign media), I was a “Sc-own” person all the way. I also pronounced “bath” as “bar-th” and “castle” as “car-stle” back then, for some idea…

But I seem to have drifted into “Sc-on” as I’ve grown older and lost some formality from my speech… don’t get me wrong, I’m still thoroughly accentless, and have quite a stereotypical British accent, but I’ve definitely gained a more informal twang as I’ve aged, and “Sc-on” is now the way I pronounce that particular word.

Also, the joke about scones being the fastest cakes only makes sense if you pronounce it “Sc-own”. For those who have no idea what I’m on about:
  • Joke: What is the fastest cake?
  • Punchline: S-gone… (scone)
That nice joke only works with the “Sc-on” pronunciation unless you pronounce “gone” very differently to how I do…

Interestingly, though, most of my family seemed to agree on it being “Sc-own”…

But I’d be keen to know; how do you pronounce the word “scone”? Is it “Sc-on” or “Sc-own” for you? Or is it an entirely different pronunciation altogether?
 
I pronounce it Sc-on, as one of the traitorous North.

Legend has it, that working class Northerners, wanting to sound posh, started using the Queen's way of pronouncing Scone, which is officially sc-on.

Hearing all the Northern monkeys using sc-on, the southern well-to-dos couldn't believe it, so changed the way they said it to the "posher" sc-own - not realising they were forsaking their Queen's English for the old scutty common Northern way of saying the word.

I don't know how much urban mything there is there, but the Queen definite uses sc-on.

Of course, if you're a colonial, it's "biscuit". I usually defend the American words used (as they tend to be the original), but this one is indefensible.

Of course, the real argument is "jam or cream first"? Well, it's not an argument, it's jam first. Otherwise, you're essentially the baked good eater equivalent of Stalin.
 
“S-Con” around friends,
Around my more typically more London based family I say “Sc-own”


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Another American, another vote for sc-own. Though I posit that “cone” is pronounced like c-own, and so scone should follow the same fundamental pronunciation. Or am I not posh because I say “c-own”?
 
furie said:
Of course, the real argument is "jam or cream first"? Well, it's not an argument, it's jam first. Otherwise, you're essentially the baked good eater equivalent of Stalin.
Click to expand...

If you're using clotted cream, then cream first. It's thicker than jam - jam runs, cream doesn't. The cream provides a better base for the jam to sit atop.

If you're using whipped cream, I don't want to know you.
 
Sandman said:
Weirdly, I seem to use both interchangeably.
Click to expand...

+1 for this.

Can't even explain it. Sometimes depends on who I'm around. Sometimes I'll just switch it up unknowingly. Sometimes I'll change my mind mid-conversation (although, conversations I have about scones are sadly not that common, so that isn't the norm).
 
RcTmix said:
Another American, another vote for sc-own. Though I posit that “cone” is pronounced like c-own, and so scone should follow the same fundamental pronunciation. Or am I not posh because I say “c-own”?
Click to expand...
But gone is pronounced the opposite way to cone, so that doesn't really work. And done is pronounced another way again...

I imagine Americans would generally go for scown as they have rounder vowel sounds in general and occasionally change pronunciations to fit that. Similar to them pronouncing the name Craig as Cragg (bad example). Scone just sounds more natural as scown in an American English accent probably.
 
Dan? said:
If you're using clotted cream, then cream first. It's thicker than jam - jam runs, cream doesn't. The cream provides a better base for the jam to sit atop.
Click to expand...
You devonshire heathen.

A nice full spread of jam covering the scone, then a big dollop of clotted cream on top. Proper Cornish, just how the queen used to have it.
 
Scon for me. And jam first. Although had a pretentious one at a garden centre lunch the other day, had rarebit on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top