How do YOU pronounce "thespian"?

[yasmina]

A local talk radio host persists on referring to Hillary Clinton as a thespian, meaning actress. OK, I can understand that given her change in personalities recently.

However, he pronounces it "thezbian", rhyming with lesbian. I learned it and have always pronounced it as "thesspeean", which is backed up by dictionary.com:

Thes·pi·an /ˈθɛspiən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[thes-pee-uhn]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thespian

Are there people who pronounce it as this talk person does?

Or is he just deliberately mispronouncing it to imply, without specifying, the incorrect urban legend that HRC has an "alternative" lifestyle, in spite of her marriage?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am sure he is inferring she is a lesbian.

 

[crazyforgoofy]

Does that talk show host happen to have a conservative bent? Shame on him.

 

[yasmina]

Does that talk show host happen to have a conservative bent? Shame on him.

Yes, he certainly does, although he's not as far out as Rush, Hannity, or other national talking heads. He is somewhat moderate in some of his positions, some of which I actually agree with.

That's why I think he is deliberately mispronouncing it.

I'm sure any other posters here from the Pittsburgh region can figure out who I'm referring to.

 

[Beth76]

I pronounce it "thez be an", but there's not much discernible difference between the b and the p sound. There's not a stress on the "pee" sound. I've never heard it any other way.

 

[sassyat30]

Thess pee an here.

 

[MM27]

From dictionary.com lěz'bē-ən thěs'pē-ən
based on those pronunciations, the two words do rhyme. That's always the way I've said thespian.

 

[Carl]

I also pronounce it thes pee un.

 

[Charade]

A local talk radio host persists on referring to Hillary Clinton as a thespian, meaning actress. OK, I can understand that given her change in personalities recently.

However, he pronounces it "thezbian", rhyming with lesbian. I learned it and have always pronounced it as "thesspeean", which is backed up by dictionary.com:

Thes·pi·an /ˈθɛspiən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[thes-pee-uhn]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thespian

Are there people who pronounce it as this talk person does?

Or is he just deliberately mispronouncing it to imply, without specifying, the incorrect urban legend that HRC has an "alternative" lifestyle, in spite of her marriage?

Thess pee an

BTW, which radio show?

 

[yasmina]

Thess pee an

BTW, which radio show?

Honzman, on KDKA

 

[Charade]

Honzman, on KDKA

Never heard of him but I do like Quinn and Rose out of Pittsburgh.

 

[Hedy]

Rhymes with lesbian.

 

[yasmina]

Never heard of him but I do like Quinn and Rose out of Pittsburgh.

Having met you primarily on political threads, why am I not surprised?

Honestly, I've tried listening to them on occasion, but they really turn my stomach. IMO, they are Rush wannabes, and doing a bad job at it.

I like Fred Honsberger most of the time. While he is a republican, and major supporter of GWB, he recognizes that Bush has not been perfectly correct in every one of his decisions. He is also a big supporter of teachers, and refuses to put up with the standard arguments during teacher strikes. The only thing I don't like about him is that sometimes he gets rude and arrogant, if a caller is being particularly stupid, or argumentative to the point where Fred can't get a word in.

 

[helenabear]

I say thess pee un, but I have heard it many time as thez be un

 

[JessicaR]

I picked a.

How do you pronounce the -sp- sequence in "thespian" (the word meaning "actor")?
a. [sp] (as in "desperate") (79.13%)
b. [zb] (rhymes with "lesbian") (19.33%)
c. other (1.55%)
(10525 respondents)

http://www4.uwm.edu/FLL/linguistics/dialect/staticmaps/q_116.html

 

[LadyyRedd]

It's Thes-pee-an considering that the father of Theatre is Thespis and that's where it comes from!

Kimya

 

[Linzybrooke]

It's Thes-pee-an considering that the father of Theatre is Thespis and that's where it comes from!

Kimya

Yep, Thespis is the original winner of the Best Actor award at the Festival Dionysus in Ancient Greece.