The conversation about the correct way to pronounce the word pecan continues. This time the folks over at Dateline NBC got in on the action. After much debate in their office, they took to the streets to see what the people had to say.
Pecans on Dateline: How do you pronounce “pecan”?
First, let us put the question as to whether the pecan is a nut to rest. Yes, it’s a nut. In fact, pecans are tree nuts like cashews, pistachios, walnuts and almonds. The one unique difference is that pecans are the only tree nut native to America. You can find them growing wild as well as on cultivated farms across the 15 states where pecans are grown.
Depending on which of those 15 states you’re in and the strength of the accent of the person saying it, you’ll hear the word, pecan, pronounced in many different ways: puh-CAHNs; PEE-cans; PUH-cawns; puh-CANs, PEE-cahns or PEE-cawns. We even had a man from New Zealand tell us they should be pronounced PECK-uns. We respectfully disagree with that one.
But one thing we all agree on is “there are as many ways to use a pecan as there are ways to say it.”