How Do you Pronounce ‘Scone’? This Map Of Ireland Has Finally Settled The Debate

Sconn or skown? WHICH IS IT?

Screen Shot 2016-12-07 at 12.21.58

A scone and a cuppa, there is no greater joy.

Until, of course, you tell someone about said scone and cuppa and they correct your pronunciation. There’s been a long-held debate in this country on how to say the word ‘scone,’ with some pronouncing it ‘sconn’ to rhyme with ‘gone’ and others pronouncing it ‘scohhn’ to rhyme with scone.

So which is it? Well, it turns out both are correct, and it’s all down to the received pronunciation in the area you’re from. If you’re from Northern Ireland or Ulster you’ll most likely say ‘sconn,’ while if you’re from Munster or Connacht it’s ‘scohhn.’ If you’re from the Midlands, it’s something of a lottery, with a 50/50 divide.

The above map, posted to the Reddit thread MapPorn, clearly shows the divide based on legitimate* language research. 

The same patterns apply over in the UK, where Scots and Welsh scone-eaters go for ‘sconn’ while most of England is on the ‘scohhn’ team.

So there you have it. Now that that’s cleared up, time to relax with a scone and a cup of tea, we reckon.

How do YOU pronounce ‘scone’? It’s a contentious issue. Tell us in our poll, below, or tweet us @stellarmagazine!

*We hope.

Tags: