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Letter 'Z' pronounced as 'Izzard' : how widespread and where?

English Language & Usage Asked on June 8, 2021

I read at Which is the correct way to refer to the letter "Z" — "Zee" or "Zed"?
that the letter Z is pronounced :

‘Izzard’ (/ˈɪzərd/) in Scottish English.

as opposed to zed or zee.

Question: Is this really the case in the modern day or is it archaic? Do people really use this in Scotland or elsewhere?

I ask as I’ve never heard anyone use Izzard in my life (and I live not a million miles from Scotland). Regarding the history, the American Heritage® Dictionary says:

Word History: The curious and charming word izzard, meaning “the letter z,” is practically limited to certain fixed expressions in American vernacular English, such as from A to izzard, “from beginning to end,” and not to know A from izzard, “not to know even the most basic things.”

The English lexicographer Samuel Johnson mentions the word izzard as part of his attempt to explain the sound of the letter z in the grammar of English he placed at the beginning of his Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755: Z begins no word originally English; it has the sound, as its name izzard … expresses, of an s uttered with a closer compression of the palate.

In Johnson’s time, a variant name for the letter z, uzzard, was also in use. Izzard and uzzard are related to zed, the usual name of the letter z in British English. In Scottish English, z was also once known as ezed, and this form gives us a clue to a possible origin of izzard.

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4 Answers

From OED: (I, British (England) English speaker, agree with the remark "archaic or dialect.")

izzard, n.

Pronunciation: /ˈɪzəd/

Forms: Also 1500s ezod, 1600s yzard, (aphetic zard), 1600s– now dialect uzzard, 1800s izzet; izzart.

Etymology: apparently in origin the same word as zed: compare the dialect izzet, uzzit, and the form ĕˈzed, now or formerly in Scotland for zed; also Languedoc izeto, the letter z

archaic or dialect.

Old name for the letter Z.

First recorded:

1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 36 X with y. ezod. & per se.

Latest record:

1837 J. Moultrie Poems 305 In those days not a soul knew A from Izzard.

Correct answer by Greybeard on June 8, 2021

I am from India and here is my two pennies worth on the topic. It is a very commonly occurring mistake here in India to mispronounce zee/zed as (i)zehd which I feel is kinda close to izzard. Now I am not too sure if the two are connected. But there sure is a similarity in the pronunciation.

Answered by The Jester on June 8, 2021

It is very common to pronounce Z as izzard in Hong Kong.

Answered by Matt on June 8, 2021

From my (limited) experience, British English uses "zed" and American English uses "zee". Izzard is a term I've seen used occasionally but it seems to be relatively outdated.

Answered by javaman45 on June 8, 2021

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