How do you pronounce the word “peony”?

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Electronic_Radish699@reddit

I’m from Kansas as well and for the longest time I thought it was pee-oh-nee. I don’t know if it’s a regional thing.

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milkandsugar@reddit

Have always pronounced it PEE-uh-nee

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jakerooni@reddit

This is the only correct answer. I have worked at a garden center for 15 years and if I hear one more customer say pee-OH-nee I will scream. Again.

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I was literally just venting to my fiance about this minutes ago. I said I'm not sure why but in my four seasons at a garden center, I've never had so many different people come up and ask me for peeOHnees. Not like I've never heard it before but, jeez. They say it more like peeYOHnees haha. I've about had my fill. Beautiful flowers but glad they're on their way out for the season. 🫡

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jakerooni@reddit

Yes! The “YOH” was a good descriptor! I’m glad too. All the sons and daughters buying pee-YOH-nees and not knowing why they’re not in full and glorious bloom at the time of purchase. GIVE ME THE SLOW DAYS OF SUMMER

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Chickadee831@reddit

My coworker called them pie-nees. Ugh

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No-Article7940@reddit

😂 Start screaming...it's the way my family says it! We also apparently say warsh for wash although we don't hear it. We're from pacific north west but I guess some of the Pennsylvania Dutch from prior generations stuck? 🤷🏻‍♀️

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SparkleSelkie@reddit

I can still hear the New Jersey in my voice that was passed down the generations 😂

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wieldymouse@reddit

Same

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Intrepid_Practice956@reddit

Growing up in Nashville, we accented the Pea...but my mom is from n. Ill. ,

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myfourmoons@reddit

Oh thank goodness. This is what I say but I never knew if it were correct lol

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DancingFlamingo11@reddit

Same and I’m in KS.

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HairyPotatoKat@reddit

Oh weird, the (very) rural area of KS I grew up, everyone said pee-OH-nee.

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blondechick80@reddit

Same in MA. I have heard the alternate pronunciation one other time by a woman on social media. I think she is midwest too

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ten_before_six@reddit

I'm in the upper midwest and pronounce it PEE-uh-nee.

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Blue_Star_Child@reddit

Lower Midwest and this is correct.

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BeholdBarrenFields@reddit

PEE-uh-nee in Tennessee

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cmcrich@reddit

Same, New England. I have heard the other pronunciation, but Martha Stewart says PEEuh-nee so I figure that’s correct.

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lellenn@reddit

Same in Alaska

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twxf@reddit

Same in California

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muddymar@reddit

Same in Michigan

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tsukiii@reddit

Agreed

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GreenBeanTM@reddit

Ditto

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_HeyGFY_@reddit

Same here

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oakenfairy@reddit

Same

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tinytacomuncher@reddit

yes

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oldfarmjoy@reddit

Yep!

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TechnicalDot9@reddit

I’m right there with you OP.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Yay!

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MsE0@reddit

I pronounce it PEE-uh-nee, but everyone else I've ever heard say it aloud irl says PEE-nee, with no middle syllable. I hate it and refuse to say it that way.

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TheRealThordic@reddit

Emphasis on the first syllable for sure.

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jeromebernstein@reddit

Think you put the emPHAsis on the wrong sylLAble 😜

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MsOnyxMoon@reddit

Omg no one ever gets this quote when I use it in real life!

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Bright_Ices@reddit

Seriously?! That’s sad.

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mama_ste@reddit

It’s from a Brian Regan bit, isn’t it?

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Bright_Ices@reddit

Oh, don’t start this again! No, it’s from antiquity (maybe). Old people remember their parents saying it. It goes wayyyyyy back. But it’s a popular one to quote, apparently through the ages.

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MsOnyxMoon@reddit

To be fair, I went to see the movie when I was 13 back in like 2003. So the people in my circle just don’t get it!

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Bright_Ices@reddit

What movie? My parents and friends say this all the time. I learned it as a young child.

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MsOnyxMoon@reddit

I hope I’m not making this up but I think it was Austin Powers: Gold Member. I know for sure it was Mike Myers who said it.

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Bright_Ices@reddit

Yeah the saying wayyyyyy predates whatever that movie is.

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raingirlkm@reddit

My dad used to quote his dad as saying that all time when Dad was growing up. So it goes back to the 1950's at least. (Not claiming my grandfather coined the phrase, but he was certainly using it in the 50's.)

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Bright_Ices@reddit

Pre-SNL for sure.

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Intrepid_Practice956@reddit

I first heard it in the mid-70s from MY dad.

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cappotto-marrone@reddit

It’s a SNL skit.

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Temporary_Pie2733@reddit

Funny, I knew it was a quote, but thought I was blanking on which movie I knew it from. Turns out, I’ve never even seen this movie, so I guess I only know it from people quoting it? (Or does Mike Myers use it elsewhere as well?)

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Bright_Ices@reddit

It’s a super old joke. Predates Austin powers, SNL, etc. it’s not *from* anything.

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NaturalOne1977@reddit

It's from the movie View From the Top starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike Myers (and Christina Applegate and John Travolta's wife...don't remember her name. She died. Not in the movie, but in real life).

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Bright_Ices@reddit

The saying became popular in the '50s, so no, it’s not from a 2003 movie. The clip another commenter posted might be, but the dating is from much longer ago.

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NaturalOne1977@reddit

I absolutely promise you the quote is in the 2003 movie and is, therefore, from that movie. Regardless of its origin, it IS from the movie. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." is a quote from Jesus Christ, over 2,000 years ago. Many, many, many people have said it since and all of them would be an accurate source for the quote. "Speak not of that which you do not understand." is a quote from the Redditor, NaturalOne1977. You should heed the advice and repeat it, thereby being both a source and a disciple of the quote. 😉

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Bright_Ices@reddit

You should write a clear comment, and read others’ comments more carefully 😘

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MsOnyxMoon@reddit

Yes that’s the name of it!! I got it mixed up with Austin Powers. It’s been driving me crazy all day because I couldn’t remember what movie I got it from.

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raingirlkm@reddit

That movie is from 2003. My grandfather, who died in the late '60s, used to say this frequently. I grew up hearing my dad quote his dad.

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Spirited_Ingenuity89@reddit

I like to add “you have a good vocaBULary but” before the whole emphasis/syllable part. Because English is a syllable stress language, changing the stress of a word can make it sound unintelligible.

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halfscaliahalfbreyer@reddit

Turkish isn’t an its so hard for my English brain to listen to for long — it sounds so fast!

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Fantastic-Pop-9122@reddit

My hubby says this to me often.

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otetrapodqueen@reddit

Yes!! I only use it with my sister normally because she gets it!!

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Prestigious-Fan3122@reddit

Thank you, Harry. X0 Sally

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Guinnessron@reddit

An absolute classic.

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Street_Breadfruit382@reddit

I’m from Northern Minnesota. My family says pee-Oh-nee like you. Oddly, I mix them now. If I’m talking about a singular one it’s still the way I was taught. If I say the plural, I’m much more likely to say it the “right way.” 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Disastrous_Ad1260@reddit

I would stress the first syllable, but still use o, not uh. PEE 'O knee . N. Illinois with grandmother yard full of them.

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Impossible_Bet9726@reddit

All my elders always pronounced it like you. We are Kentucky mountain folk.

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OakandInkGames@reddit

This is one of those little things where I don't think I have an accent, but then probably do. For years after I moved every server would stare at me for a minute when I ordered ball-sahmic dressing and then ask balSAMic? Now I'm realizing I pronounce peoneys PeeOhKnee. \*sigh\*

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PeorgieT75@reddit

I pronounced it like you until my wife corrected me. I looked it up to make sure.

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Farmwifehw77@reddit

Minnesotans all pronounce it peeOHnee but ive lived in like 8 other states and everywhere else was always PEEuhnee.

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lakeswimmmer@reddit

I pronounce it like you do. My dad's side are from Kansas and grampa grew beautiful peeOHnees

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Lab-Rat-6100@reddit

When I was a kid there was a flower shop called “Leoni’s Peonys” and my dad used to joke and ask “it LeeOHni’s PeOHnys or LEEoni’s PEEony’s?” Your question brought a happy memory of my dad and a smile. Cheers!

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

I love that

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Agreeable_Winter2327@reddit

Me too

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Agreeable_Winter2327@reddit

This made me smile, my father always said, "peeneee". He didn't like peeneeees, he stepped on his mothers and grandmothers as a young child, more than once. Apparently it was traumatic, I was not allowed to plant them in their gardens.

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coltflory5@reddit

I don’t

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17Girl4Life@reddit

I live in the south and say PEE uh knee. But I’ve been “corrected” by people a few times

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TheReadyRedditor@reddit

Pee a knee.

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AmayaRinTsuki@reddit

I say pee-uh-nee. I have one tattooed on me and my artist pronounces it pee-oh-nee.

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thomsenite256@reddit

PEE-uh-nee

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Water-is-h2o@reddit

Where I’m from, the pronunciation is identical to “penny”

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Weird. Must be on the opposite side of my state lol

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bryku@reddit

PEE own E

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This-Reindeer6063@reddit

Pee oh knee

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Tsquare43@reddit

Pee-O-Knee

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Important_Fishing_15@reddit

Heard it both ways. I just call them stinky ant attractors

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Leona_Faye_@reddit

SEK native here--your version is the one I know well. It also sounds less like an obscure legal maneuver from some long-forgotten court.

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Dry-Cancel-3168@reddit

Some people still call them "pineys" which turns out to be bc they were spelled paeonies years ago. Personally I say pee'ohknees

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Bright_Ices@reddit

Wait, like a pine tree is piney? Or more like p-knee?

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burnednotdestroyed@reddit

I'm so glad to see this because I'm of the PEE oh nee pronunciation and I once had a customer named Peony who pronounced it PIE oh nee and it's bothered me for years. She was from New Jersey.

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OranginaOOO@reddit

My ancient aunt, born 1912 called them pineys. She was proud of her garden. We had to take a tour every time we visited her in Pennsylvania.

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CJgreencheetah@reddit

My dad's family are the only people I've ever met who call them pineys. I always wondered if there was anyone else who said it that way or if it was just another weird family quirk. My mom and my siblings and I all say PEE-uh-nee

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Agreeable-Ice-2000@reddit

My mom had a cousin named Peony-prounounced-Piney

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enemydarksock@reddit

Yes! Some people in my family say it that way and we’re in southern IL near St Louis. I’m undecided in my pronunciation but definitely not pineys lol.

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epikurious@reddit

My mother who was from central Kentucky pronounced them pineys also.

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Junior_Ad_7613@reddit

My mom (from CA) says it the way you do. She also says “warsh” for wash (none of the rest of us do), so I think she picked up a few linguistic quirks from my MO-raised grandpa.

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Ill_Industry6452@reddit

My grandma called them “pie nees” I usually pronounce it the 2nd way. Mine are blooming. 😊

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Secure-Ad8196@reddit

I think I say pee knee tbh

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Majesticb3ast69@reddit

https://youtu.be/kOZY7e5XN6s?si=EmRW83luN4ADHZxu I say it just like this guy haha

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Ravenclaw_for_life@reddit

I had to scroll WAY TOO FAR to finally see a reference!

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

🤣🤣

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Astronaut6735@reddit

I'm 55 years old, born and raised in the USA, and have never heard of this.

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beans8414@reddit

Pee uh nee

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natetrnr@reddit

Funny how these incorrect pronunciations crop up. Never heard it said that way. But, then, my wife pronounces zinnia as ZEE-nya. I will correct her but that pronunciation just won't go away.

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Intrepid_Practice956@reddit

Huh. ZEE nya, to me, is Xenia Ohio

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natetrnr@reddit

Zackly.

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Astro_Birch_317@reddit

My mom's family said it like you do. They were from Michigan, largely the UP but some from just across the bridge, too. Otherwise, I think everyone I know says it PEE-uh-knee.

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mostlylurkly@reddit

My Granny in the mountains of NC pronounced it pee-OH-ny

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Exotic-Day-1082@reddit

My family in PA says “PEE-nee. I say PEE-uh-nee

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GotMeAMuleToRide@reddit

I've always said PEE-uh-nee. My family is from the South and they always said pee-OH-nee.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Ok then my mom’s pronunciation makes sense. Southern MO is very southern lol

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lunabluestocking@reddit

I learned only long after I'd moved from NW Ark (just across the border from your mom's neck of the woods) that the region around there is technically "the Upland South." Believe it or not, I didn't really think of it as "the south" at all while living there. Moved away after HS to a place 180 degrees different culturally and gradually realized yep it's southern LOL. It definitely IS different than other kinds of "the south" no question. But yeah: the Upland South. Distinction worth learning about, if interested in such stuff.

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Sensitive-Issue84@reddit

My mom says pee OH nee. She is from east coast I've only heard it spoken that was here in California. It's probably like "pecan" people say it differently. It's all the same thing.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Yeah I say “pee-con”. I hate “pee-Kan” lol

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No-Article7940@reddit

Family always called it "pee-can" when I got married hubby said pee cans go under beds it's a "peh-con" so now I say "pee-con" 😜

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JellyfishFit3871@reddit

If I grew it in my back yard, it's a pee-can. If you brought it, I don't care, I'm just here for the pie!

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JellyfishFit3871@reddit

(and my recipe is better than yours!)

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Pointe97@reddit

I offer the hidden third pronunciation of pecan, from the granddaughter of a pecan: PEE-Kahn.

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Ok_Membership_8189@reddit

I’m from the northeast and it has always been PEE-oh-nee.

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Quick_Cow_7987@reddit

Yep, East coast here and that's how I've always hears it pronounced.

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Auntie_Venom@reddit

I grew up in StL and live in Jo Co KS now. 👋🏻 Hi from Olathe! We were just having this conversation, I’ve always called it PEE-uh-nee, but my sister calls it Pee-OH-nee. We grew up in the same house… Not sure where she got saying it like that from.

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hx87@reddit

I wonder if it's a specifically highland South/Appalachian pronunciation, because I've been all around the lowland South and only ever heard "PEE-uh-nee".

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ihaveananecdote4u@reddit

Have lived in Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, NW Missouri, Ohio, Alaska, and now SW Missouri. Raised by Kentuckians. Have only heard it pronounced “pee-OH-nee” in SW Missouri.

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TheMrsH1124@reddit

Georgia, I say PEE uh nee. But my family is from Texas. . . Maybe that makes a difference? My grandma had the Southernest accent you ever did hear, though.

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QueenSqueee42@reddit

I'm from Texas originally, and I've only ever heard the "PEE-on-ee" pronunciation, fwiw

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TheMrsH1124@reddit

How fascinating 🤣

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leeloocal@reddit

Yeah, my family is from all over the South, and they pronounce it like that.

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Early-Shelter-7476@reddit

Yep. Former MIL (thus, ex) from MO pronounced it pee-OH-nee. Always PEE-oh-nee in my head. Tomato/tomato 😉

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virgo_fake_ocd@reddit

I'm Southern, and I say it like your family.

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-RedRocket-@reddit

And I know folks in Appalachia who pronounce the capital of Austria as "vye-EE-nee" but that doesn't make them right.

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Sir_Auron@reddit

I've lived in Appalachia most of my life and never heard that one. Growing up when accents still existed in meaningful numbers vye-IN-nah was common and yes obviously this was only in reference to canned sausages.

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Ok_Resort_489@reddit

From Alabama and SAME. I still call them "vye-IN-nah sausages" to be funny lol

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GotMeAMuleToRide@reddit

My family always pronounced it like that, even though I chose not to. Some kinds of right and wrong aren't really all that important.

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Ok_Resort_489@reddit

Grew up in AL, lived in TN, GA, and SC and have never heard anyone pronounce it pe-OH-nee.

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TheBugsMomma@reddit

Middle-aged Southerner here. Everyone I know says “PEE-uh-nee.”

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kitchengardengal@reddit

I'm on West Georgia, and folks here say pee-OH-nee, including my gardening friends. My grandma from Southern Ohio did, too. I was raised in California and central Ohio and Northwest Indiana, and it was PEE-uh-nee.

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Sparkly8@reddit

I’ve only heard PEE-uh-nee, but I’m pretty sure I originally read it as pee-OH-nee and still find that pronunciation prettier.

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thejadsel@reddit

I'm from the corner of Virginia that joins up with WV/KY/TN/NC. And I also never heard PEE-uh-nee until well after I was an adult living elsewhere.

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Practical-Basil-3494@reddit

That's just your family. I'm from the Deep South. I've never heard anyone pronounce it that way.

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GotMeAMuleToRide@reddit

Probably so. My wife's family also says pee-OH-nee.

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lunabluestocking@reddit

I grew up in the Ozarks (not far from where your mom did. I heard it pronounced like you say, my whole childhood: pee-OH-nee. Fully grown and long moved away to the west coast before I heard "PEE-uh-nee" which is all I hear now. It sounds so wrong and I hate it. Dumb, I know. Can't help it! Will always be peeOHnees to me.

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ToggleMoreOptions@reddit

I also had to correct my 10 year old from pee uh nee to pee oh nee. Its part of life

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Zapitago@reddit

I have never seen this word before but apparently everyone else has.

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SevenBlade@reddit

Pee'nee

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lindini@reddit

We also called them pee-nee bushes when I was a kid.

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AllSoulsNight@reddit

I pronounce it PEE-oh-nee. A former co-worker pronounced it pee-nee. I had no clue what she was talking about!

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Mandiferous@reddit

It's not wrong. It's one of those words that have different pronunciation based on location. I've lived all over and have heard both pronunciations.

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sgtm7@reddit

I have never used that word before in my life, and had to Google search to find out what it was. I would pronounce it the way it looks pee-oh-nee.

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FroggiePenguin2021@reddit

I always say it your way! The others be danged

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warrenjt@reddit

The second way you listed, PEE-uh-nee. Short O, not long, emphasis on the first syllable. To throw a monkey wrench into things for you, some of my older family members say “piney.”

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BookHouseGirl398@reddit

PEE-uh-nee, from the St. Louis area. I can't remember what my mom said. She was originally from the Bootheel area, but we lived near STL since 1983, so her accent changed a lot, anyway.

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Jclo9617@reddit

I don't. It's never come up, and if it ever does I'll probably just play it safe and say "flower"

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cuentalternativa@reddit

I’ve always pronounced it Pay-Owny

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Admirable-Cobbler319@reddit

I'm from NC and have mostly heard it pronounced the same as you. pe OH nee.

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therealdrewder@reddit

Can't say I've ever seen the word let alone pronouce it

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inbigtreble30@reddit

Emphasis on the first syllable. I've never heard any other pronunciation, and they're my favorite flower so I've talked to a lot of people about them and watched a lot of videos about varieties/care.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

They are gorgeous. Ours are blooming currently.

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inbigtreble30@reddit

They're so beautiful and so low-maintenance and so cold-hardy lol, literally the perfect plant. On a related note, I wonder if the cold-hardiness is why I've never heard the pe-O-ny pronunciation. If it's a southern thing and they don't grow as well in the South, I guess most growers and educators would use the northern pronunciation.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Yes we had a bad freeze that zapped our tulips and irises, but the peonies are coming in strong!!

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hairball45@reddit

I've heard it pronounced piney as well.

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Khajiit_Has_Upvotes@reddit

I have heard both. A few people in my family say it either way. I usually say PEE-uh-nee but an occasional pee-OH-nee slips out.

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Capital-Designer-385@reddit

Outlier here: growing up, my family called them Pineys like pronounced like pine tree. Whether that’s regional or just their attempt to not be misheard, I’m unsure but it’s seceral benches of family I know it’s supposed to be pee-uh-nee, though.

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hippymom77@reddit

In my 67 years, much of it living at a botanical garden in Indiana, I've never heard anything other than PEE-uh-nee.

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TheJokersChild@reddit

I'm used to *pee-*a-knee, or just *pee-*knee.

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rawbface@reddit

PAY-uh-nee

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oarmash@reddit

Pe uh nee from Michigan.

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AnitaIvanaMartini@reddit

***PEE’*** -uh- **nee**

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Current_Poster@reddit

If you said the letters "B.N.E.", it would be very close to how I say it.

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PrognosticPeriwinkle@reddit

Born and raised in NY. I learned PEE oh nee. Moved down south, where I am always corrected with pee OH nee.

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Mondschatten78@reddit

I've been saying it PEE-uh-nee my whole life (nearly 50). Then I met someone from Indiana who swore up and down it's pronounced PIE-uh-nee.

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GlitterFallWar@reddit

I used to call it "PEE-oh-nee", but then I came upon a peony vendor from New Jersey called "Peony's Envy," laughed hysterically, and committed to calling them "PEE-nees" (skipping the middle syllable) in solidarity with that brilliant business name.

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PlanningMyEscape@reddit

Meh, I say it like you too, OP. Folks know what I mean.

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S_Wow_Titty_Bang@reddit

My mom in KY says pee-OWN-yee, I say PEE-uh-nee in VA.

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MrSnrub87@reddit

Isn't it weird how that can happen. I grew up in a house where everyone pronounced salsa as selsa. Drives me fuckin nuts. It's salsa goddamnit, get your freaking ears checked, Ma

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dinkeydonuts@reddit

They’re marigolds!

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1337b337@reddit

Pee-oh-nee

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WiseQuarter3250@reddit

tip visit dictionary.com look up the English word in question. Under the entry with it's definition, is the written phonetics, but in many cases there is also a 🔈 speaker icon. If you tap it, it'll play a sound file of it being pronounced. one note, it's standard American pronunciation but there are regional dialects that could be different.

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SpinachInquisition@reddit

I went to college in southern Indiana and they said “Piney” bush. Blew my mind.

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Budgiejen@reddit

Peony Park! Everyone in eastern Nebraska knew how to pronounce that

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Bright_Ices@reddit

When my family moved to Utah it took my mother months, if not years, to realize that the “pee-OH-nees” people were talking about are just “PEE-uh-nees” said with an Utah accent. Probably not exclusive to Utah, but definitely a feature of the accent here. I say say it the way my parents do, emphasis on the first syllable.

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IvyLestrange@reddit

Pee-uh-knee

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TheCrowScare@reddit

Is this how I find out it isn't pay-OH-knee

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bippityboppityhyeem@reddit

Came here to ask the same! Is it a locality thing? I’m from mid-Atlantic and to my knowledge that’s how we say it lol

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DAS-B00T@reddit

This is apparently how I find out everyone else pronounces the o.

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CJK5Hookers@reddit

If it makes you feel better, this is how I found out this word exists

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InsertDramaHere@reddit

I pronounce it "fl-ow-er".

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devilscabinet@reddit

Yep. I recognize three species of flowering plant: roses, sunflowers, and flowers.

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Listen-to-Mom@reddit

Pee-nee

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Playful_Annual3007@reddit

Pine-y

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szayl@reddit

PEE-oh-nee

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Apprehensive-Pop-201@reddit

I think it's a regional pronunciation. That's the way people here (Arkansas) used to say it.

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BoringPrinciple2542@reddit

P’yoh-nee.

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WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs@reddit

I've always accented the first syllable; never heard it any other way.

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JustAnotherDay1977@reddit

PEE uh nee

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ProfessionalCat7640@reddit

That’s so funny, I’m in Minnesota and have never heard PEE-uh-nee and worked as a contract planting servicer for a number of years. I didn’t ever know PEE-uh-nee was a thing until I saw this thread. You can’t make this stuff up.

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Prize_Consequence568@reddit

Google search 🔍 your post question to find out.

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ProfessionalCat7640@reddit

I’ve never heard it pronounced PEE-uh-nee. I didn’t realize that was such a trigger for people who do. I’m in an area everyone calls it pee-OH-nee and this includes working as a contract annual planting service, working at two different flower nurseries, and working with several green houses. This is really interesting, I didn’t even know others pronounce it PEE-uh-nee.

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Stimperonovitch@reddit

My MIL used to call them pinies. I pronounce them correctly according to this post.

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DemonaDrache@reddit

I grew up MO/KS and learned to pronounce it same as OP.

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Kristylane@reddit

I worked with an absolute lunatic who pronounced it pee-ON-ee.

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-RedRocket-@reddit

PE-o-ny

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Last-Radish-9684@reddit

PEE-oh-knee

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GoodFriday10@reddit

The first pronunciation is common in the rural south. I have had people look at me like I am nuts when I say PEE-uh-née.

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Esmer_Tina@reddit

PEE-uh-nee

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M0rbidly-Obtus3@reddit

From southern Missouri. I've always said it both ways and I don't even blink when I do. I do say Pee-OH-nee more though.

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RedLegGI@reddit

Pee-oh-knee

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Slight-Design7274@reddit

Pee on ya. 😁

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Due_Mark6438@reddit

My inlaws pronounced it piney.

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oneislandgirl@reddit

PEE-oh-nee

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LadySilvie@reddit

Missouri, everyone I knew says "PEO-knee" I lived in both KC and SWMO.

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Wonderful_Shower_793@reddit

I worked with a woman who said pee oh nee. Drove me insane. I’m from Iowa.

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Quicherbichen1@reddit

PEE-uh-nee.

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nchemungguy@reddit

“PEE-nee.”

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Mumchkin@reddit

Pee-on-ee.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

So maybe it’s not regional, just familial?

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Mistletoe177@reddit

We jokingly call them pie-NO-nees, because a commentator for the Rose Parade butchered the pronunciation one time. When not being silly, we call them PEE-uh-nees.

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Guinnessron@reddit

I’m in the Uh camp

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SenseAndSaruman@reddit

Mine successfully bloomed this year and I didn’t know how to say it 😂 I’ve heard both and it’s confusing.

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Automatic-Basket-513@reddit

Out of those I'd say PEE-uh-nee but I usually say PEE-nee

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Lower_Neck_1432@reddit

First syllable. Same for the word "plethora".

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Boopa0011@reddit

I say PEEuhnee and I have actually never heard anyone say peeOHnee before.

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gofindyour@reddit

My brother said pe-OH-nee one time years ago and we still give him shit for it

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Prairie_Crab@reddit

My parents were from Missouri, too, and I say pee-OH-nee. I tried to correct my usage when I found out PEE-uh-nee is more common, then thought oh what the heck! I’ll say it my way. I mean, in some areas they pronounce it “PY-nees,” so it can vary.

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LongOrganization7838@reddit

https://youtu.be/kOZY7e5XN6s?si=mgiiJ4roKZG1HUWp

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Chemical-Mix-6206@reddit

I've only ever heard PEE-uh-nee

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4MuddyPaws@reddit

More like the second one, though I met a landscaper who is from Viet Nam, now US citizen and pronounces it like you. I think some southerners also pronounce it like you.

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MattieShoes@reddit

Always pronounced it correctly. I've never heard somebody pronounce it incorrectly, but I also can't remember the last time I heard somebody say the word out loud. Unless you're into gardening or flowers, there's not much opportunity to come across it.

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misagale@reddit

PEA-on-nee

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Fire_Mission@reddit

emPHAsis on the second syLLABle.

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john_hascall@reddit

pee OH knee (central Iowa). Also pee-KUN (and just to aggravate most of you: AH-mond )

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Sweet_Cinnabonn@reddit

I grew up in Utah saying it like you. And then I moved and learned how other people say it, and I switched.

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LastCookie3448@reddit

I always hear people saying pea-own-ee but I tend to pronounce it pee-uh-nee.

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OJSimpsons@reddit

Pee on knee

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ubiquitous-joe@reddit

Please don’t.

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WorldsMostDad@reddit

Yes. Pee on compost instead.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

🤣

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DontReportMe7565@reddit

I dont know that I've ever said it out loud before.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

You should plant them if you have a chance. They are gorgeous

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Kiki-Y@reddit

It has two syllables for me: pee-knee.

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DjinnaG@reddit

I’ve never said it out loud, so no idea what would actually come out of my mouth, but in my head I hear it as your version. My mom is from Kansas, so maybe it is regional and I picked up her version, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard her say it, either. Not a flower that we ever grew, and too small to show up in bouquets, so it never really came up

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Loisgrand6@reddit

Actually the blooms can get quite large, perfect for a bouquet

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Yes, the only problem with peonies is that they only bloom for a short time.

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Urfubar12@reddit

Pee-own-knee

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thloki@reddit

PEA-knee. Probably incorrect in my Chicago dialect.

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sean8877@reddit

My little peony

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Winter-Warlock8954@reddit

Pee-uh-knee. But the pee-uh phonemes kind of merge and it sounds closer to peeny.

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SnooPineapples280@reddit

PEE-uh-nee

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Far-Wall436@reddit

Pee ony

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the_owl_syndicate@reddit

I'm like you, I thought it was pee-OHN-nee for the longest time, until I heard it pronounced in a video. I take the stance of, don't shame people for mispronouncung words they learned from reading.

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TokyoDrifblim@reddit

Only ever heard pee-uh-nee

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river-running@reddit

PEE-uh-nee. Virginia.

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Ambitious-Schedule63@reddit

Always heard "pee-OH-nee" in Virginia.

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Loisgrand6@reddit

Me too

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I_amnotanonion@reddit

Same

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Loisgrand6@reddit

Pee oh nee but I’ve heard it pronounced the other way

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GenericUsername19892@reddit

Pee On Ee

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Joseph_of_the_North@reddit

Pea knee

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RawAsparagus@reddit

pee-OH-nee. Kentucky.

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People_Do_This@reddit

Same here in West Virginia!

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theegodmother1999@reddit

pee-uh-nee but i definitely know some rednecks who say pee-oh-nee

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

Haha. But I think pee oh knee sounds nicer lol

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rojoshow13@reddit

I think I have always said pāy-ō-nē. But it's not a word that has come up in the last 35 years so 10 year old me was probably just wrong.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

We have them in our yard and they are currently blooming so it reminded me of this situation lol

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rattlehead44@reddit

I just realized that I don’t think I’ve ever said that work out loud. When I’ve read it, I’ve read it as “Pee-Oh-Nee”

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CleverGirlRawr@reddit

This is exactly what I was going to say. I have neither said nor heard the word. But when I read it, I think Pee-oh-nee.

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twxf@reddit

They're not commonly grown in a lot of the big urban areas of California because they need more winter chill, but it's typically still pronounced PEE-uh-nee in horticultural circles out here. I've never heard anyone say pee-OH-nee.

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PuppySnuggleTime@reddit

You’re just noticing a regional dialect. Dialects aren’t incorrect. They just might not adree with the prescribed pronunciation. If your mother said that word and you or anyone else listening to her understood it, then she successfully communicated. Understanding that fat is the difference between a grammarian and a linguist.

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oldladylikesflowers@reddit (OP)

True. Nobody ever misunderstood me when I pronounced it that way. Nobody corrected me, either.

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sgfklm@reddit

In the south we say "pee-OH-nee." In the north they say "PEE-uh-nee." It's a regional thing. Neither one is wrong.

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mollyologist@reddit

I'm from Missouri and I pronounce it the way you do and ALSO think the other way sounds silly and wrong. :)

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Constellation-88@reddit

PEE oh nee.

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blackcrowfly@reddit

My mother (suburban gardener) has always said pee-uh-knee and that's all I remember hearing or saying for 30 years. Then my sister-in-law (rural farm kid) said pee-OH-knee one day and the world tilted on its axis. There's only 50 miles between these two realities but it's like different worlds. It's pee-uh-knee btw.

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TheWholeMoon@reddit

PEE uh knee. I had never heard “PeeOHknee” until my very southern friend said it one day. For fun, find a “PeeOHknee” person and ask them how to say Vienna sausages.

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bearfootin_9@reddit

My dad was from NW Missouri, he and my grandparents said PEE-uh-nee

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mostlygray@reddit

PEE-uh-nee. That's the only way I've heard it said but I've always livee in the upper midwest/great planes area. It may be different down south.

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manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit

pee-uh-nee, because that's how it was pronounced in the barbie fairytopia movies

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DivaJanelle@reddit

It's regional. I'd get made fun of in my home state for calling it the "proper" pronunciation.

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imzadi111@reddit

Know the correct pronunciation but still revert to the incorrect because.it is what I grew up hearing. Also use Pfingstrosen (Pentecost Roses) often beccause the best peonies I ever had were in Germany and the name coincides with their bloom time.

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moonchic333@reddit

PEE-uh-nee is the correct pronunciation but I used to think it was pee-OH-nee too lol and I am from MO.

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freedux4evr1@reddit

From Texas, PEE-uh-nee.

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old_Spivey@reddit

Pee-on-knee

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FormicaDinette33@reddit

I’ve only heard it PEE oh nee.

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ComprehensiveCat754@reddit

Pee-OH-nee

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Jcamp9000@reddit

Yes the emphasis is on the first syllable

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VoiceArtPassion@reddit

PEE-oh-nee

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PaperOptimist@reddit

Okie here, my family and I all say it with stress on the "pe" - PEE-uh-nee. I seem to recall that people I've talked to from the Midwest say it with the stress on the "o" - pe-OH-nee.

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_Internet_Hugs_@reddit

I'd only ever read it, and though it was pronounced "pee-oh-nee" until I moved to Utah and a neighbor actually has some in her yard. She pronounced it "pee-uh-nee" and I asked if it was ever said the way I imagined it and she looked at me like I had two heads. So now I say it "pee-uh-nee" Here it's also said all smushed together and quickly. I thought it was three syllables but here it's said in a very fast two: "pee-uhnee".

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