Regional pronuncation?

Helenahhandbasket · April 2013

Two weeks ago I was in NC for work. On the last night we were in town, my co-workers and I stopped for a quick bite at a small Greek restaurant.

On the menu were Gyros-- of course-- however printed on the menu was a little blurb that said something like Gyro was actually pronounced year-oh (or something like that).

I have never heard this pronunciation-- and neither had any of my co-workers. At every Greek restaurant I have ever been to, when I order a Gyro, I say jy-roh, as do all of the waiters and waitresses at those restaurants. I think if I called a Gyro a year-oh, my friends and family would assume I was having a stroke.

So I wonder-- is this a regional pronunciation, or is this the actual correct Greek pronunciation of Gyro? I feel quite a bit dumb asking this, but please indulge me.

If it makes a diff, we live/ work in the NY metro area.

Libby1978 · April 2013

gy?ro

/'yero/

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mben1119 · April 2013

Its "year-oh" but everyone where I live says jy-roh.

NotSharknado · April 2013

Pfft:
It's yearoh, and now I want one for lunch.

Mouth is watering.

FrickandFrack · April 2013

I say jyrow

sevans1975 · April 2013

And now I'd like one for lunch. The cucumber sauce is soooo yummy.

NotSharknado · April 2013

I know it's year oh but I pronounce it gear oh.

Helenahhandbasket · April 2013

Well don't I feel silly!

missyishere · April 2013

Pfft:
It's yearoh, and now I want one for lunch.

Samesies, and lucky for me, we have a restaurant that ser

Helenahhandbasket · April 2013

Pfft:
Damn you for bringing up gyros!

ktshoff · April 2013

Pronounce it year-oh in South Carolina.

Random: Everytime I hear Enrique Inglesias', " I Will Be Your Hero" I sub Hero with Gyro!

bearfootz · April 2013

I always said gee-ro, DH always says guy-ro. The Greek guy I work with would be furious.

GrayGhost13 · April 2013

I live in Florida, and we call them year-ohs here.

LaurelBee · April 2013

Team yearo!

LaurelBee · April 2013

Estwd2:
Around these parts (Metro DC) you would be given the stink eye and corrected by any wait staff at a Greek restaurant f

TheProfiler · April 2013

how about eating american foods so you don't have to worry about foreign words

argonne · April 2013

It's definitely "year-oh". It's not a regional thing. It's the correct pronunciation. Gs in greek are usually pronunced as Ys, but a little more guttural.

kwitt22 · April 2013

It's not regional its Greek. I am greek and was raised to year-o. However EVERYONE I know who is not Greek says Gy-ro.

TheProfiler · April 2013

mbenit4:
I hear gear ro a lot and very little gy ro. Never yearo but we're often wrong.

well u do live in the a

Littledeer84 · April 2013

There is a resturant here (King Kong) that has a jingle on their tv and radio ads to tell us how to say it. I am singing it in my head:

"King Kong, not gy-ro, year-oh."

mgrulke · April 2013

I have heard it so many different way, Year-oh, Guy-ro....

gnomemom · April 2013

I think the Greek pronunciation is year-oh. I live in the Midwest and I've heard year-oh, jeer-oh and jy-roh, but the people who actually serve them call them year-ohs.