FI-nance or Fi-NANCE: How 100 Experts Pronounce the Word

Abstract

The word spelled f-i-n-a-n-c-e has two common pronunciations, one accenting the first syllable and the other accenting the second. English etymology, however, provides no indication of which pronunciation is preferred and which is more commonly used. Given that language evolves from human usage and not from the dictates of a government agency or private entity, this paper addresses the question of which is the preferred pronunciation by examining the distribution of pronunciations by top finance scholars. Specifically, we review videos posted on YouTube by 100 distinguished finance scholars, rated as highly productive researchers, Nobel Laureates, and members of editorial boards of top journals. We collect biographical data on these scholars and conduct univariate and multivariate logit analyses. Results indicate that 55% accent the first syllable and 45% accent the second. Emphasis on the first syllable is distinctively non-US, as indicated by the fact that almost 69% of scholars who favor that pronunciation received their bachelors’ degrees outside of the US, while about 60% of scholars who accent the second syllable received their bachelors’ degrees from US schools. The effect is somewhat stronger when accounting for English-speaking countries other than the US, with this result largely driven only by India, which slightly prefers the US pronunciation. The overall preference for accenting the first syllable appears related to the fact that the profession is becoming increasingly populated by scholars who from outside the US, suggesting that accenting the first syllable may someday become the dominant pronunciation.