As the coronation of the British king is due tomorrow, millions of Britons across the UK are busily preparing their celebration picnics. A deliciously classic treat to take along is scones with their buttery and delicious texture, but the debate rages – which pronunciation of the word ‘scone’ is correct?
To find the definitive answer, the MailOnline turned to everyone’s favorite AI bot, ChatGPT. The chatbot suggested that the pronunciation of scone in British English is generally rhymes with “gone” or “awn”, with a long ‘O’ sound, whereas in American English it rhymes with “cone” or “own”, with a shorter “O” sound.
A 2016 YouGov poll even revealed that most people in the UK pronounce scone to rhyme with “gone”, and this is also the pronunciation that Mary Berry uses. The origins of scones are believed to trace back to Scotland in the 1500s, with some Scots people using the third pronunciation ‘skoon’, and rhyming it with “moon”.
Not only can scones settle the pronunciation debate, but they can also end the dilemma of cream or jam first. The @VeryBritishProblems Twitter account asked ChatGPT whether scone-eaters should place the jam or cream on first and it gave a thoughtful reply. The bot suggested that you should follow the Devon method, which puts the clotted cream on the scone first and then the jam on top as the cream acts as a base and allows for a smoother taste.
So, for a delicious classic treat, follow the Devon method and put the scone pronouncing debate to bed – it rhymes with “gone”!
