To pronounce "nihilist" this way?

[PitilessYank]

I say it like this:

"Nee-hilist"

But in polling my friends, 9/10 say "neye-hilist."

Which sounds more correct?

Neye-(h)il-ist

ny - elist

9/10 are right, I'm afraid!

Here's the proper pronunciation.

You can say 'ni' but not 'neee'

but just carry on saying it how you like OP.
I find those who correct other people's pronunciation a right pain (yes brother I am looking at you).
For example for 'ego' I would say 'egg-oh' and found it really annoying when brother would correct me and say 'eeeg-oh' actually!'
I think that if I say egg-oh, well then, it is egg-oh.

Neye-(h)il-ist

Do you think your way of saying it is correct, or do you just prefer to say it incorrectly?

But Brat, you know there has to be a standard pronunciation, don't you? And that ee-go is the standard? Why are you annoyed with your brother?

For example for 'ego' I would say 'egg-oh' and found it really annoying when brother would correct me and say 'eeeg-oh' actually!'

You're right - if you're speaking Latin.

(I always want to say et ketera, too...)

It's neyehilist.

" You're right - if you're speaking Latin."

Greek actually ...

I really thought that I was saying it correctly! I thought that there were two correct pronunciations.

My mother was a bit pretentious, so my guess is that she said it that way because she thought it sounded "classy", or something like that.

PitilessYank how would you pronounce annihilate?

actually i get annoyed with my brother, since you ask, as he would correct anything I said.
If I said 'garridge' he would say 'gahrazzzhhhh' actually'
If I said 'en-velope' he would say 'aaahhhhhhnnnvelope' actually'
and so on...repeat ad nauseum.

it would even continue into words...(U vs non U)

anyway egg-oh is fine.

"I always want to say et ketera, too...)"

As long as you don't say excetera or use the abbreviation ect.

Oh, well, John Goodman says it like that, PROOF POSITIVE!

HerbWoman:

Thanks for axing* me that-

I would say "ann-eye-hilate"

*woops, I meant "aksing"

bold fail

@BratFarrarsPony:

Have never heard anyone pronounce ego as "egg-oh". The word ego is commonly used - don't you wonder why others don't pronounce it your way, if, as you must think, your way is correct?

Greek actually ...

Sorry, I'm such a barbarian.

As long as you don't say excetera or use the abbreviation ect.

The horror! (Although I do rather like &c.)

When I was at school a school inspector pronounced Desdemona with the stress in the first syllable. Poor fool. Lol

...on the first syllable.

" - don't you wonder why others don't pronounce it your way, if, as you must think, your way is correct? "

some say egg -oh some say eeego...it is not that important is it? I mean I am not going to get into an argument about it or anything...

I only started saying egg-oh after spending some time in Greece and learning the language.

The inspector was being v v pretentious, I think, but we had fun with Othello from then on.