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4444mv Posted 11 years ago
Vocabulary

wi-fi

Hi everybody! If the word wifi means wireless fidelity,  why is it pronounced wa?fa? and not wa?f??
Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

People don't necessarily know or care where the "fi" part comes from. Also, in English, words do not commonly end with the "i" vowel sound that is heard in "fidelity". It would be awkward to pronounce; rhyming "fi" with "wi" is easier and sounds more harmonious.

— GPY

  • People don't necessarily know or care where the "fi" part comes from.
  • Also, in English, words do not commonly end with the "i" vowel sound that is heard in "fidelity".
  • It would be awkward to pronounce; rhyming "fi" with "wi" is easier and sounds more harmonious.
  • The pronunciation is probably modelled on that of "hi-fi", which predates "wi-fi".
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4 Answers
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People don't necessarily know or care where the "fi" part comes from. Also, in English, words do not commonly end with the "i" vowel sound that is heard in "fidelity". It would be awkward to pronounce; rhyming "fi" with "wi" is easier and sounds more harmonious. The pronunciation is probably modelled on that of "hi-fi", which predates "wi-fi".
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GPYPeople don't necessarily know or care where the "fi" part comes from. Also, in English, words do not commonly end with the "i" vowel sound that is heard in "fidelity". It would be awkward to pronounce; rhyming "fi" with "wi" is easier and sounds more harmonious. The pronunciation is probably modelled on that of "hi-fi", which predates "wi-fi".
Thanks GPY! I
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Apparently, the name Wi-Fi was modelled on Hi-Fi, which stands for High-Fidelity, but the Fi in Wi-Fi doesn't really stand for anything.
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Blue JayApparently, the name Wi-Fi was modelled on Hi-Fi, which stands for High-Fidelity, but the Fi in Wi-Fi doesn't really stand for anything.
Thank you, Blue Jay.
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