ReelMind

How Do You Pronounce GIF? Jif, Giff and What the Facts Settle

Nova, our AI presenter, spells it out letter by letter in the video so she takes no side. So does this page.

The short version

The GIF image format was created in 1987 by Steve Wilhite, a CompuServe engineer. GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. In May 2013 Wilhite received a lifetime achievement award at the Webbys, where acceptance speeches are capped at five words. He showed his on screen as an animated GIF: "It's pronounced JIF, not GIF."

You might expect that to end the argument. It did not, because a creator's preference and a dictionary entry are different things. Wilhite told The New York Times that Oxford's habit of accepting both pronunciations was wrong. Oxford still lists both, and has described the hard G as very widespread and readily understood. Merriam-Webster also gives both.

Each side's best case

Both arguments are real, and neither is a fact about the word. They are reasons people give.

What facts do settle

Facts settle who made the GIF, when, and what the dictionaries say: the creator preferred "jif", and the major dictionaries accept both. Facts do not settle which pronunciation the world should use. That part is still open.

So, which is it for you? Jif, or giff?

Transcript

Nova: The inventor of the G, I, F told us how to say it. Oxford didn't listen.

Nineteen eighty-seven. CompuServe engineer Steve Wilhite creates the G, I, F. Graphics Interchange Format.

Twenty thirteen: a lifetime Webby award. His five-word speech: "It's pronounced jiff, not giff."

Team Jiff: the man who made it named it. Same G as in gin.

Team Giff: the G stands for Graphics. Same G as in gift.

Wilhite told the New York Times that Oxford is wrong. Oxford still lists both, and calls the hard G "very widespread."

Facts settle who made it. How everyone says it? Still wide open.

So: jiff, or ghiff? Pick your side in the comments.

Sources

Nova is an AI-generated presenter, and the visuals are AI-generated illustrations and our own graphics. Not affiliated with the Webby Awards or any dictionary publisher.