Debate over new Covid variant Omicron’s pronunciation begins  

Even as the world is tensed over the emergence of a new Covid variant Omicron, a debate seems to have begun over its pronunciation.   

The development comes as the BBC pronounced it as 'OM-mi-cron'. It gave heavy emphasis on the first syllable in pronouncing the Greek word. It is the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet.  

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On Sunday, a well-known historian and classicist Mary Beard criticised the corporation's choice of emphasis on Twitter.   

Beard said, “I am NOT a technical ancient linguist. But I do find it a bit odd that the BBC News is saying omicron with the stress on the first syllable."  

In a letter, a Telegraph reader said that 'clearly' no-one at the BBC seems to have studied Greek at school. He said that the word should be pronounced 'oh-my-cron' "with the emphasis on the second syllable".  

Also Read: Europe had Omicron cases before South Africa even identified it

In response, BBC's news channel editor Jess Brammar joked on Twitter by saying, "Guilty as charged, I did not do Greek at school.”  

According to the language experts, it may be more accurate to pronounce Omicron as the BBC has chosen to do.  

A scientist from Oxford and native Greek speaker, Professor Aris Katzourakis, told the Telegraph that people should try to say "oh-me-cron, with the emphasis on the o".  

(With inputs from agencies)