How is the new ‘Omicron’ COVID variant pronounced? No one knows.

JIMMIE JOHNSON: HEALTH EXPERTS, WORLD LEADERS, AND NEWS ANCHORS ALL FLUBBING HOW TO SAY THE LATEST COVID-19 VARIANT. 

DR. MARIA VAN KERKHOVE: “Today, we are announcing B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern named (Oh-my-kraan) Omicron”

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: “It’s called the (ah-me-cron) Omicron.”> 

NEWS ANCHORS: “This new auh-muh-oh-my-cron variant. Oh-Moh-Mi-Cron. The rapidly spreading Oh-My-Cron variant.” 

JIMMIE: DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE OMICRON?

EVEN MERRIAM- WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY IS CONFUSED. 

THEY OFFER TWO PRONUNCIATIONS AN AMERICAN ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION AND A BRITISH ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION. 

I’VE EVEN SEEN PEOPLE ON TWITTER JOKINGLY CALLING IT OMARION. 

IT’S THE NAME OF THE FORMER LEAD SINGER OF THE GROUP B-2-K. 

BUT ON A SERIOUS NOTE, THIS VARIANT HAS BEEN A CAUSE OF CONCERN FOR HEALTH EXPERTS TASKED WITH TRYING TO TRACK AND SLOW THE SPREAD OF COVID GLOBALLY. 

I FIRST REPORTED HOW THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECIDED ON ITS NAME AND OTHER VARIANTS. 

YOU CAN CHECK OUT THAT REPORT BY SEARCHING “AH-MUH-KRAAN” OMICRON ON OUR WEBSITE. 

SO BACK TO OUR INITIAL QUESTION, SETTLING ON A COMMON PRONUNCIATION. 

AS A NEWS ORGANIZATION, WE’VE DECIDED TO GO WITH AH-MUH-KRAAN AND WE’RE GOING TO STICK WITH THAT UNTIL AN OFFICIAL DETERMINATION IS MADE. 

HOW ARE YOU PRONOUNCING IT? AH-MUH-KRAAN, OH-MUH-KRAAN OR OMARION? 

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.