Nintendo Reveals How To Pronounce "NES" The Right Way

It's an old but passionate debate: how does one properly pronounce Nintendo's original "NES" console? Some have guessed "nezz," while others go with the softer "ness" pronunciation. Others avoid the topic altogether by simply calling it "The N.E.S," but Nintendo has weighed in on the topic. Turns out two of those three things are wrong, at least from the company's point of view.

The Nintendo Entertainment System, often simply called the "NES," is nothing more than a nostalgic memory for many, but the name lives on as an iconic — if not divisive — part of the video game world. If you're among the group of people who prefer to pronounce NES as a single word rather than by each individual letter, you'll likely have come across someone who pronounces it differently.

Who is correct? The group calling the console "ness," at least according to Nintendo, which says it uses that term within the company. The matter was settled by a description within the Japanese version of the game Warioware Gold. The museum section includes an image of the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicon), with a description noting the proper "ness" pronunciation.

A screenshot of the image was shared on Twitter by Kyle McLain. With that said, it should be noted that Super NES (SNES) advertisements in some regions, including the US, specifically used the phrase "Super N-E-S," naming each letter individually. One would be fair in saying that, too, is an official pronunciation.