How do you pronounce LED?

Question

When talking about a light-emitting diode, how do you personally pronounce the acronym LED?

1.  Each letter separately, as in ELL-EE-DEE.
2.  As one word LED, rhyming with bed and sounding like the toxic soft metal lead.
3.  I never use the acronym and always say all the words light-emitting diode.
4.  Something else (please describe), or variable between the first 3 depending on the context of the conversation or however the wordy noises fall out of my face at that moment.

Note that I might cross-post this in the "Words & Wordplay" and/or the electronics or science categories if there isn't enough response here in the Polls section.

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1

Anonymous · Answer

Number 1.

fizixx · Answer

1. Each letter separately, as in ELL-EE-DEE

It is never pronounced as a whole word, other than what it stands for [light-emitting diode]. If you were talking to techies and saying 'led'...as in 'lead', they'd think you're nuts.

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I pronounce each letter separately. As in ELL-EE-DEE

shara · Answer

Number 1. Exept When I say it I think of it as L-E-D not ELL-EE-DEE

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Ell-ee-dee. Who says led??

Rick407 · Answer

Light Emitting Diode, referred to us in the electronics industry as either spelled out letter by letter or as pronounced (sounds the same as the soft toxic metal)  Either way is fine with us.

How do you pronounce LED?

7 Answers