Forum: english.stackexchange.com
Tags: <pronunciation><abbreviations><latin><initialisms>
Title: How are "i.e." and "e.g." pronounced?
Question: How are  i.e.  and  e.g.  pronounced?

Answers:
sents: text: i.e. stands for id
text: est (Latin), which means " that is ".
text: You use it to link in a deeper explanation about something.
text: Pronounce it "eye - ee".
text: e.g. stands for exempli gratia (also Latin), which means " for example ".
text: You use it to link in an example of a more generic term.
text: Pronounce it "ee - jee"
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/61/Chris Dwyer
score: 276
sents: text: For i.e. I usually say "that is", occasionally "eye-ee".
text: For e.g.
text: I always say "for example".
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/30/Edward Tanguay
score: 122
sents: text: When I was in college, one of my philosophy professors instructed us to use translated English for abbreviated or initialized latinisms when reading a text aloud.
text: I would agree that in most cases you should speak the translated English rather than speaking the letters of the initialization.
text: i.e. is used for clarification and should be spoken "that is" .
text: While most English speakers will recognize the meaning of "eye ee" when spoken, saying "that is" is clearer.
text: e.g. is used for providing one or many examples and should be spoken "for example" .
text: While i.e. and e.g. are relatively common, other abbreviated or initialized latinisms, such as viz. , are less frequent and their English translation should certainly be provided when reading from a text that includes a latinism.
text: For example, take the following quote from Plato :
text: Perfect wisdom has four parts, viz., wisdom, the principle of doing things aright; justice, the principle of doing things equally in public and private; fortitude, the principle of not flying danger, but meeting it; and temperance, the principle of subduing desires and living moderately.
text: When reading that quote aloud, the translation for viz. should be provided.
text: Incorrect:
text: "Perfect wisdom has four parts, viz , wisdom, the principle..."
text: "Perfect wisdom has four parts, videlicet , wisdom, the principle..."
text: Correct: "
text: Perfect wisdom has four parts, namely , wisdom, the principle..."
text: "Perfect wisdom has four parts, that is to say , wisdom, the principle..." Speaking the translation for initialized and abbreviated latinisms provides greater clarity for the audience than simply speaking the initials or the latin.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/2516/Ben McCormack
score: 54
sents: text: Just pronounce the letters: "Eye eee" and "eee gee".
text: I have never met anyone who actually said "id est" and "exempli gratia", which is what they really stand for.
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/223/mmyers
score: 24
sents: text: I can't believe this wasn't addressed in the Oatmeal Comic
text: but I usually say the letters or replace it with "for example" (and now, thanks to the comic, I'll replace it with "in other words" instead and use e.g. when I mean "for example").
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/228/tooshel
score: 11
sents: text: and as for the pronunciation of the Latin: i.e. = id est e.g. = IgzemplI gra:tI (NB a: is pronounced like the "a" in car or can't) but remember - as has been mentioned here; it's much better practice to use the English long-forms in speech: i.e. - "that is" / "or" e.g. - "for example"
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/1979/Adam FG
score: 9
sents: text: Latin abbreviations i.e. =
text: that is, such as, or "in other words" e.g = for example et.
text: al. =
text: and others (i get a lot of strange looks when I use this) NB. =
text: nota bene;
text: Note well (and this one as well
text: ...
text: I have no idea why this one is capitalized) etc. =
text: et cetera ("and other things", or "and so forth") and yes
text: when reading aloud I just use the translation to avoid confusion Pronuciation: just say the letters for most cases; except etc.
text: and et cetera are pronounced the same.
text: et.
text: al.
text: is pronounced et all
answer_details: author: english.stackexchange.com/users/25291/djm
score: 8

Summary of the answers:
The answer to this question will be subjective. Some people will pronounce the letters as they are read, whilst others will replace "i.e." with "that is" and "e.g." with "for example".
For "i.e." say "eye-ee" but it is better to say "that is" and for "e.g." always say "for example".
The answer to this question will be subjective. Some people will pronounce the letters as they are read, whilst others will replace "i.e." with "that is" and "e.g." with "for example".
These are pronounced "eye - ee" and "ee - jee". In most cases you should speak the translated English rather than speaking the letters of the initialization, so "that is"  and "for example". No one actually says "id est" and "exempli gratia", which is what they really stand for.
i.e. and e.g. are pronounced  "eye - ee" and "ee - jee", respectively. However, while most English speakers will recognize the meaning of  "eye - ee"  and "ee - jee" when spoken, saying  "that is"  or "for example" is clearer.
Many English speakers would simply read out these acronyms phonetically. However, there will be people who claim that it is more correct to say aloud their translated English meaning, such as "that is" or "for example".