Forum: ell.stackexchange.com
Tags: <meaning><pronunciation><internet>
Title: How is "pwned" pronounced, and what does it mean?
Question: Following the  new Troy Hunt web site ,  http://haveibeenpwned.com/ , I'm curious to know exactly what it means and how to pronounce it. Since it seems there are many jokes about it, I don't want to make a mistake with my English colleagues.  Troy gives us the following definition:   Pwn: from the verb own, as meaning to appropriate or to conquer,  compromise or control.

Answers:
sents: text: As you may know, pwn is a typo for "own."
text: In the context of a game, "own" is slang for "completely defeat the opponent; win by a large margin.
text: " The word "pwn" is only used for "own" in this sense.
text: Because it originated on the internet recently, is slang, and has no obvious pronunciation, there is no uniform pronunciation for "pwn.
text: " I have personally heard native English speakers argue that it should be pronounced like pawn, like pone, and like own.
text: My personal preference is pone; that seems to be the funniest pronunciation.
text: It is safe to say that this word is quite slang (though not vulgar).
text: Many, perhaps most, English speakers will not understand you if you use it.
text: On the other hand, it's ubiquitous on the internet.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/3488/hunter
score: 22
sents: text: The way I've always heard it pronounced is poned (it rhymes with own)
text: It is typically used in internet talk and means owned.
text: i.e. I pwned him in a game of Battlefield
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/2512/akkatracker
score: 3
sents: text: Well, lots of people pronounce it 'poned', 'pawned' or even owned.
text: It is a typo for 'owned'.
text: I prefer 'pone' but to be honest, there is probably no right way to say it.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/18834/user18834
score: 2
sents: text: Something no ones mentioned is that the p may not be a typo even if it is next to the O on the keyboard.
text: Within the letter
text: P you have the vertical line of an "I"
text: joined with an "O".
text: I'm guessing the original intent
text: was that it was a trick leet shortening of "I owned".
text: The pronunciation I think is as everyone else has said , poned.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/91251/Rich
score: 1
sents: text: it was a hacker culture term years before gamers got hold of it.
text: i heard it back in the late 80s / early 90s.
text: pwn is a typo because on standard english keyboards the o and the p are right next to each other, the i is on the other side of o, not between them.
text: i pwned that system...
text: meaning you got an exploit that gave you total access to do what you wanted with it.
text: pronounced, it's either just own or pone (like corn pone, not p-one).
text: pronouncing the p was kind of a n00b thing to do.
text: definitely not 1337.
text: pwn, pwns, pwn'd, pwnage, pwnzor look up leet-speak
text: it's older than you think!
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/106745/von
score: 1
sents: text: I have heard it pronounced "poned" (sounds like "owned").
text: Since it originated as a typo for "OWNED" I'd say that pronunciation makes the most sense.
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/74019/JIM
score: 0
sents: text: I prounounce it as p-eu-nd, or pew-nd.
text: (a word that sort of rhymes with pew-nd: ew)
answer_details: author: ell.stackexchange.com/users/94855/ko x
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Many believe this should be pronounced "poned" (sounds like "owned"). Variations include poned, pawned or owned.
It shoud sound like 'owned', though multiple options exist.