The GIF turned 30 on Thursday and after three decades of existence, many still have no idea how it’s pronounced.
On June 15, 1987, Steve Wilhite, an inventor at CompuServe, designed the first format that compressed animations into moving images. Hence, the very first GIF, also known as a graphics interchange format, was born.
The GIF as we know it, mini social media moments captured from our favorite TV shows, movies and more, has sparked a yearslong debate on how to enunciate the word. Wilhite tried to clear up the confusion by insisting that it should be said with a soft ‘g’ when he accepted his Lifetime Achievement honor at the 2013 Webby Awards.
Text appeared on the stage explaining, “It’s pronounced ‘jif’ not ‘gif.'”
Potato, potato, tomato, tomato, right? We dropped by Bryant Park to see which pronunciation New Yorkers prefer.
