Why is pizza pronounced "pete-za"?

Question

or peitza whatever you know what I mean.

Answer 1

It's an Italian word, and in Italian two Z's are pronounced like that.

Answer 2

In New Haven, they call it apizza

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Use of the term "apizza" is mostly confined to the Italian-American enclaves of southern Connecticut, and is likely derived from the local Italian-American dialect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apizza

Answer 3

Because it's Italian spelling.. so if you like pizza you have to call it with its name xD

Answer 4

Because of the double "zz" (compare to the city of Pisa), and because it probably comes from the Greek word "pitta".

Answer 5

Yup, italians are crazy, but awesome :B

same as with their C, it's pronounced CH, and their LL *wich in spanish is pronounced like a rough Y* is pronounced like a normal L

and GH is like a GU

lol

Answer 6

because the zz is pronounced like ts...

Answer 7

it's not unless that's just the way you say it.

Answer 8

Pizza (coming from italy) is an italian word.

And in italian, the zz makes a tz sound

so it comes out like peteza

if we really wanted to gringo it...we could call it pisa

Answer 9

It's italian spelling.  

Answer 10

From a web site.

z is sometimes voiceless, like ts is bets.

Italian English

pizza pizza

negozio store

marzo March

Venezia Venice

grazie thank you

dizionario dictionary

z is sometimes voiced, like ds in beds.

Italian English

zero   zero

zebra zebra

pranzo lunch

zelo        zeal

romanzo novel

zanzara mosquito

Answer 11

Actually, the Italian 'zz' is pronounced as if it were spelt 'dz' in Englsih - hence ''peed-za.'

Answer 12

Only Anglos pronounce it that way. Italian is Peas-za. Another note of interest: Until recently, Italians considered them a way to use leftovers. Similar to our sandwich.