The debate over how to pronounce 'scone' has been settled

Scone or scone? Scone or scone? It’s a question that’s plagued man since the dawn of, erm, baked oatmeal goods – a problem rooted in the British class war, with afternoon tea often threatening to turn into all-out fisticuffs over which pronunciation is posher.

Everyone can calm down and lower their dukes, as a new YouGov research has settled the debate once and for all.

According to YouGov, 51 per cent of Brits pronounce “scone” it to rhyme with “gone”, with 42 per cent rhyming it with “bone.” Unsurprisingly, region and social class are major factors (the remaining 7 per cent answered “neither” or “don’t know” – clearly they’ve never seen things kick off while the jam and cream’s being spread).

People living in the north (60 per cent) and Scotland (80 per cent) use the “gone” pronunciation, while people in the Midlands (56 per cent) and London (50 per cent) use the “bone” pronunciation – although there does seem to be some variation amongst southerners, depending on regional dialect.

But the class split isn’t quite what you’d think though.

While 55 per cent of the middle class use the “gone” version and 40 per cent rhyming it with “bone” – supporting the idea that it’s the posher of of the two – there’s a pretty even divide between the working class, with 46 per cent (“gone”) versus 45 per cent (“bone”).

So next time someone accuses you of poshing one off at the tea table, you can tell them what’s what when it comes to scones. Or should that be scones?