[jpfromlondon]

"Note that ψ (psi) is pronounced sye and ϕ (phi) is pronounced fye."

This is the American pronunciation I take it? During my undergrad physics and mathematics modules I was instructed by a handful of Europeans (including a charming old Russian for theoretical) who stressed the importance of preserving the pronunciation I'd learnt in classics at school - "(p)See" and "(p)Fee" respectively.

Love the site.

[chaidhat]

Thank you very much. I never knew of those pronunciations, I will read up on them! I had a Russian physics professor once and he was very suave: he wore aviators during our final exams.

[jpfromlondon]

Mine was like an ancient remnant from the soviet union, dry as anything but wickedly funny, used to yell at us if we pronounced the Cyrillics wrong, or more usually if we did not use capitals for units named after people; I can still hear his rebuke "why do we capitalize Newtons? BECAUSE HE WAS A GREAT MAN".

Really punished our (my) youthful laziness.