Choosy content marketers choose ‘jif’

The inventor of the ever-popular animated image format ends the debate once and for all, settling for everyone how to properly pronounce its acronym.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

Well, you know what they say about when you assume.

The topic has riled debate since the visual aid’s initial inception in 1987. Is it sounded out using a hard “g,” as in a “gift” you might give someone for their birthday, or is it with a soft “g” as in “Jif,” the brand of peanut butter so many “choosy moms” prefer?

To finally put the deliberation to rest, Mashable reports that Steve Wilhite, creator and father of the GIF, confirmed the proper pronunciation while accepting a lifetime achievement award for his creation at Tuesday’s Webby Awards ceremony.

Instead of giving a vocal acceptance speech, he flashed a GIF on the big screens that read:

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.