Jif Peanut Butter Settles the GIF Pronunciation Debate Once and for All

Out of all of the questions that have plagued the Internet, the question of how to pronounce “GIF” has a special and frustrating place in people’s hearts. Short for Graphics Interchange Format, the animated file type has become a fixture in modern Internet culture, but people have been divided about whether it is said aloud as “gif” or “jif”. If you’re among the people who pronounce it as the latter, the makers of Jif Peanut Butter want to help you fix that. Smuckers is partnering with GIPHY, one of the leading databases for gifs, to create a series of limited-edition jars which help keep the pronunciation straight.

The jars, which are being released in time for National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day on March 1st, use the iconic Jif label to highlight that saying “jif with a soft G” is entirely for peanut butter.

“We’re teaming up with GIPHY to put a lid on this decade-long debate and prove there is only one Jif… it’s creamy, delicious peanut butter, not a looping picture you can send to make friends and family laugh,” Rebecca Scheidler, Vice President, Marketing of Jif, said in a statement. “So spread the word like Jif on bread—Jif is peanut butter, GIFs are animations!”

“At GIPHY, we know there’s only one Jif and it’s peanut butter. If you’re looking for all the GIFs, there’s only one GIPHY,” Alex Chung, founder and CEO of GIPHY, added. “If you’re a soft G, please visit Jif.com. If you’re a hard G, thank you, we know you’re right. Whether you like your Gs hard or soft, let’s all share some fun and let peanut butter unite us in saying GIF and eating Jif.”

To help fans take the conversation to a whole new level, GIPHY has unveiled a series of Jif-themed GIFs (try saying that five times fast) on their website, which help illustrate which pronunciation is correct.

If you would like to own one of these special-edition “Jif” vs “GIF” jars, they are currently available on Amazon for just under $10. They are expected to sell out quickly, so act fast.

How do you feel about Jif getting in on the GIF debate? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!