It is derived from its first inhabitants, the Carib Indians, and correctly pronounced CARE-ib-bee-an. One reason many broadcasters mispronounce Caribbean is the Associated Press Broadcast Handbook lists its pronunciation phonetically as KUH-RIB'BEE-UHN.

The difference in pronunciation primarily comes down to word stress and regional linguistic evolution. Most Americans (and many Caribbean locals) say "ker-i-BEE-uhn" (stress on the third syllable), while the British and some broadcasters prefer "kuh-RIB-ee-uhn" (stress on the second syllable). The name is derived from the Carib Indians, whose name is pronounced "CARE-ib," making the "ker-i-BEE-uhn" version etymologically closer to the root. American media and popular culture, most notably Disney’s "Pirates of the Caribbean," have solidified the "BEE-uhn" emphasis in the U.S. lexicon. Linguists note that the British pronunciation often follows a pattern of shifting stress to the second syllable in multi-syllabic words, whereas the American version preserves the vowel quality of the indigenous name "Carib." In 2026, both versions are widely accepted, though islanders often find the "kuh-RIB-ee-uhn" version to be a colonial-era affectation.