Why is quixotic pronounced as it is? - English Language Usage Stack . . . "The correct pronunciation is 'Don Qui-Sh-Otay', because in the book the character speaks in old Castilian " By extension, "quixotic" should be pronounced: [kee-sho-tik] (Or [quiche-ottik], if you prefer ) Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find other sources to back this up QI's research team has a respectable reputation, though