I think the word has latin roots, meaning mother or family related ... too busy at work to google it \
If so, it should be pronounced something like AhVIhAh

EDIT: --like in "Avi-ation" --- nevermind Aviation is pronounced in the USA more like ehviation... so confusing

Um... Ahh vee ay shun?

You a Brit or something?

Ay vee ay shun.

Speaking of from the latin . . . I was in Italy last month visiting a friend and Bocce ball came up. "It's not Bawchi, it's bo-chayyyy" her husband corrected me, and "Do all Canadians say Eye-Key-Ah? It's E-Kay-Ah!" My friend is in fact Swedish, and confirmed it's a North American phenomenon to say those words the way I do. Now, of course, I have to keep saying E-Kay-Ah everytime I pass that blue-and-yellow store!! Reminds me of the old Canadian Kids in the Hall skit where they practiced saying weird words like "Mukluk" and "Bulbous Bouffant".

Holy Hacks! I'm a hijacker! Sorry Randy!

There's always crepes. I was taught in French class they were pronounced crehps, not crayps, which seems to be the Americanized way. I still confuse people in crepe shops by asking for crehps...

I believe it is A-via like A (dah) via.

Oh, khrepp! I left my boh-chay' balls at Ee-kay'-ah!

I played bocce ball over lunch today.

We just got an IKEA for the first time here in Utah. It just opened Wednesday May 23. Haven't been yet, but I have been to several in California, and one in Maryland. Great store.

Amie, I guess your friend is indeed correct about North Americans, in that to me it will always be 'eye-key-uh'. I think everyone here refers to it that way.

We added ice-bocce ball to our list of weird March sports this year. Very hard to see the white ball for this game!!