etc, etc, etc

Wikipedia lists the pronunciation of "et cetera" and "etc." (and "&c.") as /ɛtˈsɛtərə/, which, for those like me who don't know how to read IPA, means the first word, "et", ends in a "t" sound.

Why, then, do we encounter /ɛkˈsɛtərə/ so often in the wild, where the "et" is pronounced "ek" ?

I don't know – I'm not a linguist.

And, let's be real, caring about so-called incorrect pronunciation of common phrases is so last year.

Attention! This post is intended to be an unserious and light-hearted discussion about the quirks of natural language. When discussing language from the viewpoint that usage can be either correct or incorrect, it is easy to come across as a snob. If I have given you that impression, I apologise.