# Any words you insist on reading wrong (in your head at least)?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 19, 2022, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805 "2022-02-19T22:32:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/101 "2022-10-14T02:17:47Z")
Unionized and Unionized š
Unionized : as in belonging to a Union
Unionized : as in not ionized (For some reason, the second word is more appealing to me)
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### Author:  [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2022, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/102 "2022-11-05T20:19:53Z")
I have _blanched, slivered_ almonds to put on my cereal. Iām not tempted to say āsilveredā, but my brain always thinks ābalancedā almonds.
Thereās a subtle difference between subtleties and subtitles.
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### Author:  [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/103 "2022-11-06T00:51:46Z")
Thatās an interesting word because, until you know what it means, you cannot know whether the indefinite article is āaā or āanā. Anybody know another word like that?
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### Author:  [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/104 "2022-11-06T00:55:55Z")
> [@am77494](#):
>
> Unionized : as in belonging to a Union
> Unionized : as in not ionized (For some reason, the second word is more appealing to me)
I believe it was Asimov who pointed out that āunionizedā functions as a shibboleth to distinguish chemists from everybody else.
ETA: While trying to verify this by checking the Wikipedia entry for shibboleth, I found this photo taken at a protest in New Orleans;
[ ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/New_Orleans_-_Celebrate_Taking_Them_Down_Rally%2C_2017_10.jpg/435px-New_Orleans_-_Celebrate_Taking_Them_Down_Rally%2C_2017_10.jpg)
Upon looking _that_ up, my first instinct as to how to pronounce āTchoupitoulasā turned out to be the correct one.
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/105 "2022-11-06T01:09:38Z")
**Quixotic** should be, in my mind, pronounced key-hot-ic.
Dudeās name was Don Key-hote-eh. Not Quicks-ah-tee. If that makes any senseā¦
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### Author:  [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/106 "2022-11-06T09:57:36Z")
Yeah, because of the j in Quijote.
The only way I can remember the UK spelling _manoeuvre_ is to hear it in my head as _mano-ayOO-vre_.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/107 "2022-11-06T11:58:35Z")
I didnāt see outlier mentioned. I always think and offer say it as OUT-lee-er.
Iām also dubious that there arenāt a lot of people who say OB-fyuh-skate. I picked up that pronunciation from hear it, not reading it. I wouldnāt naturally add the Y.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/108 "2022-11-06T14:05:27Z")
> [@alovem](#):
>
> The only way I can remember the UK spelling _manoeuvre_ is to hear it in my head as _mano-ayOO-vre_.
Whatās up with UK spellings that have extra vowels, in combinations that arenāt normal for English? Things like āencyclopaediaā or āpaedophileā? That spelling makes me want to pronounce it as en-cy-clo- **pay-ee** -dee-uh.
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### Author:  [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/109 "2022-11-06T14:40:47Z")
I knew the word āshoulderā a long time before I saw it spelled out. Iām in the car and ask, āWhat is should-er?ā Big laffs at my expense. I still see it as should er.
Donāt get me started on āsolder.ā
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/110 "2022-11-07T23:19:28Z")
I donāt āreadā it wrong, exactly, but in my head I always call Benjamin Netanyahu āBenjamin Netscape 'n Yahooā.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/111 "2022-11-08T22:30:20Z")
The name Heather in print is, to me, always heat her.
mmm
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-words-you-insist-on-reading-wrong-in-your-head-at-least/959805/112 "2022-11-08T22:43:30Z")
I mentioned panache in that thread from a month ago-āpan-Nockā- seemed pretty logical, if āacheā is said with a k sound, plus the harder sound matches the boldness of the definition. So Iāll keep saying it that way, at least in my mind.
As a birdwatcher, I likewise got another one: buteo. Iāve typically heard it said as BUTE-e-o, but for a badass mofo bird of prey that sure sounds weak, doesnāt it? No itās not a breakfast cereal/cosmetic product (āBeauty-Ohs, when you need that glowy sexy complexion for a killer night out-and it is also a part of this complete breakfast!ā).
No, itās bu-TEY-oh, much more fitting for a flying diving killing machine. Gonna stick with that one too.
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