# People who insist on mispronouncing words **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 23, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471 "2014-06-23T18:41:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![HelloKindWorld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e79b87/32.png) [@HelloKindWorld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKindWorld)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/61 "2014-06-24T13:45:27Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > A very irksome word I hear mispronounced all over the southeastern US, people trying to pronounce the L in **salmon**. It’s a silent letter people! I had forgot about that one. Almost as annoying as the vase thing, IMO. _Almost_. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/62 "2014-06-24T14:24:48Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > When I was living in Chicago, the local supermarket was called Jewel, but everyone I knew called it Jewels. Yep. The “Chicago S” is added to a lot of shops that don’t have an s. Not all of them, though. “Target” is “Target.” “K-Mart” is “K-Mart.” But “Jewel” becomes “(da) Jewel’s,” “Venture” and “Zayre” (both defunct) became “Venture’s” and “Zayre’s”. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard “Aldi’s” as well. I’m sure there’s other ones, but I can’t say for certain now. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/63 "2014-06-24T14:39:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yep. The “Chicago S” is added to a lot of shops that don’t have an s. Not all of them, though. “Target” is “Target.” “K-Mart” is “K-Mart.” But “Jewel” becomes “(da) Jewel’s,” “Venture” and “Zayre” (both defunct) became “Venture’s” and “Zayre’s”. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard “Aldi’s” as well. I’m sure there’s other ones, but I can’t say for certain now. Same sort of thing in Nashville. “Kroger” is “Kroger’s” or “Krogers.” It seems to work most often with grocery and department stores, although some of them do have the **'s** tacked on as part of the official name. Oddly enough Walgreens saw all that coming and went ahead and added the s. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/64 "2014-06-24T14:40:48Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > \*The reason so many people want to say “nucular” instead of “nuclear” is that it isn’t typical for English to have two vowels in a row. In some languages, it’s perfectly, and occurs in lots of words. I remember when “Vietnam” used to get pronounced “Vetinam” a lot for the same reason. Really? You certain about that? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/65 "2014-06-24T14:44:43Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Really? You certain about that? Which part? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/66 "2014-06-24T14:50:47Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Which part? The “two vowels in a row” part… ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/67 "2014-06-24T15:37:25Z")
Classical composers are not immune from this. Like “Bee-tho-ven” and “Mo-zart.” And then there’s Charlie Rose, who leaves off the final letter of some words. Like Egyp(t) and Worl(d). I think it’s a regional thing, but very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![OurLordPeace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e8c25b/32.png) [@OurLordPeace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OurLordPeace)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/68 "2014-06-24T16:00:44Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I have been tempted to carry an ax and respond to inquiries related to it by telling them that it is what they are going to get hit with if they don’t stop “axing” questions. > > I’m not going to actually do this. A customer did this (“ax”) mere meters from me, just a few seconds ago. I know that this word was different in Chaucer’s day, but there’s a standardized spelling now, the “s” is in the middle, and “axe/ax” is its own word, with a very different meaning! ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/69 "2014-06-24T17:00:39Z")
My Mom, bless her, tended to add Rs to names that began with C. They’d be tacked onto the end of the first syllable. And for some reason, the game system my kids were using was always the Intendo. > [@Zeldar](#): > > Place names in the USA that resemble (in spelling) places in other parts of the world are lucky to be pronounced the same as the foreign place. And some others are just regionalisms of common names elsewhere. > > To cite a few in this region: > > Cairo = Kay-row > Milan = My-lunn > Bolivar = Bahl-uh-ver > Jordan = Jurr-dun > Marion = May-run > Florence = Flarnts Vienna, Pennsylvania = VYE-anna ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/70 "2014-06-24T17:07:15Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > My Mom, bless her, tended to add Rs to names that began with C. They’d be tacked onto the end of the first syllable. And for some reason, the game system my kids were using was always the Intendo. My mom always pronounced sophomore “sow-phmore.” The only other time I can recall her mispronouncing a word was when she mortified me in front of her bridge club, telling them I had just purchased a Vulva. :o ---
**Author:** ![Osiris\_the\_1st](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9de0a6/32.png) [@Osiris\_the\_1st](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osiris_the_1st)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/71 "2014-06-24T18:22:27Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > You’re probably right, though it might depend on how you phrased the question. > > Phrased like you did here, you jog my memory and I think “Oh yeah, those are French and there’s a gender thing with the number of e’s on the end.” > > However, in ordinary language, I’m going to use fiance for either gender. It’s not a French word coming out of my keyboard. 🙂 Yeah, It seems like gendered nouns in English are waning, e.g. hero vs. heroine and comedian vs. comedienne. YMMV . Of course fiance and fiancee would have the same pronunciation in French. Do they not in English? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/72 "2014-06-24T18:41:05Z")
> [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > Of course fiance and fiancee would have the same pronunciation in French. Do they not in English? They are supposed to. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/73 "2014-06-24T18:57:16Z")
I worked with a guy who pronounced “subsequent” as sub-SEE-kwent (to match up with the root word “sequence” SEE-kwense). He was a religious fellow, I felt like asking him if considered himself a pro-TEST-ent? ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/74 "2014-06-24T19:03:23Z")
People sometimes pronounce the word “peripheral” as “perifial.” Makes me wonder how they would pronounce “periphery.” Everyone in the US seems to pronounce “bruschetta” as “brushetta,” although the [original Italian food](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruschetta) is pronounced “brusketta.” Similarly, Geddy Lee blew it with Rush’s famous song “Red Barchetta,” in which he sounds like a Boston native singing about a bar of cheddar cheese. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/75 "2014-06-24T19:16:03Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > A very irksome word I hear mispronounced all over the southeastern US, people trying to pronounce the L in **salmon**. It’s a silent letter people! C’mon, try some allmond crusted sallmon. A customer yelled at me for “mispronouncing” some word that 99% of people everywhere pronounce the “wrong” way. It might have been “often.” > [@Zeldar](#): > > The “two vowels in a row” part… It bothers me that the English word for Genova is Genoa. The former is way easier to pronounce! It’s not like Cologne vs. Köln. Note the original quote was that “it isn’t **typical** for English to have two vowels in a row,” not that it never happens. I can’t comment if its true, but also can’t think of many counterexamples. > [@Osiris\_the\_1st](#): > > Yeah, It seems like gendered nouns in English are waning, e.g. hero vs. heroine and comedian vs. comedienne. YMMV . Hell, in Internet English, many people are concerned about our society’s serious heroine addiction problem. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/76 "2014-06-24T20:28:52Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Note the original quote was that “it isn’t **typical** for English to have two vowels in a row,” not that it never happens. I can’t comment if its true, but also can’t think of many counterexamples. That’s what I meant :smack:. You can check with my mother the linguist, if you want, but words with two vowels in a row get screwed all the time. “Realtor” gets pronounced “relitor” (even by people who can say “real”), “ruin” becomes “roon” (and “ruined” becomes "roond-- something that really grates on me), while a lot of people pronounce “deal” and “dill” identically. The same people usually say “rill” for “real,” and almost every American says “rilly” instead of “really.” Not everyone does it, and it happens more with three- and four-syllable words than it does with two-syllable words-- most people can say “deal,” but “dill” is a fixture of a lot of American dialects. And it’s because there aren’t that many English words with two vowels in a row. People don’t expect them, and “correct” them. It’s actually an interesting phenomenon that people correct imperfect models. This has been studied extensively. Children whose parents have foreign accents don’t copy their parents’ accents when they learn new words from them-- they know how to fit the word into the paradigm of the dominant accent around them. If you learn a new word from a person with a speech impediment, you will usually hear the word correctly-- you automatically erase the speech impediment. Sometimes you can end up pronouncing a word incorrectly if you erase a speech impediment from a word that is supposed to sound the way the person with the impediment said it. I once watched video of people learning nonsense words, some of which fit the English paradigm (all the subjects were native speakers of an American English dialect, and none had speech impediments), and some of which didn’t. The subjects didn’t have trouble learning the new words that sounded like English words, but the ones that had sound combinations that didn’t occur in English, most subjects had difficulty with, and usually remembered incorrectly as sounding more like English words. For example, if a word had a “pf+vowel” syllable, people would either stick a vowel in between the P and F, or change the F to a consonant that does follow F in English, like R. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/77 "2014-06-25T05:31:36Z")
I have a dedicated effort to change height to heighth, and pronounce it that way, and I don’t apologize at all. Length, Width, Heighth, it makes the world a better place. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/78 "2014-06-25T05:48:51Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > I have a dedicated effort to change height to heighth, and pronounce it that way, and I don’t apologize at all. > > Length, Width, Heighth, it makes the world a better place. Weighth? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/79 "2014-06-25T05:51:50Z")
I can live with changing the pronunciation of one hundred to one hunerd at least in Chicago. But please don’t make it a hunert. Please? ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/80 "2014-06-25T06:00:20Z")
Pasghetti. I understand small children may have difficulty correctly pronouncing ‘spaghetti’ but most adults can master it. Most. I know one man (30-ish) who says ‘pasghetti’ and and ‘arks’. I was discussing this irritating quirk with a friend who said that people who say the words this way simply don’t hear that they’re saying them the wrong way. I reckon they’re either being smartarses or lazy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471.md?page=5)