# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/101 "2014-06-26T11:37:33Z")
My dad says alvum instead of album. Warsh instead of wash. When I moved to Houston, everyone was always talking about “Water Burger” and I though to myself “What a stupid name for a restaurant.” When I finally visited one, I saw it was What-A-Burger and I asked people why they were calling it Water Burger. They all just shrugged and said that’s how everyone says it. I definitely do NOT say Water Burger. It’s really really dumb sounding. Boston can have its missing Rs back!!! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/102 "2014-06-26T13:36:28Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > A good friend pronounces asphalt as “ash-falt.” No idea why the “s” gets pronounced as “sh”. I think about 90% of people do this. I also used to, but have trained myself in the last decade or so to pronounce it with just the s. ---
**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 26, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/103 "2014-06-26T17:56:04Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > Am I the only one who finds the pronunciation of the cheese from Parma as Parmazhaan instead of Parmezaan irritating? I know it is Parmegiano in Italian, but in English it should be Parmezaan, no? > > Or is this battle already lost? > > > [@Zeldar](#): > > > > There are at least two of us who consider the _-zhan_ pronunciation a bit pretentious but I suppose either is preferable to _par-MEE-zun_ or _par-ma-ZANN_. How do you feel about “shaky cheese”? ---
**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 26, 2014, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/104 "2014-06-26T18:25:37Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I think about 90% of people do this. I also used to, but have trained myself in the last decade or so to pronounce it with just the s. I can’t say I ever remember hearing the “Ash-fault” pronunciation. This may be location dependent. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/105 "2014-06-26T21:47:35Z")
People always say relator instead of realtor; it always bugs me for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/106 "2014-06-26T23:14:50Z")
My sister has a couch cluster that includes a chaise. My 17yrold nephey calls it a seige, with a soft zh sound; rhymes with beige. He knows it’s wrong, but changing the way he pronounces it would be admitting that it was a mistake, rather than on purpose. He’s so afraid of being “wrong.” So in an extended example of “I meant to do that,” he refuses to call it anything but a seige. I’m not even gonna mention “nucular” to him. (His middle name is Joseph. When he was like 6 he told a grocery bagger whose name tag said Joseph: “My middle name is Joseph, but I h.ave to say Jofess because I can’t say Joseph.” Thus SAYING Joseph. Stubborn kid.) ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_York](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_York](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_York)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/107 "2014-06-27T01:12:11Z")
An ex woman Prime Minister of Australia once pronounced “hyperbole” as “hyper-bowl” ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/108 "2014-06-27T01:32:44Z")
I recall my uncle, a well-read, authoritative idiot, once say “fakade”. I tried to grab my cousin and tell him not to say anything, but I was not fast enough. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/109 "2014-06-27T01:42:23Z")
My two personal pet hates, 1. pronouncing Remuneration as renumeration. it’s written and pronounced MUN dickhead, not NUM, MUN, like in Money. 2. Pronouncing “Specific” as Pacific. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/110 "2014-06-27T01:43:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t say I ever remember hearing the “Ash-fault” pronunciation. This may be location dependent. Could be. In fact I just heard it on the radio in the last day or two. I don’t recall if it was a phone-in guest, or the host himself. The vast majority of people 'round these parts say ashfault. At what point does it need correcting if most people are saying it? ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/111 "2014-06-27T02:06:41Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > My dad says alvum instead of album. > > Warsh instead of wash. > > When I moved to Houston, everyone was always talking about “Water Burger” and I though to myself “What a stupid name for a restaurant.” When I finally visited one, I saw it was What-A-Burger and I asked people why they were calling it Water Burger. They all just shrugged and said that’s how everyone says it. I definitely do NOT say Water Burger. It’s really really dumb sounding. > > Boston can have its missing Rs back!!! “Warsh” or “worsh” is dialect. I Don’t consider that mispronunciation. What gets me is when someone mispronounces someone’s name and nothing on God’s green earth can get them to stop. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/112 "2014-06-27T02:15:25Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > My sister has a couch cluster that includes a chaise. Most everybody screws up the name of the lie-down version of this. It’s a chaise **longue** sic. But people say “lounge.” ---
**Author:** ![OurLordPeace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e8c25b/32.png) [@OurLordPeace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OurLordPeace)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/113 "2014-06-27T02:22:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Could be. In fact I just heard it on the radio in the last day or two. I don’t recall if it was a phone-in guest, or the host himself. The vast majority of people 'round these parts say ashfault. At what point does it need correcting if most people are saying it? It needs correcting at all points, inasmuch as there is only one “h” in it. English is riddled with such confusing things, and we don’t need to add any more. ---
**Author:** ![Chinook1956](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Chinook1956](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chinook1956)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/114 "2014-06-27T05:53:17Z")
> [@Duke\_of\_York](#): > > An ex woman Prime Minister of Australia once pronounced “hyperbole” as “hyper-bowl” Since moving from Canada to Australia, I’ve heard many words that are pronounced very oddly to my Canadian ears. Controversy is pronounced as con-TROV-ersy. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/115 "2014-06-27T06:25:00Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Examples: > [ol] > [li]co-worker pronounces “LAN” as land[/li][/ol] Do you mean they pronounce LAN like “land”? Do they actually pronounce the “d” in “land” when they mean a piece of real estate? I’ve known a lot of people who insist on pronouncing “tract” like “track” and recently I’ve notice they’re starting to spell it the same as well. I’m not so sure about the “lan’” thing, apart from Lenny Small in _Of Mice And Men_. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/116 "2014-06-27T06:28:34Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Alzheimer’s -\> old timer’s Are you sure the people who say this aren’t doing it as a joke? My mother and her friends used to do this; another variant was “halfheimer’s disease”. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/117 "2014-06-27T06:34:08Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > There’s even “trill-dren” in this area. If John Kennedy O’Toole is to be credited, some people in New Orleans raise “chirren” and “wrench” their hands in the sink. Or at least they did in the days when Scenicruisers hurtled down darkened highways in the night. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/118 "2014-06-27T07:01:38Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > “Warsh” or “worsh” is dialect. I Don’t consider that mispronunciation. What gets me is when someone mispronounces someone’s name and nothing on God’s green earth can get them to stop. My first name is pronounced by the majority when read “Kyle” and even though I try correcting them they often kept at it, teachers were a major offender. I eventually just rolled with it, yes my name is Kyle.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/119 "2014-06-27T11:05:40Z")
> [@grude](#): > > My first name is pronounced by the majority when read “Kyle” and even though I try correcting them they often kept at it, teachers were a major offender. I eventually just rolled with it, yes my name is Kyle.😛 I’m guessing that **Grude** is not your real name? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471/120 "2014-06-27T11:36:51Z")
It used to drive me crazy when my mother would pronounce “tiger” the same as “tagger”. It doesn’t come up much nowadays, though. On the other hand, I thought it was funny when my friend mentioned the U.S. state of New Ham Sphere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-insist-on-mispronouncing-words/691471.md?page=7)