# Supposably - have mispronounced words become standard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875 "2015-02-17T00:36:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/81 "2015-02-18T01:58:17Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > Political correctness comes in where people feel as though they must put a label on this type of mispronouncing of words, calling it “black English” or some other nonsense. If it can be labeled, then it assumes a degree of legitimacy, therefore it MUST be accepted. Kind of like that nonsense PC label “American English” - it gives legitimacy to the way huge numbers of words are routinely mispronounced in the US, as compared to the correct way as they are in ENGLAND - right? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/82 "2015-02-18T02:04:37Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > No, really, I mean mistakes, like genuine, honest to goodness, written mistakes. Ever heard of a vegetable called a “pea”? Well, used to be there was no such thing. It was called a “pease.” One of them, a “pease,” and if you had many, you had a bowl of “peases.” But “pease” SOUNDS plural, even though it wasn’t, so people mistakenly used it that way and then created “pea” as a new, though erroneous, singular. But, eventually, the mistake became more popular, and pushed out the previously correct way of saying it. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/83 "2015-02-18T02:07:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Ever heard of a vegetable called a “pea”? > > Well, used to be there was no such thing. It was called a “pease.” One of them, a “pease,” and if you had many, you had a bowl of “peases.” > > But “pease” SOUNDS plural, even though it wasn’t, so people mistakenly used it that way and then created “pea” as a new, though erroneous, singular. But, eventually, the mistake became more popular, and pushed out the previously correct way of saying it. I like calling them “pees”. Let’s start something! 😃 “Imma eat all my pees toonite!” #Aheadofthepack ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/84 "2015-02-18T02:17:54Z")
Several people have pointed out broadcasters skipping or simplifying trailing multi-consonants, e.g. “Egyp”. I suspect at least some of that is professional announcer-speak. Traditionally they under-pronounce leading “p” sounds to avoid getting a popping sound through the mike, amps, and eventually speakers. And they soft-pedal trailing “s” and “z” sounds to avoid sounding excessively hissy. All this is standard stuff taught to broadcasters from the 1920s through today. Done right the effect is subtle enough that to the casual listener it sounds normal; they’re just counteracting known artifacts of the recording and amplification systems so the end result sounds like direct first-person conversation. But if you listen very attentively you’ll often hear the soft-pedals as such. And once you start to notice it, you can’t not notice it; it’s everywhere. Singing is similar, with the “s” sounds especially de-emphasized. Choral singing even more so than solo singing. In fact some “s” sounds in some songs are pronounced as almost an “f”. With that background … I think some broadcasters today (and mostly not the real pros) are in effect soft-pedalling trailing multi-consonants down to the most obvious sound. They’re trying to avoid the appearance of pedantic over-precise pronunciation. The erudite sound of William F. Buckley is not what the [del]slobbering base[/del] er general audience wants to hear now. Which soft-pedal then is lazily heard by that audience as speakers actually completely leaving out consonants. Then ordinary people emulate the supposed pros they hear and suddenly “Egyp” is fast becoming a new standard pronunciation. A side effect of the WWW is giving a lot more people a bully pulpit from which to shout. So we’re seeing the effects on the language of broadcasting vast amounts of both written and spoken speech created by less-than-elite sources. Like me. ---
**Author:** ![magnusblitz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@magnusblitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magnusblitz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/85 "2015-02-18T02:22:11Z")
As grating as it is to hear people say things like “axed” when they meant “asked”, pronounciation changes happen all the time. Now, people using “literally” to mean the _exact opposite_ of the word… ---
**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:** [February 18, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/86 "2015-02-18T02:25:59Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I like calling them “pees”. Let’s start something! 😃 “Imma eat all my pees toonite!” #Aheadofthepack Eye uh-Q’s U of Miss Spelling. ---
**Author:** ![ALOHA\_HATER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ALOHA\_HATER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ALOHA_HATER)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/87 "2015-02-18T02:47:06Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > Mispronounced words have become standard to a degree, I think. Partially due to “ethnic diversity” and political correctness. For example: Floor = Flo, sure enough = Sho 'nuff, ask = axe… you get the idea. > > Political correctness comes in where people feel as though they must put a label on this type of mispronouncing of words, calling it “black English” or some other nonsense. If it can be labeled, then it assumes a degree of legitimacy, therefore it MUST be accepted. So when you pronounce things in nonstandard ways–since you do not speak standard correct English as there is no such thing–you might call that, what, dialectical? But when a black person does the same thing, in a ‘black’ way, that’s categorically incorrect speaking. Do I understand you? Hey, since I don’t have a degree in linguistics, I recuse myself. Maybe most of us should do the same. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/88 "2015-02-18T03:47:11Z")
The double negatives still grate on me. They’re so common place these days that nobody even bothers to call people on them. Hear them all the time in athlete interviews. “There ain’t nobody that can beat us”, “We weren’t never gonna give up”. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/89 "2015-02-18T03:58:54Z")
their our know roolz, az long as cumunikation es achieved, ets all purrfektly cromulent. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/90 "2015-02-18T04:24:42Z")
> [@sich\_hinaufwinden](#): > > . > > What **RivkahChaya** wrote was wrong. What **bordelond** wrote is wrong. At worst, a case could be made that I wasn’t right. But I was not wrong. The original comparison was “err” and “air”. When making the point that they sound the same as each other in the Midwest, the best term to use is homophone. Can you at least acknowledge that? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/91 "2015-02-18T04:31:19Z")
Probably already been addressed, but in my neck of the woods I hear ask pronounced axe and especially pronounced expecially a lot. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/92 "2015-02-18T04:35:04Z")
How about “chicken pops”? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/93 "2015-02-18T05:32:54Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > How about “chicken pops”? I got those at KFC. Delish. ---
**Author:** ![sich\_hinaufwinden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@sich\_hinaufwinden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sich_hinaufwinden)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/94 "2015-02-18T06:13:40Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > The original comparison was “err” and “air”. When making the point that they sound the same as each other in the Midwest, the best term to use is homophone. > > Can you at least acknowledge that? “Homonym” is commonly used to describe words that sound alike. Can you at least acknowledge that? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/95 "2015-02-18T09:08:30Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Ever heard of a vegetable called a “pea”? > > Well, used to be there was no such thing. It was called a “pease.” One of them, a “pease,” and if you had many, you had a bowl of “peases.” > > But “pease” SOUNDS plural, even though it wasn’t, so people mistakenly used it that way and then created “pea” as a new, though erroneous, singular. But, eventually, the mistake became more popular, and pushed out the previously correct way of saying it. That’s not quite right. Pease was originally a mass noun, like rice or wheat. There was no singular or plural form. Over time, it became re-analysed as a plural (peas), and the singular form (pea) was back-formed from that. It would be like referring to a single ear of corn as a “mai”. ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/96 "2015-02-18T10:52:32Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > “Prolly” for probably. I’d think probly or probley is more probable than prolly. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/97 "2015-02-18T11:24:14Z")
I’ve recently seen two people use “curve” when they mean “curb.” “I am trying to _curve_ my dog’s tendency to…” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/98 "2015-02-18T14:56:09Z")
> [@sich\_hinaufwinden](#): > > “Homonym” is commonly used to describe words that sound alike. > > Can you at least acknowledge that? No. Homonym is for words that are spelled alike, since it means “same name”. It was a perfectly cromulent word for that and doesn’t need to be blurred with other meanings. Homophone, “same sound”, is for words that sound alike, e.g., err and air. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/99 "2015-02-18T15:37:23Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Really? How do you pronounce it? > > [Link to recorded dictionary pronunciations both US and British.](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/british/coitus) Interesting. My OED only shows a three-syllable pronunciation. (co-it as in coincide; not coi as in coin). My Webster shows the three-syllable pronunciation as preferred and the two-syllable pronunciation as an acceptable variation, but that’s Webster. I guess the mispronunciation has become standard. 🙂 This gives both: [http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=coitus&submit=Submit](http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=coitus&submit=Submit) ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875/100 "2015-02-18T15:41:12Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > … there was the online discussion I once read about suburban sprawl, housing, and public transit. When somebody piped up about “tracks” everywhere, it took me a minute to realize they meant housing _tracts_, not railroad tracks. The change from /kt/ to /k/ is a huge one, and I hear it all the time–e.g. “true facks”, “digestive track”, and so on. Are you complaining about written communication, or spoken? I thought at first that someone wrote “tracks” online when they meant “tracts,” but then you mentioned hearing it. And are you saying that you could hear the difference between “tracks” and “tracts” in conversation? If I heard someone pronounce that second “t” in “tracts,” I’d think he was an asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supposably-have-mispronounced-words-become-standard/712875.md?page=6)