In another thread I asked how many syllables the word ratio has. The answer was that it was 2 or 3 depending on how it is pronounced. Is the number of syllables for a word determined totally by the way the word is pronounced? If a person mispronounces a word, can they add or subtract syllalbes? Can a person wreck a haiku by pronouncing the words different from the way the author intended them to be pronounced?
Sure, there are a few words which have two equally valid pronunciations with different numbers of syllables. Aside from ratio there’s different and comfortable. But this isn’t mispronouncing a word. “If a person mispronounces a word, can they add or subtract syllalbes?” Yeah, I guess. There aren’t really rules for how you can and can’t mispronounce a word, you know?
As for messing up poetry, there are certainly times when the author intends one way or another. Consider this line from Romeo and Juliet: “Uncomfortable time, why camest thou now” I’m guessing uncomfortable is meant to be pronounced with five syllables here, since it keeps it iambic. But I wouldn’t say that the line is wrecked if you pronounce it un-comft-a-bul. There are also words which can have emphasis on different syllables… although… I can’t think of any.
Mispronounce a word?
There is no official pronounciation of a word, only a conventional one, depending on the locale.
If I intend to communicate with clarity, it would be preferable to stick to the common pronounciations. But other than that, there’s no overriding imperative to pronounce a word a certain way.
You act like mispronouncing a word is an alien concept. What do you think “mispronounce” means?
What do you think “mispronounce” means?
I think ‘mispronounce’ means pronounce it different than how others do, some of my school teachers had a more rigid view…
poloponies
If by “haiku”, you mean Japanese haiku, the answer is “no”.
Syllable count in Japanese words is not open to debate.
Haiku in languages other than Japanese are … in the wrong language.