What words do you often see in print but never hear in spoken communication?

In My Humble Opinion
1

For me the word “eponymous”. Pretty mundane but interesting to me. I just heard it on a BBC science podcast referencing Moore’s Law. I’ve seen it in print a bunch of time but never heard it spoken out loud before. I’m 56 and it’s the first time I can ever recall it being used in a conversational spoken sentence. It was interesting listening to it being pronounced. It’s quite different than it sounded being read in my head.

What words do you read regularly but never or very rarely hear spoken in any conversation?

2

I actually do use eponymous in conversation. If for no other reason than to get that ‘duh?’ look from the people I’m talking with. But then, I’m infamous among my friends for my ‘$10 words.’ I can honestly say, however, that I have never heard the word eponym used in conversation anywhere, by anyone.

Here’s three off the top of my head:

Lissome
Ebullient
Imbroglio

3

A few years ago, I was watching a television program and when the narrator pronounced the name “Herodotus,” I realized that I had been pronouncing it incorrectly in my head for years. Now I wonder how many other Greek names and places I continue to mis-pronounce because I’ve never heard them spoken!

4

I see sports people described as a standout. I don’t think I’ve every heard that word spoken in my life.

5

(sic)

6

Idiosyncrasies.

Of course, unless someone is being deliberately abstruse, you don’t hear or see sesquipedalian.

7

Dour. In fact, it wasn’t until after I met my wife that I learned there was more than one way to pronounce it. I still insist on DOW-er, though.

8

Didactic

Nihilistic (I couldn’t tell you the preferred pronunciation without looking it up)

Hagiography

9

“Iniquity,” which is almost always preceded by the words “den of.”

“Eatery,” a favorite of newspaper restaurant critics (the few that are left, anyway).

10

Perspicacious. Although frankly I can hardly remember when I might have seen it in print. I did hear a librarian say it once, though. So maybe it’s exactly opposite of what the OP asked. And I still DON’T KNOW WHAT IT FUCKING MEANS!!!

11

I’ve seen the word eisteddfod written down, but only heard someone say it in conversation for the first time the other day. Moment of confusion before it dawned on me that that’s the same word I’d only ever seen - weird feeling!

12

Statutory. Used to be that every cigarette pack had a statutory warning, but I don’t remember the word being spoken ever. The word might be common in legal discussions though.

Bosom. OK, I am cheating. It’s not that I’ve never heard of this word, but it’s been so rare that I will count it here. In fact, for a while, I assumed the pronunciation to be bO-sum (the bo part is sorta like in boson).

I second eponymous, imbroglio, and hagiography.

13

nugatory

14

Archetype/archetypal

15

Victuals.

It was only a couple of years ago I learned, in passing, that you’re not meant to pronounce the ‘c’

:smack:

16

Taciturn.

Especially from the taciturn.

17

Ibid

18

I use the word statutory all the time. But I work with statutory services :stuck_out_tongue:

I read a bunch of words during my Sociology degree which I never heard out loud. That might be because I was lazy and never went to lectures, only read the texts, but in the real world I’ve never heard anyone say hegemony and that’s why I don’t know how to pronounce it.

19

I hear eponymous all the time. Usually as a synonym to ‘self titled’ when talking about an album. For example. “Next up we have a track from Brandy’s eponymous album”.

20

I hear it used a lot, usually in conjunction with the word “rape”.

“Bosom” is a good one. It sounds ridiculous. Similarly, I NEVER hear anyone say “brassiere”; it’s always called a bra, but I see brassiere a lot in writing.