# What words, when mispronounced, set your teeth on edge? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624 "2008-11-13T23:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/1 "2008-11-13T23:40:27Z")
I just heard a reporter on NPR, fer Og’s sake, say “deteriate” instead of “deteriorate.” GAH! How about you? ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/2 "2008-11-13T23:44:11Z")
I’m not going to get into a debate about whether or not these are mispronunciations. Better to say that pre-emptively, and then say that these particular pronunciations bother me, whether they are part of a living language or a person’s personal idiom or not: nuclear as new-kew-ler mischievous as mis-chee-vee-ous supposedly as supposably asked as axed escaped as excaped sandwich as sammich picture as pitcher ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/3 "2008-11-14T00:07:14Z")
Same as Rubystreak. I’m just wondering how this is not going to turn into the Pit Thread that may or may not be dead, yet. ---
**Author:** ![trapezoidal\_jellyfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6f9a4e/32.png) [@trapezoidal\_jellyfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trapezoidal_jellyfish)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/4 "2008-11-14T00:11:10Z")
frustrated as fustrated ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/5 "2008-11-14T00:11:18Z")
realtor as re-la-tor foliage as foilage Mandarin as Mandarian wash as warsh measure as may-zhur ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/6 "2008-11-14T00:17:28Z")
Very few words can really set my teeth on edge. I used to really hate NevAHda, ColorAHdo, Or-uh-gon, and Hahll-oween, but I’m pretty meh about it now. One that kind of gets to me is “jive” when they mean “jibe”. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/7 "2008-11-14T00:20:29Z")
I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “Hahll-oween”, **Cisco** ; could you clarify? ---
**Author:** ![MadPansy64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@MadPansy64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadPansy64)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/8 "2008-11-14T01:24:01Z")
Coloradah. Even Texans can pronounce an O at the end of other words, so where the hell did that A sound come from? Y’all ain’t jist bein’ all folksy & homey, so. stop. it. now. The state is named Colorad **O** , dammit. Dunn an’ Broad street. She’s a moron, this is the least important of her many offenses, but it’s the one that forces me to clench my teeth and just walk away – instead of choking her until her tongue turns blue. ---
**Author:** ![Influential\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Influential\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Influential_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/9 "2008-11-14T01:40:06Z")
szechuan as saskatchewan What the fuck, people? The two aren’t even close. ---
**Author:** ![Headrush042](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Headrush042](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headrush042)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/10 "2008-11-14T01:46:11Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > I’m not going to get into a debate about whether or not these are mispronunciations. Better to say that pre-emptively, and then say that these particular pronunciations bother me, whether they are part of a living language or a person’s personal idiom or not: > > nuclear as new-kew-ler > mischievous as mis-chee-vee-ous > supposedly as supposably > asked as axed > escaped as excaped > sandwich as sammich > picture as pitcher Oh, Og yes. All these. Except sammich, I like that one for some inexplicable reason; I use it quite often. Tongue in cheek, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/11 "2008-11-14T01:47:52Z")
Fond du Lac - fond jewel lack Buffet - Buff it Read as reed when it’s red UPS - oops - As in has the oops truck come yet. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/12 "2008-11-14T02:08:34Z")
eXpresso :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/13 "2008-11-14T02:27:20Z")
> [@Indistinguishable](#): > > I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “Hahll-oween”, **Cisco** ; could you clarify? Hall, as in hallway, then oween. Halloween. I couldn’t write it like that because that’s how Halloween is actually spelled. ---
**Author:** ![CutterJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@CutterJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CutterJohn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/14 "2008-11-14T02:31:15Z")
My brother on occasion tries to use the ‘word’ pwn or pwned, i.e. the deliberate misspelling of ‘owned’ common in games and internet culture… And he pronounces it ‘pawned’. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/15 "2008-11-14T02:35:01Z")
> [@CutterJohn](#): > > My brother on occasion tries to use the ‘word’ pwn or pwned, i.e. the deliberate misspelling of ‘owned’ common in games and internet culture.. And he pronounces it ‘pawned’. On South Park they said “poned”. Sounds better to me. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/16 "2008-11-14T02:41:47Z")
I hear Americans pronounce “solder” as “sodder”. Apparently that’s not incorrect, but I still hate it. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/17 "2008-11-14T03:18:36Z")
“axed” instead of “asked” “nukuler” instead of “nuclear” “EYE-rak” or “eye-RAK” instead of “ee-RAHK” (Iraq) “EYE-ran” or “eye-RAN” instead of “ee-RAHN” (Iran) “micaceceous” instead of “micaceous” (I know this is obscure, but I had an Earth Sciences teacher who made this error for the entire time I was in his class, and it irritated me every time he said it. He said “nukuler,” too.) ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/18 "2008-11-14T03:28:55Z")
Eye-talian. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/19 "2008-11-14T03:32:41Z")
“Chaise lounge”. A mistake so common it’s now referred to as “folk etymology” instead of “fuckup”. > [@](#): > > UPS - oops - As in has the oops truck come yet. I like this one. Very onomatopoeic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624/20 "2008-11-14T03:39:14Z")
/mɛksIko/ (“Mecksicko”) instead of /mehiko/ (“Mayheeko”). /pærIs/ (“Parriss”) instead of /pari/ (“Pahree”) (Nah, I’m being facetious. But when people call me out on saying “Eye-ran”, this is my defense (though pronunciation fashions do change with time, of course, so I may someday find myself having switched)) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-when-mispronounced-set-your-teeth-on-edge/472624.md?page=2)