# Word errors you discovered embarrassingly late in life. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604 "2009-01-23T07:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/141 "2009-01-27T03:08:26Z")
Opaque, opague. Somewhere along the line my brain decided the latter was the right spelling and my pronunciation followed. Then one day maybe five years ago my brother with whom I was working at the time gave me a real funny look when I said it that way. I believe he thought I was being folksy but he kindly corrected me. Oops. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/142 "2009-01-27T23:13:00Z")
It wasn’t until High School that I discovered “Sean” was pronounced Shawn and not Seen. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/143 "2009-01-28T00:29:08Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > More recently, I learned that the nation “Niger” is pronounced “KNEE-zhair”. But all my life I’ve heard it pronounced “NIGH-jer”, and I’d always heard it pronounced that way. (And poems implied that pronunciation). As a kid, I was reading a poem out loud to my Mom. The poem rhymed “Niger” with “tiger.” But I had never seen or heard of Niger, so I rhymed it “nigger” and “tigger,” even though I knew “nigger” was a “bad word.” I didn’t get into trouble, just corrected. Thank og it wasn’t at school… Joe ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/144 "2009-01-28T00:34:35Z")
I was about 12, and recounting to my Mom the Phillies game my dad and I had seen the previous day. I told her very excitedly that [Ozzie Virgin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Virgil,_Jr.) had hit a game-winning home run! > [@KnitWit](#): > > Being a perfect human being, I have never done this. Or at least, I can’t think of an instance right now. > > But during a 6 week period between jobs, I took a really, REALLY crappy part time job, where I had this conversation with an esteemed co-worker. > > Me: Hi! What do you need me to do? > Her: Huh? > Me: Well, I’m here, what should I do? > Her: Have you been assigned a pacific area? > Me: Excuse me? > Her: Well, you should get a pacific area, then you’ll go work there. Pacifically. > > I thought she was going to send me to Seattle. Ha ha ha! I worked with a 50-year-old woman who did this! I was too embarrassed to correct her, but she never caught on by example… Joe ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/145 "2009-01-28T01:03:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I wonder if it’s an Illinois thing. Looks like most (if not all) of the people here with the “l” in “folk” (or some similar sound. Mine is also not the typical “l,” but there is something going on there that distinguishes it from “foke”) are from the Illinois area. Nah, that’s how they pronounce it in Philly, and Trenton, where I’m from. Foke and yoke. I give them a slight “l,” but not quite hard. Joe ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/146 "2009-01-29T14:42:54Z")
I’ve spent most of my adult life believing that "Its your round(of drinks) L4L " meant that it was time for me to pay an extended visit to the toilet only to find that someone had bought me a pint while I was out there. Boy was my face red when I finally discovered that it actually meant that it was my turn to buy everyone a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/147 "2009-01-29T15:57:53Z")
> [@Queen of Town](#): > > I believe in-TEH-gral is something essential, while INT-e-gral was what you use in calculus. The pronunciation depends on how you’re using it. Can I just say inteGRAL and claim it’s y’all who speak in the wrong language? ☹ No, it didn’t fly with that teacher in grad school either… ---
**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:** [January 30, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/148 "2009-01-30T00:09:43Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Nah, that’s how they pronounce it in Philly, and Trenton, where I’m from. Foke and yoke. I give them a slight “l,” but not quite hard. I’m confused. Philly and Trenton says it “foke” and “yoke”? I’m saying the Illinoisans in this thread are saying it “folk” and “yolk.” But then you say you do give it an “l.” So are you saying Philly and Trenton give it a light “l” or say “foke” and “yoke”? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/149 "2009-01-30T00:54:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I wonder if it’s an Illinois thing. Looks like most (if not all) of the people here with the “l” in “folk” (or some similar sound. Mine is also not the typical “l,” but there is something going on there that distinguishes it from “foke”) are from the Illinois area. Nope, because I pronounce them the same way \*\*WhyNot \*\*does, and I’ve lived most of my life in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/150 "2009-01-30T00:56:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m confused. Philly and Trenton says it “foke” and “yoke”? I’m saying the Illinoisans in this thread are saying it “folk” and “yolk.” But then you say you do give it an “l.” So are you saying Philly and Trenton give it a light “l” or say “foke” and “yoke”? Maybe I misunderstood. The words should have a pronounced 'l" sound. But people from Philly don’t pronounce the 'l". Joe ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/151 "2009-01-30T01:37:57Z")
Not a pronunciation thing exactly, but I only figured out a couple of years ago that if you do something **painstakingly** then you are “taking pains”, not… er, “staking pain”. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/152 "2009-01-30T03:35:18Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > Maybe I misunderstood. The words should have a pronounced 'l" sound. But people from Philly don’t pronounce the 'l". > > Joe I think you misunderstood. Those words should _not_ have the “l” pronounced. Look in any online dictionary. They don’t even list the “l” pronunciation (much to my shock.) I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one pronouncing the “l.” (edit: Actually, “yolk” has the “l” pronunciation in some of the online dictionaries, but “folk” is only “foke” from what I can find.) ---
**Author:** ![happiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@happiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happiness)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/153 "2009-01-30T03:46:32Z")
it wasn’t until my senior year of college that I learned that the saying is not “for all intensive purposes”. Although I’ve always been a heavy reader, I never realized that my way of saying it and “for all intents and purposes” were the same thing. Thankfully, I grew up in the south, where all the words are kind of slurred together anyway, so I don’t think anyone ever noticed. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/154 "2009-01-30T04:02:53Z")
I’m still confused about how to pronounce the “x” in spanish words that are loaned from the south and central american indigenous languages. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/155 "2009-01-30T04:03:47Z")
I was going to add that I used to think calliope was pronounced KALeeope, insted of caLIEopee but I just read that both are acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/156 "2009-01-30T04:15:04Z")
I’ve been watching Simon Schama’s _History of Britain_ series and I was surprised to hear him pronounce Agincourt with a soft “j” instead of the hard “g” I’ve always assumed was correct. ---
**Author:** ![Incref](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@Incref](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incref)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/157 "2009-01-30T06:20:41Z")
I have been pronouncing coquettish as ‘coy-tish’ until rather recently. Which is even more peculiar considering I sing along to a song that describes the woman involved as a “…little coquette” and pronounce that ‘koh-ket’. It never occurred to me that despite having the same meaning they would sound the same. :smack: Oh and a couple of the other posts on here reminded me of this story. When I was about 11 or so I had been flicking through some of my mother’s cookbooks and announced quite pleased with myself that we should serve Whore’s Duvets for our guests. My parents had no idea what I was talking about until I described it in a bit more detail. They both erupted in laughter and it has now been a running joke that you serve the quilts of prostitutes at parties. I have the pronunciation hors d’oeuvre etched in my mind, but I only serve canapés. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Spectralist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spectralist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectralist)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604/158 "2009-01-30T10:08:20Z")
It wasn’t until late highschool that i realized the word i had read, colonel, and the one i had heard, kernel, were the same thing. I still sometimes pronounce it colonel just because i think it sounds better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/word-errors-you-discovered-embarrassingly-late-in-life/482604.md?page=7)