# Words that make you sound stupid if you pronounce them the way they're spelled **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 9, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933 "2004-12-09T16:01:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/61 "2004-12-09T22:04:19Z")
😛 **CALYPSO** ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/62 "2004-12-09T22:13:56Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > Melancholy. > > My wife got tripped up on this word in grade school, and neither of her parents knew how to pronounce it, either, so she gave a report where she read the word aloud as spelled. She’s still mortified by it. My friend, the english teacher, once told me that he’s “feeling awfully mel-ANK-ully today”. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/63 "2004-12-09T22:27:04Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Er… it is! Isn’t it? > > _thumbs through dictionary_ > > Yes, it is. > [@Colophon](#): > > Hmm… well, my desk dictionary says EE-pock, but the crapola online dictionary gives that as the second choice, with preference to “EPP-uhk”, or some such nonsense. I have never heard that in my life. > [@gigi](#): > > Actually it can be pronounced EE-pock. Hmm, interesting! Before college, I had only encountered the word before in crossword puzzles and reading. Everyone I’ve heard say it, including my dad and my geology teacher, pronounce it “epic” so I thought I had just been mentally misprouncing it all these years. That said, I think I like the “epic” pronunciation better - “ee-pock” sounds like something from those genealogy lists in the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/64 "2004-12-09T22:46:22Z")
I was a precocious reader (started around age 3), and here are some of the ones that tripped me up while reading aloud: **answer aisle** (yep, I had someone walking up the ayzel) **misled** (don’t misle people, it’s not nice!) **sepulchre** (reading out loud in Sunday school. Ouch!) ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/65 "2004-12-09T23:09:03Z")
Quiche is not pronounced the same as quickie and crepes are not pronounces as creepies, as my Uncle found out from my Aunt after ordering at a nice restaurant. My English teacher made fun of me for suggesting that victuals was pronounced vittles. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/66 "2004-12-10T00:29:44Z")
I was in the mall yesterday, and a teenage girl near me rolled her eyes and said, **“Oh! Em! Gee!”** Not as a reaction to me…I think. Most people say buh-NAHL for **banal.** My old 12-pound dictionary says it’s BAY-null. I’ve looked up **processes,** so I know that prah-sess-ees is also an accepted way to say it, but I grind my teeth when I hear it, anyway. Processees are steers, about to become lunchmeat. ---
**Author:** ![Goofus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7feea3/32.png) [@Goofus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Goofus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/67 "2004-12-10T01:13:11Z")
The first time I used “gazebo” in conversation I found out it has three syllables, not two. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/68 "2004-12-10T01:19:23Z")
More place names: Gloucester, Worcester Conetoe, NC (kuh-NEE-tah) ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/69 "2004-12-10T01:29:17Z")
> [@The\_Stranger](#): > > Nazi [Pronounced](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=nazi) Pronunciation: 'nät-sE. There is no “au” sound as in “naught”… but according to that dictionary’s [pronunciation guide](http://www.m-w.com/help/pronguide.htm), that ä in 'nät-sE is pronounced like the o in cot, which is pretty close to the au sound in naught. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/70 "2004-12-10T01:40:47Z")
Discotheque. Yeah, I know it doesn’t come up much anymore. It did in my senior English class (three years ago). “Dis-co-THEEK?” :smack: Also: Wanton. (ALSO when reading aloud in a literature class…grumble grumble) “Wahn-Tahn?” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/71 "2004-12-10T03:40:38Z")
Womb Tomb Bomb laughter slaughter and of course ‘lead’ The leader told the laggard to get the lead out. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/72 "2004-12-10T11:03:48Z")
**Sign**. Although, because most people come up against “sign” first, it’s **signal** that’s more likely to trip 'em up. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/73 "2004-12-10T12:28:22Z")
I find that the American spellings of some English words with Greek origins makes pronunciation MORE difficult, rather than simpler. eg, Fetus (pronounced FEE-tus, not FET-us)) is more difficult than Foetus, provided you know it’s the Greek “oe” (ee) and not the English “oe” (oh). Leukemia (loo-KEE-me-ah, not loo-KEM-ee-ah) is harder to pronounce correctly than Leukaemia, if you know Greek. Personally, it seems a little daft to keep some of the Greek spelling (leu) but dispense with other bits (aemia), although I realise that most people don’t receive the “classical” education that would have made the pronunciation of those words intuitive to people 100 years ago. But mostly, I think it looks ugly and clumsy, and dislike American medical textbooks for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/74 "2004-12-10T13:11:33Z")
Sioux. A relative of mine wondered why nobody ever mentioned the “Si-ou-ex” Indians. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/75 "2004-12-10T13:56:52Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > Another one: whilst. > Not a word used by Americans much, but a word I’ve been mispronouncing forever (in my head) when I read emails from people across the Pond. In America, this word is only properly used when quoting Daffy Duck: “Slight pause whilst I adjust my accoutrement.” ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/76 "2004-12-10T14:45:56Z")
colonel sing/sign --\> the spelling could cause confusion (I know I always have to check!) That’s all I gots for now. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/77 "2004-12-10T15:20:43Z")
I’ll see your colonel and raise you a **lieutenant**. Although increasingly people in the UK are using the American pronunciation - no doubt due to watching too many Hollywood war movies ☹ (The traditional English pronunciation is “leftenant”.) ---
**Author:** ![hiebram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5fc32e/32.png) [@hiebram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hiebram)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/78 "2004-12-10T19:11:10Z")
discipline A rare example of the silent c, and despite the silent e on the end, the i is still short. ---
**Author:** ![hiebram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5fc32e/32.png) [@hiebram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hiebram)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/79 "2004-12-10T19:12:32Z")
I should have waited for a moment’s contemplation before posting, because you should also contrast that with… disciple Hiebram ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933/80 "2004-12-10T19:37:30Z")
colonel macabre (not, as it seems, pronounced like macrame) horizon (not pronounded like horizontal without the ‘tal’) My favorite commercial right now is that one by Fed-Ex where the guy wants to send a package to P’honics (Phoenix) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-make-you-sound-stupid-if-you-pronounce-them-the-way-theyre-spelled/278933.md?page=5)