# Words that sound strange to you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 12, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363 "2015-06-12T16:09:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/1 "2015-06-12T16:09:42Z")
I was listening to an audiobook about the US Civil War, and the word “musket” was used a number of times. I know what a musket is, and the author was a soldier in the Confederate Army, so I am sure the use of the word is correct. That is what soldiers called the rifles they used during the war. However, each time I hear the word, it sounds strangely made-up. I think ot may have to do with the movie “Suicide Kings”, where Denis Leary gets into an argument with a homeless person, who uses the word “busket” instead of bucket… I have no idea if this has anything to do with it or not, but “musket” still sounds like a made up word to me now. Anyone have a similar word (or words) that hit your ear in a strange way? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/2 "2015-06-12T16:12:38Z")
None at the moment, but I do have that from time to time - for the written word as well as spoken. Usually when I’m reading through a document and I see the same word over and over. It just sounds ‘wrong’ in a way that I can’t define. Usually I’m over the feeling in an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/3 "2015-06-12T16:21:46Z")
> [@The\_Angry\_Badger](#): > > None at the moment, but I do have that from time to time - for the written word as well as spoken. Usually when I’m reading through a document and I see the same word over and over. It just sounds ‘wrong’ in a way that I can’t define. > Usually I’m over the feeling in an hour or so. [Semantic satiation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation) I have a problem with the word “solder” ever since I learned from the Dope several months ago that it’s the same word that I’ve been pronouncing as “sotter” (a common U.S. pronounciation) for my entire life. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/4 "2015-06-12T16:37:02Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > [Semantic satiation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation) Hmm, I never knew it was an actual thing. I always thought it was just me being weird. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/5 "2015-06-12T17:18:17Z")
Rhinoceros. There’s something wrong with that word, either it’s missing a syllable or has one too many, I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/6 "2015-06-12T17:58:05Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > Rhinoceros. > > There’s something wrong with that word, either it’s missing a syllable or has one too many, I’m not sure. Probably the odd pronunciation of the final “o”. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/7 "2015-06-12T18:40:31Z")
Obstreporous. It just feels so cumbersome to add that ‘r’ in after the ‘t’. It SHOULD be obsteperous. ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/8 "2015-06-12T19:22:48Z")
Not spoken so much as written. The worst is “doing.” I go through phases where I can’t read it any other way than rhyming with boing. Doing, doing, doing, doing! It’s very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/9 "2015-06-12T20:14:15Z")
Behoove. "It behooves us to . . . " I keep thinking it has to do with cattle. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/10 "2015-06-12T20:28:36Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Probably the odd pronunciation of the final “o”. That could very well be, and probably why I initially spelled it as “rhinocerous”. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/11 "2015-06-13T02:15:37Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > [Semantic satiation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_satiation) Thanks for this link. Nice to know there is a name for this strange phenomenon… ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/12 "2015-06-13T02:19:50Z")
French-style words that have g before n like insignia, sphygnomanometer, signet, eggnog. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/13 "2015-06-13T07:13:23Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > French-style words that have g before n like insignia, **sphygnomanometer** , signet, eggnog. It’s [_sphyg **m** omanometer_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphygmomanometer). ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/14 "2015-06-13T07:27:05Z")
Missed it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/15 "2015-06-13T09:27:27Z")
Ophthalmologist. It should be sounded as EYE DOCTOR! ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/16 "2015-06-14T03:27:00Z")
I have always thought that syllable is too long of a word. It has too many of itself in it. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2015, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/17 "2015-06-14T06:45:39Z")
Oh, I have quite a few, but mischievous should be misCHEEVEEous in my brain. I don’t care if it’s wrong, it just somehow connotes better with that (mis)pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![67java89](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/aeb1de/32.png) [@67java89](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/67java89)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/18 "2015-06-15T21:41:41Z")
shyster February ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/19 "2015-06-15T22:34:33Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > I know what a musket is, and the author was a soldier in the Confederate Army, so I am sure the use of the word is correct. That is what soldiers called the rifles they used during the war. As a nitpick, unless it specifically used this way in the civil war (and feel free to educate me if so), a musket is not a rifle. A musket is the pre-rifle gun that fired round balls. A rifle uses etching inside the barrel to impart spin on a more oblong projectile, significantly improving aim. However, the idea that a musketeer was a person who used a musket, as opposed to just being a synonym for buddy, occurred to me embarrassingly late in life. I think The Three Musketeers and The Three Amigos got conflated in my head somehow… ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363/20 "2015-06-16T19:08:10Z")
The nickname “Mal” looks wrong, or at least unpleasant, to me, because “mal” means “bad” in French. (It’s also part of English words describing less-pleasant things like malaise and malpractice.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-sound-strange-to-you/722363.md?page=2)