# Words that you mispronounce while reading. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 4, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727 "2003-02-04T17:34:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/21 "2003-02-05T13:22:06Z")
Do character names count? Anytime I read a foreign/fantasy book I anglicize any weird names I can’t pronounce in english. ---
**Author:** ![squirt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@squirt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squirt)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/22 "2003-02-05T13:38:25Z")
Well seing as you asked, upholstry = u-folstry I’m never sure what “miscellaneous” sounds like. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/23 "2003-02-05T14:00:02Z")
I can’t read “rhetoric” without rhyming it with “caloric”. It leaves such a bad taste in my mouth I have to go back to the beginning of the sentence and force myself to re-read until I get it right. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/24 "2003-02-05T16:49:07Z")
**Epitome** (epi-TOME) and **segue** (seh-GYEW), for me. Thankfully they only sound like that in my head, and not when they come out my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/25 "2003-02-05T17:43:18Z")
English place names seem to have different rules for pronounciations. Grosvenor (also a street in toronto). I always want to pronounce it ‘Gross - Venor’ because - guess what? - that’s how it’s SPELLED. But the Queen’s English sez it’s ‘Groves - nor.’ It also encourages non-intuitive pronounciations of Leicester (‘Lesta’ - or, I suppose you could get away with ‘Lester’ if you’re N American), Greenwich (‘Gren-ich’), Tottenham (‘Tot-num’) and so on. Also in England I was mocked for my utter inability to say ‘Albermarle’ anywhere close to the way they say it. I know this isn’t technically an issue of ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ … just makes pronounciation annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Morrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Morrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/26 "2003-02-05T17:57:54Z")
Me too for “awry”. gets me every time! ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/27 "2003-02-05T18:09:36Z")
Epitome Draught Rehtoric Colonel I know better but my brain just has it’s own way about it… ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/28 "2003-02-05T19:01:10Z")
Even now that I have long since known better, the word “ **Bravo!** ” looks like you’re commending someone for their bravery. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/29 "2003-02-05T19:25:26Z")
I invariably read “bass” as the fish, not as the musical instrument. It makes music reviews a lot more fun. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/30 "2003-02-05T21:03:49Z")
I’m worse than I thought. Add Draught, Rehtoric, and Awry to my growing list. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/31 "2003-02-05T21:59:11Z")
I used to read (many years ago) _debacle_ as DEB-u-cul. I was set straight by a friend of mine that the true pronunciation of the word was de-BAC-ul. It was one of those words that I had encountered many times in my prodigious reading, but had never heard anyone say. On another note, I used to read a lot of spy novels, and a word that came up many times in them was _rendezvous_. Of course, I thought it was pronounced, REN-dez-vows. It took me a while to realize that the word in the Amazing Rhythm Aces song was the same as the word that I had screwed up for so long was of course, RAN-de-vou. I still rememeber when I finally got it. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/32 "2003-02-05T22:08:47Z")
I mispronounced and misspelled “enmity” for my whole life (at least since I first learned the word) until I heard it pronounced on a TV program. I was so sure that the speaker had mispronounced it as “enmity” instead of my version, “emnity,” that I went immediately and looked it up. Imagine my surprize. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/33 "2003-02-05T23:55:10Z")
Wilkes-Barre, PA. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/34 "2003-02-06T01:19:23Z")
Wait. It’s not emnity?? ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/35 "2003-02-06T03:21:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > \*\*Wait. It’s not emnity?? \*\* Welcome to my world. From Merriam-Webster _Collegiate_: enmity - positive, active and typically mutual, hatred or ill will. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/36 "2003-02-06T03:30:50Z")
I’m still reeling from the shock of _Alias_ being announced as “a- **ly** -as” instead of “ **ay** -lee-as”. And I can’t bring myself to pronounce “chasm” with a k sound at the beginning. Ah, the remnants of reading Piers Anthony at a too tender age to know its correct pronounciation… ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/37 "2003-02-06T14:41:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David Simmons \* > \*\*Welcome to my world. > > From Merriam-Webster _Collegiate_: > > enmity - positive, active and typically mutual, hatred or ill will. \*\* :o How embarassing. I have to admit I didn’t really believe you and actually double-checked on you. Boy is my face red. I thought of another word, BTW: factetious. FAS-et -ous. Nonono! faSEEshus. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/38 "2003-02-06T15:59:58Z")
I had to read The Ancient Mariner in front of my 8th grade English class. I was so embarrassed when they all laughed when I said “Ma-REEN-er.” I also can never remember how to pronounce gesture. :: goes to look it up :: It’s jest-ure— not gess-ture… And duodenum… oh! I just looked it up too - both pronunciations are correct! doo-oh-DEE-num and doo-AH-di-num ---
**Author:** ![MemoryGongs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@MemoryGongs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryGongs)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/39 "2003-02-06T19:11:24Z")
hyperbole - hyper-bowl superflous - super-flu-us ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727/40 "2003-02-06T19:46:18Z")
ennui - in’ yu ee [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-you-mispronounce-while-reading/152727.md?page=3)