# words you've always mispronounced **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611 "2003-06-18T03:13:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/81 "2011-11-09T05:41:44Z")
The phrase “chaise lounge”. It’s French for “lounge chair”. But I quickly learned that pronouncing it the French way will make people look at you funny. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/82 "2011-11-09T06:03:10Z")
Here’s one that is maybe open for debate: When talking about a suite of furniture, my mom would pronounce it “suit” and I’d always say it like “sweet.” Which are you most familiar with? I hear from a lot of people that they’ve heard both. ---
**Author:** ![Timchik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Timchik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timchik)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/83 "2011-11-09T07:34:28Z")
> [@gatorslap](#): > > The phrase “chaise lounge”. It’s French for “lounge chair”. But I quickly learned that pronouncing it the French way will make people look at you funny. Assuming this ain’t a whoosh, it’s actually a [chaise longue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaise_longue) - a long chair. But yeah, a lot of people say it as if it’s a Shay’s Lounge and apparently this “has persisted so strongly in America that it is no longer considered incorrect there”. Heaven forfend. and **voguevixen** , I’ve always heard and said it as “sweet” ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/84 "2011-11-09T09:15:25Z")
> [@Timchik](#): > > Assuming this ain’t a whoosh, it’s actually a [chaise longue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaise_longue) - a long chair. It’s half a whoosh – I know it’s not actually French for “lounge chair” and I am familiar with “chaise longue”. But I have never actually seen anyone say “chaise longue” one way or another. I used to work at Ace Hardware and the long patio chairs always said “chaise lounge” on the box and in the catalog. > [@](#): > > But yeah, a lot of people say it as if it’s a Shay’s Lounge and apparently this “has persisted so strongly in America that it is no longer considered incorrect there”. Well, the article doesn’t specify pronunciation, but I always hear it as “chase lounge”, both pronounced as if they were the regular English words. I have acquiesced to this pronunciation but it still doesn’t feel right. I used to say “chaise lounge” (but not “longue”) as both words would be pronounced in French, although I’m pretty sure “lounge” is not a valid French word. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/85 "2011-11-09T10:13:34Z")
One time I made the mistake of pronouncing **debridement** , _“de- **BRIDE** -ment”_, instead of the correct, \*“de- **BREED** -ment” \*(dĭ-brēd’mənt). The deriding I received kept me saying _debriding_ correct ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/86 "2011-11-09T10:34:15Z")
I guess it’s strangely fitting that every time I say _pronunciation_, I have to pause and make sure I don’t say _pro-NOUN-ciation_. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/87 "2011-11-09T17:58:56Z")
Yes, dour (rhymes with tour, not with sour) is one I learned recently. Now, I try to pronounce it right, but it still sounds weird. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/88 "2011-11-09T18:56:16Z")
My supreme embarrassment is the word “CLANDESTINE.” I’ve always pronounced it CLAN-des-TEEN. And then I took a class on how clandestine drug labs can impact highway workers. Open mouth, insert foot. I still think my proununciation is best, LOL. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/89 "2011-11-09T19:46:08Z")
“Guillotine.” I say “gill-o-teen”. My old roommate laughed at me and said it’s pronounced “gee-o-teen”. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/90 "2011-11-09T20:16:18Z")
I always want to refer to Tanzania (“tan-zuh-NEE-uh”) as tan-ZAY-nee-uh. Like Tazmania. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/91 "2011-11-09T20:38:38Z")
I used to have trouble with “heinous.” I always want to insert an extra E: “HEE-nee-us” instead of “HAY-nus.” I was recently surprised to learn that “coitus” is pronounced “COH-it-us,” not “COY-tus.” Someone better tell Sheldon Cooper. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/92 "2011-11-09T20:52:18Z")
Not me, but an old acquaintance in high school thought that “biped” rhymed with “tipped.” And then there’s “Mxyzptlk.” For years, footnotes in the Superman comic books have said it’s pronounced “MIX-yez-PITEL-ick,” but I can’t pronounce PITEL as one syllable. One Superman writer, though, said that it’s “mix-IZP-tulk,” and that sounds much better. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/93 "2011-11-09T21:00:53Z")
> [@MysteryMan](#): > > 1. Nostradamus = NOSTRA - damus > I always pronounced it nah - STRAH - damus. Huh. I put inflection on the ‘dam’ part and that’s it. Remind me never to invoke his name orally! And if it wasn’t for Yosemite Sam, I probably would pronounce that one wrong, too! ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/94 "2011-11-09T21:50:44Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > And if it wasn’t for Yosemite Sam, I probably would pronounce that one wrong, too! My Grandma always said “YO-sem-ite,” and laughed at people who said “yo-SEM-ih-tee.” ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/95 "2011-11-10T01:41:47Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I always want to refer to Tanzania (“tan-zuh-NEE-uh”) as tan-ZAY-nee-uh. Like Tazmania. An [Onion](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=onion%20tanzania&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theonion.com%2Farticles%2Ftanzania-loses-name-to-tanningsalon-chain%2C701%2F&ei=biu7TrzFLOfbiAL7_N3vAQ&usg=AFQjCNFmAd5TnbjSBSet0nVshwvoQB_8YA&cad=rja) reader, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/96 "2011-11-10T09:40:49Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > Gaia > > I always thought it was GUY-uh, but it’s GAY-uh. Our daughter is Gaia, and we pronounce it Guy-uh - backed up by [Merriam-Webster](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaia)here. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/97 "2011-11-10T10:16:52Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > It’s pronounced “cash” even in the military. Hub spent 37 years in the US Army Ordnance Corp and never once had a “cash-ay” of weapons. Let me second this. Cache is pronounced “cash” even by the military. It’s the woefully uneducated enlisted boobs in today’s military who pronounce it “cachay”. ---
**Author:** ![BowlOfDucks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BowlOfDucks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BowlOfDucks)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611/98 "2011-11-10T10:28:13Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Here’s a page of Japanese speakers [saying the word](http://www.forvo.com/word/hiroshima/). Note that all but the last say something that sounds more like hee RO shee MA. But the last one is also not innacurate: HEE-ro-shi-MA. Nice site! Apparently I’ve been pronouncing Tokyo wrong. I pronounced it To-kee-oh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-youve-always-mispronounced/182611.md?page=4)