# Written words you mispronounced until hearing them **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2016, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395 "2016-11-01T19:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/121 "2016-11-02T19:16:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Interesting. I had never heard it pronounced any way other than to rhyme with “sour.” But, you’re right, the /dur/ pronunciation is listed first in the dictionaries I checked. I’m still gonna pronounce it to rhyme with “sour,” though, as I don’t think anyone would understand me otherwise. At least not around here. In my British dialect it rhymes with sour unless it’s describing something or somebody Scottish, as in a /dur/ Scot 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/122 "2016-11-02T20:43:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > With a hard or soft “g”? I have a feeling (though I might be wrong) that **Little Nemo** is using “a-gin-cort” to represent a “hard g” sound as in “get,” but you are using it to refer to the “soft g” sound as in, well, “gin.” The reason I say that is because he lists an “a-gin” pronunciation along with an “a-jin” pronunciation. Yes, that’s what I meant. “Gin,” like the alcoholic beverage. Being a history buff, I pronounce it the way it is in French. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/123 "2016-11-02T21:01:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > With a hard or soft “g”? I have a feeling (though I might be wrong) that **Little Nemo** is using “a-gin-cort” to represent a “hard g” sound as in “get,” but you are using it to refer to the “soft g” sound as in, well, “gin.” The reason I say that is because he lists an “a-gin” pronunciation along with an “a-jin” pronunciation. Yes, I was talking about a hard g. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/124 "2016-11-02T21:07:55Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I read numerous accounts of the Battle of Agincourt and I figured this was pronounced a-gin-kort. Then a few years ago, I was listening to an audiobook and they pronounced it ah-zhin-kor. ‘Okay,’ I thought, ‘good to know.’ > > Except that since then, I’ve heard it pronounced several different ways: a-gin-kort, ah-zhin-kor, ah-jin-kor, a-zhin-kort, and others. > [@terentii](#): > > If you tell a Torontonian you’re going shopping at “Ah-zhin-cor Mall,” he or she will immediately correct you with “A-gin-court.” > [@pulykamell](#): > > With a hard or soft “g”? I have a feeling (though I might be wrong) that **Little Nemo** is using “a-gin-cort” to represent a “hard g” sound as in “get,” but you are using it to refer to the “soft g” sound as in, well, “gin.” The reason I say that is because he lists an “a-gin” pronunciation along with an “a-jin” pronunciation. > [@terentii](#): > > Yes, that’s what I meant. “Gin,” like the alcoholic beverage. > > Being a history buff, I pronounce it the way it is in French. Once again, drifting a bit away from the topic; but I’ve learnt in recent years, that there is not total uniformity about the _spelling_, either, of the north-of-France village concerned. For decades, I’d just reckoned from all heard and received, that it was spelt “Agincourt” – no more to discuss. Then, Bernard Cornwell (of _Sharpe_ fame), published a novel in his series about a medieval English archer / soldier, treating of the battle concerned; and he titled the novel, _Azincourt_. I have rather a love-hate relationship with Cornwell; some of his novel series I like, some I can’t stand; his medieval-archer one is in the latter category, and on seeing the book first hit the bookshops, my reaction was, “Oh dear God, Bernard, you f\*\*\*ing precious twat and attention-whore, with your crazy fancy spelling”. Some later research disclosed that in fact in France, both the “g” and “z” spellings are admissible. Either, it seems, work more or less OK for the “zh” or “j” or “g” pronunciations. So – sorry, Mr. Cornwell: although you often piss me off, my pissed-off-ness about this particular thing was unjust. ---
**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:** [November 2, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/125 "2016-11-02T21:40:21Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Yes, that’s what I meant. “Gin,” like the alcoholic beverage. > > Being a history buff, I pronounce it the way it is in French. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, I was talking about a hard g. Add this to the cases of why IPA (or similar) is a nice, handy system when talking about pronunciation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/126 "2016-11-03T00:12:43Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > When I was working as a radio newscaster, I once read “appelate” (the kind of court) as “APPLE-at” on the air, and a listener called me on it. (The stress should be on “PEL.”) This, however, was not nearly as embarrassing as reading “John Paul Two” instead of “John Paul the Second.” **DUH!** :smack: > > Moral of the story: \*\*ALWAYS \*\*mark your copy before you try to read it! If I were a newscaster I am sure that I would always pronounce indicted wrong even though I know how it is supposed to be pronounced. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/127 "2016-11-03T00:36:42Z")
> [@Sir\_Prize](#): > > If I were a newscaster I am sure that I would always pronounce indicted wrong even though I know how it is supposed to be pronounced. At least you know how to use the subjunctive properly! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/128 "2016-11-03T01:24:43Z")
As a child: Suede. I thought it was soo-dee. More recently: quinoa. I thought it was quinn-oh-a. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/129 "2016-11-03T01:47:27Z")
Johann von **Goethe**. I pronounced that Go-eth up until college, until a roommate heard me talking about the guy, rolled his eyes, and corrected me. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/130 "2016-11-03T02:06:00Z")
Growing up, my brother and I really enjoyed having “Doug Hunts” as a treat for breakfast. You know, those tasty things with a hole in the middle? ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/131 "2016-11-03T02:16:31Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > You mean I’ve been pronouncing it wrong this whole time? [Yes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=631158). Kind of ironic that the classic Python joke about mispronouncing names is so commonly misheard and mispronounced. I’d like to think it was deliberate, but I don’t think even Monty Python were _that_ clever. Anyway, once and for all, it’s **Throatwobbler Mangrove**. With a wobble, not a warble. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/132 "2016-11-03T04:05:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s actually not at all true. Shih-CAH-go and shih-CAW-go are both common pronunciations in the city by locals. > \ > I grew up in a Polish neighborhood on the South(west) Side, and there is no AW sound in Polish, so the AH pronunciation is what dominated the local dialect. Daley also grew up on the South Side, but in an Irish neighborhood. However, my theory somewhat breaks down with Royko, who grew up in a North Side Polish neighborhood. My family is Polish and we live on the North Side. I’ve always pronounced it “Chic AW go.” A cousin of mine who lived in the most populous city in Michigan once “corrected” my pronunciation. I immediately asked her, “How are things in De-TWAH?” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/133 "2016-11-03T04:24:44Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Johann von **Goethe**. I pronounced that Go-eth up until college, until a roommate heard me talking about the guy, rolled his eyes, and corrected me. And his buddy, **AL** -burt **CAM** -us. As a kid, I pronounced the gravelly part of the road “Should-er.” ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/134 "2016-11-03T05:02:53Z")
Sieve - I thought it was pronouced “seeve”. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/135 "2016-11-03T05:06:54Z")
“Desultory” tripped me up. I had seen it in print for probably a couple of years during my “Victorian novels” stage when I was 14-15 or so, but never heard it, although I was sure of its meaning, so I used it once, in front of my mother, who immediately corrected me. It took me a long time to connect the written word “segue” with “SEG-way.” That one really should be on Freshman English spelling tests. I learned the word “thesaurus” from my teacher at international school in Moscow, who was English, and she pronounced in “THE[devoiced ‘TH’+short ‘E’]-sur-us,” as opposed to sounding like some kind of dinosaur. I don’t know if that is a regional pronunciation, or standard UK English. But I said that for years. I couldn’t shake it. [hijack]There was a guy in Indiana who was one of those late-night horror movie hosts, who went by the name Sammy Terry. It was years before I got the pun.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/136 "2016-11-03T05:15:42Z")
Pineal gland. It’s apparently pronounced PIE nee all, not PIN nee all, as I thought. No, I don’t get the chance to hear or say it very often. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/137 "2016-11-03T06:26:35Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > When I was younger I would pronounce municipal as “munincipal”… Municipal is a hard word! As a kid, I called it muncipal. Left out a syllable. I put that extra syllable back into another word, Ramadama, as in Ramadama Inn. But I still mispronounce a lot of written words. Or that is, I refuse to say certain words. Because I know I have them wrong. Truculent, lugubrious. Once I bragged to some acquaintances about my brilliant spelling abilities and one of them suggested a challenge and asked me if I knew how to spell (pronounced phonetically) “tisic.” I thought about it a minute. I DID know how to spell it. I had no idea how to pronounce it, ever, and would never have attempted it. PHTHISIC. He was astounded. I couldn’t return the challenge because all the hard to spell words I know, I am afraid to pronounce. (And after phthisic you can’t give somebody an ordinary hard word like ophthalmologist. Especially not that one.) ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/138 "2016-11-03T18:17:01Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > Sieve - I thought it was pronouced “seeve”. Wait, it’s not…? I mispronounced “rendezvous” as with z and s both pronounced. And also mispronounced recipe as Re-SYP. That’s what I get for learning phonics… ---
**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:** [November 3, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/139 "2016-11-03T19:05:13Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Wait, it’s not…? “Siv” as I’ve always heard it. ---
**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 3, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395/140 "2016-11-03T19:18:32Z")
Bananarama’s Siobhan Fahey: I was saying “See-oh-buh-han” in my head until a MuchMusic veejay said “Shivon” and I was like “???” Siouxsie and the Banshees: I saw “See-ooks-sie” until same thing, a MuchMusic veejay said “Suzy”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/written-words-you-mispronounced-until-hearing-them/770395.md?page=8)