# WrongSpeak on the Air **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2000, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185 "2000-11-01T03:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [November 1, 2000, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/1 "2000-11-01T03:49:36Z")
One of my pet peeves is newspeople’s mispronunciation of words on a regular basis. I mean, they earn a living with language, you’d think they’d know better. My favorite is “pre-nuptial” pronounced “pre-nup-choo-al,” as if there were a “U” instead of an “I.” I have **never** heard this word pronounced correctly on TV. ---
**Author:** ![LMacG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@LMacG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LMacG)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/2 "2000-11-01T12:01:13Z")
Perhaps they are distracted by all of their JEWL-UH-REE, or worries of a NUKE-U-LAR explosion? ---
**Author:** ![JimmyNipples](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@JimmyNipples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyNipples)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/3 "2000-11-01T16:32:38Z")
I hate that too. As a broadcaster, I watch and listen to the CBC. Their guys usually get it right and I, in turn, copy them. There are certain rules when it comes to pronouncing a persons last name…and most announcers ignore the rules or are not aware of them. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/4 "2000-11-01T18:14:09Z")
**panache45** said: > [@](#): > > My favorite is “pre-nuptial” pronounced “pre-nup-choo-al,” as if there were a “U” instead of an “I.” Well, it really _should_\* be pronounced like: -sh\l, so I would say that amongst people with poor enunciation -nupchooal isn’t _too_ far off. Schwas do indicate an “uh”-type sound in a word. It’s definitely _not_ pronounced as if the ending vowel combination is dominated by the “I.” How the heck do you think it should be pronounced? ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/5 "2000-11-01T18:16:40Z")
On another reading, I may have misinterpreted your comments. Do you mean you hear people pronouncing the word with a domininant “I” in the last vowel combination? I must say, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that… ---
**Author:** ![scratch1300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/6 "2000-11-01T18:30:28Z")
Gulp! That’s how I’ve been pronouncing it all along, without thinking. But I resolve herewith to change… “Jewelry” and “nukyular” are perpetrated mostly by unlettered folks, but some mispronunciations of more educated persons are: **Mauve** , which should rhyme with _stove_. I’ve only heard one person (other than myself) pronounce it that way, though. Also **forte** should be one syllable, pronounced just like _fort_, but, alas, everyone thinks you’re a moron if you say it the right way. (There is a disyllabic _forte_; but it’s a musical term meaning “loud”.) Oh, and **cumin** should not rhyme with _human_; it’s supposed to sound like “come in”, but with the stress on the first syllable. All I can think of for now… ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/7 "2000-11-01T18:46:53Z")
**scratch1300** said: > [@](#): > > Oh, and cumin should not rhyme with human But it can. It’s an alternate pronunciation. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/8 "2000-11-01T18:55:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Necros \* > \*\ ***panache45** said: > > > [@](#): > > > > My favorite is “pre-nuptial” pronounced “pre-nup-choo-al,” as if there were a “U” instead of an “I.” > > Well, it really _should_\* be pronounced like: -sh\l, so I would say that amongst people with poor enunciation -nupchooal isn’t _too_ far off. Schwas do indicate an “uh”-type sound in a word. It’s definitely _not_ pronounced as if the ending vowel combination is dominated by the “I.” How the heck do you think it should be pronounced? \*\* The last syllable should be pronounced like “partial” or “initial” (or with “ch” replacing the “sh” sound), **not** like “actual” or “eventual” (adding a syllable), which is what I hear every time. Big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/9 "2000-11-01T19:56:12Z")
Big difference, little difference, you say tomato… ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrongspeak-on-the-air/39185/10 "2000-11-02T00:16:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scratch1300 \* > \*\* Also **forte** should be one syllable, pronounced just like _fort_, but, alas, everyone thinks you’re a moron if you say it the right way. (There is a disyllabic _forte_; but it’s a musical term meaning “loud”.) \*\* My Merriam-Webster says that although “forte” meaning strength is derived from French and is pronounced “fort”, that technically it should be spelled “fort” and pronounced “for”, the way it is in French. The “fortay” pronunciation is derived from the Italian, which also means strength. This dictionary actually says “you can take your choice” of pronouncing it “fort” or “forte”.