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Mispronunciations you DETEST! (Page 2)
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Eug Wanker
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Sep 26, 2005, 02:31 PM
 
Further/farther... No wait, I never get that straight either.

BTW, this is not a mispronunciation either, but what also gets me the "I" thing. I hate it when people say something like "He served Pho to Peter and I" to sound smart, cuz it's wrong.
     
Oisín
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Sep 26, 2005, 02:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug Wanker
BTW, this is not a mispronunciation either, but what also gets me the "I" thing. I hate it when people say something like "He served Pho to Peter and I" to sound smart, cuz it's wrong.
If people say that, you and Peter should just served them to Pho in retribution.
     
paul w
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Sep 26, 2005, 02:41 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug Wanker
Well, two Vietnamese friends told me it's closer to "fuuh", but it's sort of in-between.
All the Vietnamese people in Paris (and there's lots) pronounce it like this. Rather, a bit like the French pronounce feu. Mmmm...Pho....

I'm amused more than annoyed by mispronunciations. I like hearing people's accent and how they pronounce words. Going around correcting people is just silly uptight behavior.

After all we all make mistakes, especially with ferrin werds. Actually I'm kinda peeved at a certain prominant Connecticut-Texan's *seemingly* willful mispronunciation and abuse of the English language but that's another story.
     
m a d r a
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Sep 26, 2005, 02:47 PM
 
almost anything said in a really thick manchester scally accent

the word "medicine" pronounced as "med-sin"

the word "specific" pronounced as "pacific"
     
BigBadWolf
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Sep 26, 2005, 02:54 PM
 
I just saw this site the other day, it has the 100 most often mispronounced words.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/mispron.html
     
vexborg
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Sep 26, 2005, 02:59 PM
 
Juist a wee bit ootwi Glasgae
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D. Hendrickson
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Sep 26, 2005, 03:09 PM
 
question...

the past tense of plead [pleed] (to plead guilty): pleaded (he [pleeded] guilty) or ( he [pled] guilty)?

growning up all i ever heard was [pled], now on the news all i hear is pleaded and it doesn't sound right...

actually hearing this with a lot of words and it just seems like newscaster laziness...
     
iMOTOR
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Sep 26, 2005, 03:12 PM
 
poe-lease instead of police.

May not be a mispronunciation, but still annoying.
     
Oisín
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Sep 26, 2005, 03:23 PM
 
Originally Posted by D. Hendrickson
question...

the past tense of plead [pleed] (to plead guilty): pleaded (he [pleeded] guilty) or ( he [pled] guilty)?
Both 'pleaded' and 'pled' are correct.

Though I don't think I've ever heard 'pled' in connection with the preposition 'with' (i.e., “He pleaded [not pled] with his wife to be allowed back in the house”).
     
CharlesS
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Sep 26, 2005, 03:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by Randman
No. Forte is pronounced fort is the first choice. The second one is the one that most people use, but incorrectly.

No paraphrase George Carlin; Forte, meaning speciality, is pronounced fort. Forté in music notation means to play loudly.

Usage: She plays the skin flute and her forte is playing forté. Pronounced: Her fort is playing for-tay.
What the hell? Did you seriously think that the musical term "forte" came from French instead of Italian or something?

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Eug Wanker
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Sep 26, 2005, 03:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín
Both 'pleaded' and 'pled' are correct.

Though I don't think I've ever heard 'pled' in connection with the preposition 'with' (i.e., “He pleaded [not pled] with his wife to be allowed back in the house”).
Hmmmm.... "Pled" is usually spelled "plead" around here, but I guess I just learned that "pled" is correct. Most people around here do use "pleaded" though.

Originally Posted by paul w
All the Vietnamese people in Paris (and there's lots) pronounce it like this. Rather, a bit like the French pronounce feu. Mmmm...Pho....
FWIW, the Vietnamese people I know also speak fluent French too. (They emigrated to Montréal.)

It was often the more educated middle and upper classes that spoke French. I wonder if the middle class and upper class spoke a slightly different Vietnamese too.
     
Goldfinger
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Sep 26, 2005, 04:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug Wanker
It was often the more educated middle and upper classes that spoke French. I wonder if the middle class and upper class spoke a slightly different Vietnamese too.
Well, Vietnam WAS french... But you probably knew that.

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kmkkid
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Sep 26, 2005, 04:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by iMOTOR
poe-lease instead of police.

May not be a mispronunciation, but still annoying.
Watch out for the po-po yo.
     
Eug Wanker
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Sep 26, 2005, 04:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Goldfinger
Well, Vietnam WAS french... But you probably knew that.
Yeah, but a lot of the peasant class didn't speak French.
     
RAzaRazor
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Sep 26, 2005, 04:47 PM
 
ToMAYto! Everyone knows the proper pronuciation is ToMAHto!
     
iDu
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Sep 26, 2005, 04:49 PM
 
Ill-uh-noise, I can't stand that. Actually any word with a silent "s" that people pronounce bothers me.
     
brink
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Sep 26, 2005, 05:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by Eug Wanker
Hmmmm.... "Pled" is usually spelled "plead" around here, but I guess I just learned that "pled" is correct. Most people around here do use "pleaded" though.
My dictionary says both 'pled' and 'plead' are correct for the past tense. Gotta love a language whose spelling is so nuts that you can have verbs like 'read' and 'plead' whose vowels change in the past tense but keep the same spelling.
     
Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 05:07 PM
 
Febuary and Comfterble.
I'm guilty of those too, but I try to avoid them. Some people seem convinced they're correct.

Warsh, squarsh, and such.

Feycade (rhymes with barricade) for façade.

Youze guys. I'm from the North, but IMO "y'all" is much better if it's important to specify the plural (and the setting is informal).

And people who spell "y'all", "ya'll".
( Last edited by Tesseract; Sep 26, 2005 at 05:19 PM. )
     
iMOTOR
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Sep 26, 2005, 05:21 PM
 
Here's one that I absolutely detest: Jag-wire

It's Jaguar, not Jag wire
     
D. Hendrickson
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Sep 26, 2005, 05:49 PM
 
i only used pled for the pronunciation. didn't know it was a correct spelling

correct about with "with". "he pleaded with his wife" or "he plead to his wife" wouldn't actually be past-tense.

thanks for the input. i knew i was right...

Originally Posted by brink
Gotta love a language whose spelling is so nuts that you can have verbs like 'read' and 'plead' whose vowels change in the past tense but keep the same spelling.
yeah, ain't english kewl?
     
UNTeMac
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Sep 26, 2005, 06:29 PM
 
I hate "ofTen" where the "t" is actually enunciated. Maybe one of the linguistic experts can correct me on that being wrong but I hate it just the same.

Also, when people say "conversate" instead of "converse" as in speaking. Heard that one today on the bus.

Also, the past tense of "kill" said like a scottish ceremonial garment really irks me.
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loki74
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Sep 26, 2005, 06:34 PM
 
Here is the one that gets me the most...

When people say "Nevada," but pronounce the first "a" like the "o" in "offer." The first a in the word Nevada should be pronounced like the a in "apple."

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Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 06:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by loki74
Here is the one that gets me the most...

When people say "Nevada," but pronounce the first "a" like the "o" in "offer." The first a in the word Nevada should be pronounced like the a in "apple."
Do you mean like the 'o' in 'dock'? I've never heard 'offer' pronounced like that (the pronunciation where I live is something like 'auffer').
Or is there yet another pronunciation of 'Nevada' I don't know about?

Originally Posted by iMOTOR
Here's one that I absolutely detest: Jag-wire

It's Jaguar, not Jag wire
And do you pronounce that 'jag-wahr' or 'jag-you-are'?
     
HamSandwich
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Sep 26, 2005, 06:46 PM
 
I hate it when people mispronounce and misspell "mischievous." It's a three-syllable word, folks. It is NOT pronounced 'mis-CHEE-vee-uhs.'
     
tracemhunter
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Sep 26, 2005, 06:51 PM
 
warsh/wash
but nothing compares when people say "waiting on line" instead of "waiting in line"
     
Ozmodiar
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:16 PM
 
My mother pronounces wash as woish. No idea where the hell she got that one.

Also, I feel that when people pronounce the t in often they sound haughty. I first noticed it in junior high with the cool kids that smoked cigarettes after lunch in their big flannel shirts. They would pronounce the t, and it bothered the crap out of me.
     
JoshuaZ
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:18 PM
 
My second year middle school students here in Japan can`t pronounce `cook.` When they try it always comes out `c o c k` and they can`t tell the difference.

Then again I`d just be happy if they could say L`s at all.
     
paul w
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:24 PM
 
Ah yes, I had some giggles when I discussed the 2000 US Elections to my Intermediate class in Kawasaki.

I think it was the shy girl's shade of purple when I asked her if she understood what I meant by "election" that clued me in.
     
Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:24 PM
 
Automakers' names:
(I've heard every pronunciation in this post, and in some cases I'm not sure of the correct one)

porsh vs. porsha
owdi (as in how) vs. awdi (as in law)
volkswaygen vs. volkswahgen
sigh-on vs. sky-on vs. skee-on

Also:

I often leave the 't' out of often, but not always.

The word 'gotten' is an abomination. I've even seen it in fairly formal communication. 'Got' is perfectly fine (and I'm not even British).
     
mojo2  (op)
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:43 PM
 
Originally Posted by Oisín
Both are correct, though I agree voicing the s sounds wrong, and ought to be incorrect.
Yes. Hmmm...this makes me wonder how many other words with an "S" are mispronounced?

Imagine pronouncing the letter "S" any other way than "Z"!

Think of ALL the other words spelled with an "S," which are correctly pronounced as, "Z."
Give petty people just a little bit of power and watch how they misuse it! You can't silence the self doubt, can you?
     
mojo2  (op)
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by BlueSky
Damn dude, you are one resourceful linguini-ist!

Give petty people just a little bit of power and watch how they misuse it! You can't silence the self doubt, can you?
     
JoshuaZ
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Sep 26, 2005, 07:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by paul w
Ah yes, I had some giggles when I discussed the 2000 US Elections to my Intermediate class in Kawasaki.

I think it was the shy girl's shade of purple when I asked her if she understood what I meant by "election" that clued me in.
I love this country.
     
Eriamjh
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Sep 26, 2005, 08:08 PM
 
Myoot instead of moot.

I'm a bird. I am the 1% (of pets).
     
sminch
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Sep 26, 2005, 08:16 PM
 
volkswaygen vs. volkswahgen
volkswahgen vs. folkswahgen

(though that may just be my northern accent...)

pacifically vs. specifically

kee oto vs. kyoo to (as in the protocol)

The word 'gotten' is an abomination.
YES! i'd buy you a beer, honestly i would.

sminch
     
Thade
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Sep 26, 2005, 08:32 PM
 
expecially

     
analogika
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Sep 26, 2005, 08:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tesseract
Automakers' names:
(I've heard every pronunciation in this post, and in some cases I'm not sure of the correct one)

porsh vs. porsha
owdi (as in how) vs. awdi (as in law)
poah-shuh would be closer than either of those, and owdi (as in how) is the correct pronounciation.

It grates a little to hear "awe-di", but in all honesty, mis-pronounciation of foreign proper names is not something to be terribly worried about IMO.
     
Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 08:54 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogika
poah-shuh would be closer than either of those, and owdi (as in how) is the correct pronounciation.

It grates a little to hear "awe-di", but in all honesty, mis-pronounciation of foreign proper names is not something to be terribly worried about IMO.
It's more that I would like to say it properly than that I don't like it when someone else gets it wrong.
     
PurpleGiant
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Sep 26, 2005, 09:14 PM
 
Oisín's favourite thread, ever.
     
Montezuma58
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Sep 26, 2005, 09:20 PM
 
Ask pronounced as ax.
Also I get very irritated when people pronounce the L in salmon.
     
paul w
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Sep 26, 2005, 09:41 PM
 
<Salmon Rushdie>
I am irritated by your irritation!
</Salmon Rushdie>
     
deej5871
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:01 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tesseract
Febuary and Comfterble.
I'm guilty of those too, but I try to avoid them. Some people seem convinced they're correct.
Unless I'm reading the Dictionary widget's pronunciation key incorrectly (which I very well could be), come-fort-able and comfterble are both correct.
     
Briareus
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:06 PM
 
Wow, made it to page two without someone mentioning the word "nuclear".
     
paul w
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:08 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogika
oh, and: "nucular."

Technically, no.
     
Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by deej5871
Unless I'm reading the Dictionary widget's pronunciation key incorrectly (which I very well could be), come-fort-able and comfterble are both correct.
I actually didn't check Dictionary.app before I posted that. It seems you are correct. Maybe now I will be slightly less bothered by the dropped syllable.

I also checked what Dictionary.app says about February. Interesting.

Originally Posted by Dictionary.app
USAGE To pronounce February in the way traditionally regarded as correct is not easy. It requires the explicit pronunciation of both the r following the Feb- and the r in -ary, with an unstressed vowel in between. In popular pronunciation, the rə following Feb- has been replaced by a yoo sound: Feb-yoo- rather than Feb-roo-. This change is due to two processes: dissimilation, in which one sound identical with or similar to an adjacent sound is replaced by a different sound, and analogy, in which a member of a series, in this case January, affects the sound of another member ( February) of the series. Feb-yoo- is now the norm, esp. in spontaneous speech, and is fast becoming a standard pronunciation.
     
:dragonflypro:
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by Briareus
Wow, made it to page two without someone mentioning the word "nuclear".

heh, who can name the one actual word that rhymes with it?

     
Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:44 PM
 
Originally Posted by :dragonflypro:
heh, who can name the one actual word that rhymes with it?

Google for "rhymes with nucular" and get ... this.
     
PurpleGiant
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Sep 26, 2005, 10:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by paul w
Ah yes, I had some giggles when I discussed the 2000 US Elections to my Intermediate class in Kawasaki.

I think it was the shy girl's shade of purple when I asked her if she understood what I meant by "election" that clued me in.
I only just got that then.
     
teney7
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Sep 26, 2005, 11:16 PM
 
Des Moines vs. Dez Moinez

uhhh... come on, people
     
Tesseract
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Sep 26, 2005, 11:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by teney7
Des Moines vs. Dez Moinez

uhhh... come on, people
I hope you intend the former to be pronounced 'duh moyne'.

Then there's St. Lewis...
     
lavar78
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Sep 26, 2005, 11:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tesseract
The word 'gotten' is an abomination. I've even seen it in fairly formal communication. 'Got' is perfectly fine (and I'm not even British).
You're wrong. "Got" and "gotten" are not interchangeable.

I pronounce forte (meaning specialty) as one syllable.

Just to name one thing:

"prolly" instead of "probably"

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