Words You Used to Pronounce The Way It's Spelled!

soundofsilence

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:02 am

laughter (to rhyme with daughter)
conscience (con + science)
unshed, as in unshed tears (I pronounced it to rhyme with idk, rushed, munched, lunged)

water_bear88

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:08 am

Several already mentioned, also "dearth" to rhyme with "hearth". Dictionaries are great, but there was no way I was going to stop at every new word when I was a kid and could reason out words' meanings from context, so I still find the occasional mispronunciation.

Iymnok

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:11 am

iammom wrote:

Invalid. I pronounced it exactly how it's written out instead of in-vu-lid.

I a pet peeve of mine is when people say "marine corp" and say the "p" instead of saying it "marine core"

And the best, when someone is talking about the "peace corpse" LOL

doctorima

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:25 am

Not exactly the same, but I once met somebody who told me that he learned in the yeshiva in Roosevelt, NJ (which is now in Monsey, but that's a separate story). But he pronounced it ROOZ-e-velt, which really grated on my nerves.

I always assumed that the town was named for President Teddy and/or Franklin ROSE-e-velt. But then I did some research and found the following fascinating article that says that the proper pronunciation of the Presidents' names is actually a major machlokes, possible even including Teddy and Franklin themselves:

https://www.washingtonpost.com.....6fcb/

youngishbear

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:27 am

water_bear88 wrote:

I've never had the ocasion to pronounce hearth, but today I learned the correct way to do so if it ever becomes necessary.

I did the opposite. I mentally pronounced hearth to rhyme with dearth... LOL

sequoia

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:34 am

In a previous thread we discussed misled, which is a very common mispronounced word.

Orangutan actually means “man of the forest” in the local language.

Last edited by sequoia on Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:36 am; edited 1 time in total

water_bear88

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:35 am

youngishbear wrote:

Well, at least I'm in good company! Smile

allthingsblue

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:38 am

epitome (until high school)
Inventory (until recently)
Gargantuan

I see a huge difference between those who grew up watching tv (they know more words) and me, who grew up reading, no tv.

zaq

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:40 am

Bizzydizzymommy wrote:

Lol!!! You are right! For some reason I thought it was all the same word... embarrassed

Maybe that’s because many prodigies become the proteges of either wealthy patrons who promote them or leaders in their fields who groom them to take on tbe mantle of leadership in the future.

water_bear88

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:41 am

doctorima wrote:

Wow! Speaking of mispronounced presidents' names, "Quincy" (as in John Quincy Adams) is properly pronounced "Quin-zee" rather than "Quin-see", to the best of my knowledge.

tigerwife

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:44 am

Writhe- for some reason, I assumed a short I.

Bedraggled- like two separate words (Bed-Raggled) which made sense to me because that's the way I usually looking when I wake up in my bed Wink

Rancid with a hard C

How many HP fans said "Hermy-own" until enough fan sites were established? Very Happy

penguin

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:45 am

Quote:

I would refer you to the fascinating, if uncomfortably profane, book The Secret Life of Dictionaries for more on the topic

Profane with regard to correct English usage, or profane as in inappropriate material that would make Grandma blush?

zaq

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:45 am

sequoia wrote:

In a previous thread we discussed misled, which is a very common mispronounced word.

Orangutan actually means “man of the forest” in the local language.

Misled: my all-time favorite!

So I guess if I call someone an orangutan he can’t be insulted because I’m just calling him a woodsman. “Orangutan, spare that tree!” “Red Riding Hood was rescued by an orangutan.” “DanielBoone was a American orangutan”.

I’d call Donald Trump an American orangutan but I don’t want to insult the orangutans.

penguin

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:47 am

Beauchamp - I would of course pronounce it as said in French, I have never heard of the pronunciation listed above.

I complained to DD's principal that she should hire teachers who can pronounce the name of Sir Walter Raleigh, and I was told that the teacher wasn't wrong, she was just pronouncing it as done in Canada.

Rah LAY or Rolly? Which do you say?

zaq

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:48 am

penguin wrote:

Quote:

I would refer you to the fascinating, if uncomfortably profane, book The Secret Life of Dictionaries for more on the topic

Profane with regard to correct English usage, or profane as in inappropriate material that would make Grandma blush?

Inappropriate WORDS that would make Grandma blush. An entire chapter on why they’re in the dictionary.

bigsis144

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:55 am

tigerwife wrote:

Writhe- for some reason, I assumed a short I.

Bedraggled- like two separate words (Bed-Raggled) which made sense to me because that's the way I usually looking when I wake up in my bed Wink

Rancid with a hard C

How many HP fans said "Hermy-own" until enough fan sites were established? Very Happy

That’s why JK Rowling had Hermione pronounce it properly for Victor Krum in book four!!

(Also, I mispronounced Rowling - it rhymes why “bowling” or “rolling”. The first syllables does not rhyme with “how” or “now”)

tigerwife

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 11:58 am

bigsis144 wrote:

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That’s why JK Rowling had Hermione pronounce it properly for Victor Krum in book four!!

(Also, I mispronounced Rowling - it rhymes why “bowling” or “rolling”. The first syllables does not rhyme with “how” or “now”)

That is so ironic- I originally pronounced it "rolling" and then switched when I heard it the other way on an interview or something like that!

zaq

Sun, Nov 12 2017, 12:11 pm

Hah. Anyone who’s ma or grandma was a Hermione Gingold fan knows how to pronounce it. (See? Nothing learned is ever wasted. You never know when an absurd nugget of arcane knowledge will come in handy.)