- Apr 5, 2002
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http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/mispron.html
I am guilty of a handful of these.
Some of them will make you sound like an idiot because the misuse is so prevalent.
I listed the ones that I screw up or thought were notable.
I am guilty of a handful of these.
Some of them will make you sound like an idiot because the misuse is so prevalent.
I listed the ones that I screw up or thought were notable.
No: card shark | Yes: cardsharp
Cardsharps probably won't eat you alive, though they are adept at cutting your purse strings.
No: chomp at the bit | Yes: champ at the bit
"Chomp" has probably replaced "champ" in the U.S. but we thought you might like to be reminded that the vowel should be [æ] not [o].
No: dialate | Yes: dilate
The in this word is so long there is time for another vowel but don't succumb to the temptation.
No: expresso | Yes: espresso
While I can't express my love for espresso enough, this word was borrowed from Italian well after the Latin prefix ex- had developed into es-.
No: flounder | Yes: founder
Since it is unlikely that a boat would founder on a flounder, we should distinguish the verb from the fish as spelling suggests.
No: forte | Yes: fort
The word is spelled "forte" but the [e] is pronounced only when speaking of music, as a "forte passage." The words for a strong point and a stronghold are pronounced the same: [fort].
No: often | Yes: ofen
We have mastered the spelling of this word so well, its spelling influences the pronunciation: DON'T pronounce the [t]! This is an exception to the rule that spelling helps pronunciation.
No: ordinance | Yes: ordnance
You may have to use ordnance to enforce an ordinance but you should not pronounce the words the same.
No: reoccur | Yes: recur
You don't have to invent a new word from "occur." We already have a verb "recur" that does the trick.
No: sherbert | Yes: sherbet
Some of the same people who do not like two [r]s in their words can't help repeating the one in this word.
No: snuck | Yes: sneaked
I doubt we will get "snuck" out of the language any time soon but here is a reminder that it really isn't a word.
No: spitting image | Yes: spit and image
The very spit of someone is an exact likeness. "The spit and image" or "spit image" emphasizes the exactness.
No: Tiajuana | Yes: Tijuana
Why make Spanish words more difficult than they already are? Just three syllables here, thank you.
No: verbage | Yes: verbiage
Here is another word that loses its in speech. Pronouncing it correctly will help you spell it correctly.