100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
68
91
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.

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.
 

drebo

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2006
7,034
1
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The author of that peice seems like someone who would get pissed at someone for spelling "color" without a "u" or who said "learned" instead of "learnt". American English != British English.

I don't see anyone getting mad at the Aussies for their bastardization of the language. Though that's probably just because Australian accents are hot. Particularly in women.
 

Lean L

Diamond Member
Apr 30, 2009
3,685
0
0
wtf @ founder? I caught a founder? you'd get blank stares for saying that...

ofTen...

although spit and image is cool. never knew that
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
They're not mispronounced if they entre the daily lexicon. Most people with voice training are taught to pronounce every syllable.
 

Cogman

Lifer
Sep 19, 2000
10,284
138
106
Wow, just wow. Tip to english idiots: The language evolves.

Chaucer would have pronounce April "Apreal".. So does that mean we should all go around saying Apreal? No, the language has changed.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
champ at the bit??? Other than that, no surprises on the list. When the pizza shop I worked at had a small ice cream section, it oddly annoyed me when people called it "sherbert." I'd ask "what is this? Sesame Street? <Bert voice> Ernie, can you go get me some ice cream? <Ernie voice> Sure Bert"

But, it's part of the regional dialect, I suppose. People who go fishing down in the "crick," etc.
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
But, it's part of the regional dialect, I suppose. People who go fishing down in the "crick," etc.

yea IDK why people call it that, took me forever to figure it out when we moved out here

a crick is something you get in your neck from sleeping funny
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Sometimes you have to decide whether to be right and have everyone assume you're wrong, or be wrong and have everyone assume you're right. Pronouncing forte would be one of those cases.

Another case is possessives of singular words that end with an "s."

Sometimes it's best to restructure your sentence to avoid the issue altogether.

Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBplQmbqNmg


Edit:
I see this one a lot:

No: For all intensive purposes | Yes: For all intents and purposes

And this one:
No: in parenthesis | Yes: in parentheses


I'm always seeing people use "awhile" when they mean " a while" but that's mostly in writing.
 
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pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Sometimes you have to decide whether to be right and have everyone assume you're wrong, or be wrong and have everyone assume you're right. Pronouncing forte would be one of those cases.

Another case is possessives of singular words that end with an "s."

Sometimes it's best to restructure your sentence to avoid the issue altogether.

Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBplQmbqNmg

haha, so true. I have restructured sentences many times because I wasn't sure how the grammar was to be used.
 

Train

Lifer
Jun 22, 2000
13,583
80
91
www.bing.com
For all intensive purposes, I'm surprised "All intents and purposes" didn't make the list.

My dad still says "warsh your hands" And "Warshington D.C." which I think is hilarious.
 

edro

Lifer
Apr 5, 2002
24,326
68
91
Sometimes you have to decide whether to be right and have everyone assume you're wrong, or be wrong and have everyone assume you're right.
I get this all the time with bonsai.

Amongst general people, I say bon-zeye (bonzai)
Around bonsai people I say bone-sigh.

If you say bone-sigh to regular people, they think you're retarded.
 

spaceman

Lifer
Dec 4, 2000
17,616
183
106
I get this all the time with bonsai.

Amongst general people, I say bon-zeye (bonzai)
Around bonsai people I say bone-sigh.

If you say bone-sigh to regular people, they think you're retarded.

bonzi.jpg
 

CoinOperatedBoy

Golden Member
Dec 11, 2008
1,809
0
76
"Card shark" is not incorrect, and can be a synonym for "cardsharp," but isn't always. A cardsharp is a cheater by definition, where the shark can simply be a masterful player.

I've definitely done this:

No: elec'toral | Yes: e'lectoral
The accent is on the second, not the third, syllable and there is no in it; not "electorial." (By the way, the same applies to "mayoral" and "pastoral.")
 
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FuzzyDunlop

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2008
3,260
12
81
No: Amberlamps | Yes: Ambulance

I'm always seeing people use "awhile" when they mean " a while" but that's mostly in writing.

yes, I see that one alot... durrr... a lot.

Also, Sherbert is exactly the same thing as Sherbet. Either spelling or pronounciation is acceptable. Even www.dictionary.com agrees with me.
sher&#183;bet (sh&#251;r'b&#301;t)
n.
also sher&#183;bert
 
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kranky

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
21,019
156
106
I would add to the list "homage" because I hear some people in the media pronounce it "o-MAJ". I wonder if they are trying to sound impressive. It's "AH-mij".

How do you pronounce Debt?

Is it DeBT or Det?
It's pronounced "det".