Nerd Alert! What are your most annoyingly mispronounced words?

[Snellius]

library not libry
veterinarian not vetrinarian
February not Febuary
poinsettia not pointsetta
almond not amond
espresso not expresso
mastectomy not masectomy

[calimary]

2. NOO-clee-er. NOT the dubya version (NOO-kyuh-ler)!!!

[3catwoman3]

25. This one particularly sets my...

...teeth on edge. Anyone who cannot pronounce it properly should not be allowed anywhere near the codes for launching nukes.

It also irritates me no end that Trump uses it as a noun.

[SeattleVet]

36. And even our favorite Nuclear Engineer President used 'noo-kyuh-ler'.

I had hoped that President Carter would have used the proper form, given his Naval experience. Used to make my ears hurt every time he said it.

[NBachers]

103. This is Number One on my list!

[ms liberty]

3. Electorial for electoral.

[lapfog_1]

4. dipshit not Trump - n/t

[Duppers]

43. 🙏😁

[Permanut]

51. Good one.

[Lochloosa]

5. My wife's. Height not heighth.

[True Dough]

6. SKED-ule, not SHED-ule

Ha-RASS-ment, not HAR-assment

[LisaM]

10. HARass, not har-ASS!

We disagree on that one.

[Glorfindel]

22. Yes, I was brought up saying "HARass," and was a bit shocked

to hear it pronounced as "har-ASS" after I was drafted. I figured soldiers just liked saying "ass" and didn't worry about it any more.

[True Dough]

35. Let me put it another way

It's the folks who say it so it sounds like "Harris" that really bother me.

[Chemisse]

65. har-ASS, not HARass

I never heard HARass until maybe 20 or 30 years ago. To me it sounds pretentious.

[lunasun]

12. british and they will tell you they are speaking English and sked-ule is American talk

[Cirque du So-What]

16. Brits get a pass

but it is my considered opinion that any American who says 'shedule' is full of skit.

[lunasun]

24. A parent or nanny possibly ? i know people who have parents with accents and say

a few words a little different that I can sort of tell its from the parents or a second languaage they themselves speak even though they are speaking English to me

Hey as long as I can understand someone then I am Ok but I have friend with a friend who is british and I cannot understand him sometimes. Damn near sounds like his toungue is knotted and its English!

[OilemFirchen]

46. I get my kicks...

on Rowt 66.

It's true!

[Afromania]

7. hug - a - not rather than huguenot

[dewsgirl]

8. Alzheimer's not altheimers/oldtimers and prostate not

Prostrate. These have made me nuts forever.

[fleur-de-lisa]

50. About 25 years ago I used to work with a woman who was relatively intelligent.

Had a college degree, seemed pretty smart when talking about work-related stuff.

She routinely mispronounced several medical conditions that drove me insane:

Instead of Alzheimer's she pronouned it Oldtimer's (because it usually occurs in elderly people).

Instead of impetigo she pronounced it infant-igo (because her toddlers both had it at one time).

Couldn't convince her that she was wrong.

[LisaM]

9. Too many to list.

But I had a professor who was adamant that it was "anorectic", not anorexic, so that one always catches my ear.

I also dislike heighth.

I can't bear it when people say kew-pon instead of coup-on but it is - unfortunately - an accepted pronunciation.

We pronounce cumin as "come in", which is usually the first dictionary definition, but a lot of people say kewmin (probably the same people who say kew-pon).

[Harker]

92. I wish I had a coupon

for cumin (KOOmin.)

[Croney]

11. I think February and almond can be pronounced either way.

Do not say PEE-CAN! That is the chamber pot you use when it's too cold to go to the outhouse.

[consider_this]

13. AP-li-kuh-buhl, not uh-PLIK-uh-buhl

even thought both are correct, the latter makes me crazy - sounds like Daffy duck.

and someone beat me to it but nuclear, not nukular - arggghh!

[Codeine]

26. I say aPLICCable because I say aPPLY.

It doesn’t feel right to emphasize a different syllable when I’m using the same root word.

[Glorfindel]

14. My pet peeve: "wh" words mispronounced with a silent "h"

wite for white
were for where
wen for when
wich for which
wether for whether
wip for whip

etc., etc.

[Cirque du So-What]

17. How about a distinct 'hw' pronunciation?

Seems more prevalent on the eastern seaboard.

[Glorfindel]

21. Yep! That's the proper way to pronounce those words.

Sadly, I fear it's on the way out. I have often wondered how such a thing came about. Pronouncing "wh" as "hw." Same way pronouncing "ask" as "aks," I suppose.

[Codeine]

27. I don't follow? nt

[The Blue Flower]

15. So-sel security (for social security)

I've heard it more than you'd think.

[lapucelle]

33. Chris Matthews calls it "Sosh security."

[SummerSnow]

18. I always say 'shoeshy' not 'shoeshine'

[missingthebigdog]

19. Moot

Rhymes with boot. Mute means something entirely different.

[True Dough]

37. If it was a "mute point"

we'd never hear you make it!

[nocoincidences]

20. Liaison

It is NOT lay-i-zon!!!!!

It IS lee-ay-zon.

Grrrrrrrrr.

[Hela]

23. Excetera makes me want to shoot somebody. n/t

[Harker]

53. My sweetie says "excedra"

I'm glad she doesn't use it repeatedly in one go for emphasis.

I bite a little harder on my toothpick and blink rapidly when I hear it. Otherwise, she's perfect!

[The Genealogist]

28. Tecksid instead of texted

[3catwoman3]

29. Ree-la-tor in stead of...

...realtor.

"Mear" instead of mir-ror.

[Leith]

44. That One Irritates Me, Too

There is no vowel between the "L" and the "T!"

Along the lines of "mear," I heard a news story the other day where the announcer kept pronouncing "juror" like it was spelled "jerr."

There's one word that I like to pronounce incorrectly: idiosyncrasy.

I pronounce it like idee-AH-sin-crazy. It's more fun that way.

[lapucelle]

30. ex-spear-a mint

It's an experiment, not a former gum flavor.

[lapucelle]

31. I have a teacher friend who tells kids, "Don't ax me. Ask me."

Axing is messy.

[lapucelle]

32. "Put a shot of expresso in my coffee...

and make it snappy."

[spooky3]

34. Actually, "ah-mond" is correct. See the various online dictionaries.

"Almond" is also acceptable in the U.S.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

38. "erry-yuh-dite" demonstrates lack of erudition ("eroodishun" - the u is long & there is no "yuh")

[GrapesOfWrath]

39. The one that gets me is

When I hear people pronouncing the word wreak (reek) as “reck”

[consider_this]

40. ...

[Cousin Dupree]

41. When people slur the "st" sound making it into "sht". So "street" sounds like "shtreet". If you

listen closely, it’s very common.

[Harker]

49. I'm guessing you have difficulty

sitting through Bogart films.

[Cousin Dupree]

57. Yesh

[Freddie]

66. That's a Philly thing

Very common here. Like "wooder" and Iggles".

[Harker]

93. I hear "Iggles" occasionally

here at the other end of PA, but it usually sounds forced, or jocular. Only been here a year, though, so most people sound pretty odd to me.

Are beagles biggles, or is Iggles a one off?

[demosincebirth]

42. Here in the Bay Area: It's Vayeho not Valeo (Vallejo).

[Snellius]

64. In LA, Cahunga Blvd. instead of Cahuenga (Cawanga) Blvd

In NY, Houseton St. instead of Houston St. (Try that in NYC and you will be corrected loudly)

They do this with names in many places, especially in smaller, rural towns. I think it's to identify the locals from the outsiders. Cairo, NY, is pronounced Karo. Athens, NY, is pronounced with a long a.

[demosincebirth]

100. You come to California and they mispronounce many of the small Spanish named towns

[Snellius]

102. Even big places like San Joaquin Valley or Vallejo. Grew up in CA, all over, so natural to me.

Problem is so many Californians come from somewhere else.

[3catwoman3]

45. A word I avoid because pretty much no one pronounces it correctly...

...is "err." People look at you like you're crazy when you say "ur."

So why isn't error pronounced "urror," in the interest of consistency?

[Chemisse]

67. Saying 'err' like 'air' is wrong?

[orleans]

47. i knew someone who used to

use the word "ideal" for "idea"

hold on! i have an ideal.

ARRRRRGHHH

she was born and raised in illinois. suburban white girl who never learned the difference between those words. drove me crazy!

[zanana1]

48. Joolery!

It drives me insane. A brain surgeon could say that word and I'd think he was dumb.

[fleur-de-lisa]

52. My boss says tri-annual instead of triennial.

We have to submit certain reports to the FAA on a triennial basis. As often as he hears it and sees it written, one would think he would get it right. Nope.

[fleur-de-lisa]

55. This is a VERY COMMONLY mispronounced word in the Greater New Orleans area.

And it is such a simple little word:

Axe instead of ask, like "let me axe you a question."

It doesn't matter the level of education, cultural background, intelligence, etc. Many New Orleanians say it incorrectly.

I know a family in which the parents, about my age, both say "axe" yet both their sons (in their twenties) pronounce it properly. Go figure.

[Snellius]

60. Also in old Brooklynese. And turlit instead of toilet. Strenth instead of strength.

Like Archie Bunker. For a while there were schools in Brooklyn that taught how to speak. Heard rarely these days.

[fleur-de-lisa]

63. That makes sense.

The New Orleans accent is NOT a southern drawl, though that is how it is portrayed in movies.

The actual NOLA accent, called Yat, is very much like a Brooklyn accent.

During the late 1800s, south Louisiana had a huge influx of people from Italy, Ireland and Germany. The Yat accent came from the Italian influence. Most people think we are all of French descent. While there are a lot of people here who claim French heritage, most are a mix of a abunch of cultures.

I think turlit is hilarious. And earl, as in "I need to get the earl in my car changed."

[unblock]

54. It's pronounced "mother-f*cking sh*thead", not "Donald trump"

[smirkymonkey]

74. ROFL!

Touche!

Best response yet!

[mulsh]

56. Erudite. prounounced "air e oo dite" is proof of one's lack of erudition. air ee oo dite is the

the correct pronunciation. However people who mispronounce words are indicative of people who have read rather than spoken the word so I only correct the few who have asked me to do so.

Another word that bugs me is quixotic. pronounces "kwiks hoe dik" considering the word refers to don Quixote. I think it should be pronounced "kee hoe tik. but according to numerous dictionaries I'm wrong. oh so very wrong.

So much for overbearing condescending erudition.

[smirkymonkey]

75. Actually, Erudite is only three syllables and can be pronounced two different ways...

"Both ER-yuh-dite and ER-uh-dite are standard American pronunciations for “erudite.”

Both pronunciations are listed without comment in the two US dictionaries we consult the most, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.) and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.).

Interestingly, the Cambridge Dictionaries Online website lists ER-uh-dite as the British pronunciation and ER-yuh-dite as the American."

[no_hypocrisy]

58. off-ten

not offen (often)

[fleur-de-lisa]

59. Dais.

I believe it can be pronounced DAY-us or DICE. I say DAY-us.

I know a guy who says DIE-is. Drives me crazy.

[lapucelle]

61. The correction of the pronunciation of "Hugh" led to this Larry David moment

[Pope George Ringo II]

62. Calvary for cavalry.

I'm also amazed at recticle for reticle.

Mostly, my nervous twitch is set off by the random apostrophes making nouns plural.

[eppur_se_muova]

89. for you ...

[Pope George Ringo II]

94. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Freddie]

68. My future DIL

Is from Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. How do you pronounce that? Kai-a-hoga (like coyote?) Coy-a-hoga? Something else?

[frogmarch]

69. familiar (furmiliar)

February (Febuary) is another one.

I have others, but I can't think of them right now.

Edit: In the post title I wrote (furmiliar) but it looks like (furmlllar). Why? I don't get it.

[Paladin]

70. "WARranty," not "WarranTY." (nt)

[yesphan]

71. Chest of Drawers

not chester draws.

[Tikki]

72. Granted....

To be taken for....but not granite.


Tikki

[TlalocW]

73. I stumble over

Peculiar. And I have to slow down and say, "salmon," in my head before I do it out loud.

Then there's the great debate over the word or wordlet, "Gif." A file extension for an image file like jpg, etc. Some pronounce it with a hard G; some like the G is a J. I alternate between saying it, "Guf-jif," and "Jah-gif", to piss both sides off.

TlalocW

[redstateblues]

76. Irregardless

[Mike Rows His Boat]

77. molybdenum, not molybendum. eom

[Tucker08087]

78. Supposably,

Aks
And liberry

[Doreen]

79. Spayed NOT spayded.

Time ( thyme ) NOT THime.

[Chipper Chat]

80. PER tection instead of PRO tection

You hear this in many commercials on TV

[LanternWaste]

81. Pronouncing the 't' in 'often.'

But then again, I live in Texas where we pronounce Montague as 'mohn-TAYG.' Literacy is not our strong suit... pretending otherwise however, is.

Pronouncing the 't' in 'often' indicates (to me) that I'm talking to a feminine hygiene product being transported in a large paper container most often used for groceries, and he's probably wearing sandals.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

86. And the "T people" seem to over emphasize it like they're correcting the rest of the world.

[lame54]

82. How about a phrase - could care less

[jmowreader]

83. "Coo-pay" for the "coupe" car

The "e" is silent, folks. Pronounce it like you do a chicken house.

[MissMillie]

84. it's coupon (koo-pon) not Q-pon(n/t)

.

[red dog 1]

85. Nuclear not Nuculer

[underpants]

87. Cache. CahsAy not cash

[Snellius]

88. ...

[oftheforest]

90. Take things for granite....

Instead of granted. Flustrated instead of frustrated. Srimp instead of shrimp. Sred instead of shred. Sangwich instead of sandwich.

[consider_this]

91. a few

from a relative who drives me crazy with these gems:

HUT dog for hot dog

thee ATE er for theatre

PUP corn for popcorn

BLEEVE for believe

[Harker]

97. My late wife said theeAYter.

She was from El Paso. She also said "drug" rather than "dragged", which always made me smile.

[Harker]

95. Chicago

with a hard "Ch" makes me flinch a little. ShiKAHgo, or ShiKAWgo.

[Wolf Frankula]

96. More not Moe

Moe was one of the Three Stooges. When somebody asks for Moe, I have to restrain from asking do they want Larry, Shemp, or Curly.
Ask, not ax. An ax is used to chop wood.
Library, not Liberry. Not sure what a liberry is.

Wolf

[Harker]

99. Bush has a liberry.

Or lieberry.

[Texasgal]

98. BIGLY!!

What in the fuck is he trying to say?

I've heard it's supposed to be BIG LEAGUE.

GRRRR!

[muntrv]

101. Nuclear. It's NOO-kleer, not NOO-kyoo-luhr (as W pronounced it).

[NBachers]

104. I say aunt like ant, but I'm from Rochester - "awnt" just doesn't cut it for me.

And don't say "warsh" when you're trying to say "wash." Or "squarsh" for "squash."

[pcarlstedt]

105. Veterinarian

. . . not vetinarian.