Wordie: Words Some People Can't Pronounce, No Matter How Often They Try: Comments

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:07:17 +0000

Thanks, veruca! I should not have forgotten Chipotle, especially considering how many restaurants in my area throw that word onto half the dishes on their menu. It's become a stylish word!

Comment by veruca, about 1 year ago

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:55:00 +0000

Chipotle (chi-pote-lay) gets pronounced like chipolte (chi-pole-tay) all the time.

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 23:27:03 +0000

Thanks, again, pamelad! This list seems to be never ending. (O.o)

Comment by pamelad, about 1 year ago

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 05:22:52 +0000

Anemone often ends up as anenome. Hydrangeas - hyderanges. And instead of a frangipani, my grandma had a fransypansy.

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:30:20 +0000

Thanks, Gloriaha! I had wash, already, but none of the others. (^-^)

Comment by Gloriaha, about 1 year ago

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 22:49:37 +0000

espresso ('expresso')

etcetra ('excetra')

cinnamon ('cimmanon')

wash ('warsh')

pen ('pin')

homogenous (it's hoMOGenous, not homo-genius!!! This is not to be confused with homogeneous. Note the spelling.)

err ('air' is incorrect! it's supposed to be 'ur' although widespread and prolonged mispronunciation have almost cause 'air' to trump the correct 'ur')

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 01:35:27 +0000

Thanks, pamelad and veruca! I'd forgotten how many people around here say "pitcher" instead of "picture." ;P

Comment by seanahan, about 1 year ago

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:33:58 +0000

I have one at my office too, Veruca.

Comment by veruca, about 1 year ago

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 13:34:01 +0000

Picture...Believe it or not I work with several people that pronounce it the same as "pitcher."

Comment by pamelad, about 1 year ago

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 16:41:50 +0000

Words that sound so differently from the way they're written: banal, macabre, segue

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 16:38:12 +0000

Asativum, thanks! I've heard that one, too.

Comment by Asativum, about 1 year ago

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 15:44:12 +0000

I've heard suite pronounced suit in the South (of the US).

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Sat, 16 Dec 2006 14:51:38 +0000

Thanks, yoshiyahu! I had forgotten about "drowning" coming out as "drownding." People here do that, too. And I don't know many people who use "clitoris," but if they did, they'd probably stumble on it, too. ;P

"Ambulance" gets changed into "AMBA lance" around here. Just as "library" often becomes "LIE berry." *shudders* I also just remembered "tubular," which sometimes sounds like "toobler."

Comment by inkhorn, about 1 year ago

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:35:14 +0000

If I hear someone say nuk-uh-lir one more time, I'm going to explode.

Drowning.

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:45:45 +0000

This word and its variants are often pronounced (and even spelled -- google it) "drownding."

Clitoris.

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:42:51 +0000

There are two common usages, CLIToris and cliTORis. And since clitoris is often thought of part-and-parcel with vagina, pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable, perhaps the emphasis on the second syllable carries over. However, those who say cliTORis usually sound uncomfortable with the pronunciation, not sure themselves whether they should be saying it one way or another. This is probably at least partly because we usually think of it as 'clit' anyway and only say 'clitoris' when we need to go more clinical and formal. So while it's a different kind of pronunciation problem, I humbly offer it for your consideration.

Comment by angharad, about 1 year ago

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:19:59 +0000

Me, I'm puzzled by 'ambulance'.

Comment by angharad, about 1 year ago

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:18:59 +0000

vice-versa.

Small children purportedly say "pusketti" instead of "spaghetti".

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 21:32:55 +0000

"Vietnamese" often becomes "Vietmanese," in my area (Texas). "Spaghetti" sometimes turns into "Pasketti," and "macrame" is, on occasion, pronounced "muh KRAYME" by those who don't know how to use the pronunciation guides in their dictionaries.

Thanks to sarra for "itinerary," as well, which stuck another one into my head: "potpourri," which I have heard someone say as "POT purry." ;P

Comment by sarra, about 1 year ago

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 08:39:34 +0000

itinerary!

Comment by andrew.simone, about 1 year ago

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:54:30 +0000

I confess that I often find myself pronouncing realtor as 'reel-i-tur.'

I would remind word snoots (of which I am one) that perfection is the enemy of the good.

Comment by kad, about 1 year ago

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:19:09 +0000

'realtor' often becomes 'reel-i-tur' when it should be 'reel-tur' or 're-uhl-tur.' as for vietnamese and spaghetti, i'm as perplexed as you are, pedalinfaith.

Comment by pedalinfaith, about 1 year ago

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:15:11 +0000

OK, I'm having one of those "if I don't know what in the hell they are talking about, then they must be talking about me" moments. Either I'm completely oblivious to my blunders or I'm living in a pronunciation safe zone. Seriously, how does one mispronounce "Vietnamese" and "realtor" and "spaghetti" and "macrame"?

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 22:12:31 +0000

Once, again, I must say "Thanks!" for the words I had forgotten about. (^o^)

--Kaichi

Comment by pamelad, about 1 year ago

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 22:51:20 +0000

secretary

Comment by gratitude, about 1 year ago

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 01:24:16 +0000

similar
particular
asterisk

Comment by Kaichi, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 15:59:40 +0000

Thanks, everyone! These are all great! I'm going to add them! :D

--Kaichi

Comment by angharad, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 11:33:42 +0000

mischievous

Comment by angharad, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 10:31:54 +0000

february, wednesday, spaghetti

Comment by pamelad, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 05:08:32 +0000

ask (aks) government umbrella (umberella)

Comment by tankexmortis, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 02:42:24 +0000

ambulance (seriously, I have friends that still struggle with this one)

Comment by angharad, about 1 year ago

Sat, 02 Dec 2006 00:38:52 +0000

library, realtor, athlete, tsunami