50 Incorrect Pronunciations That You Should Avoid

Daily Writing Tips ^ | December 2, 2008 | Maeve Maddox

[Theodore R.]

Elec tor al, not E lec tor ehl

[BuffaloJack]

> I don’t agree with all of these.
Ditto.

[Zeppo]

Their ‘Intellectual Property’ lawyers likely instructed them that spelling the name in that way would strengthen their claim to the trademark.

[al baby]

What about pock E stan

[papertyger]

Thank heaven “nuclear” didn’t make the list!

[shotgun]

Back on the old “PASSWORD” tv game show the password was deer. The celebrity gave the clue “doe”. The contestant answered “knob”

[piasa]

That’s funny, where I’m from we warsh our sqwash.

[piasa]

Wuhp cream

[workerbee]

50. vehicle – Although there is an H in the word, to pronounce it is to sound hicky. Say /VEE-IKL/, not /vee-Hikl/.

Never met a southerner who didn't say the H.

[ClearCase_guy]

I could care less. Irregardless of how this guy may feel, my own feeling is that my head will literally explode if I have to hear from another grammar Nazi.

[WillVoteForFood]

I am surprised “supposedly” did not make the list, along with “pacific” when people should say specific.

[piasa]

Perhaps it has something to do with peanuts size?

[Gay State Conservative]

You don’t need to pronounce the first “c” in arctic.

Artic is something you see in a museum.Arctic is where you need mittens.

[stylin19a]

Where's the calvary ?

(He finally completed a 46 month prison sentence this year)

[GregoTX]

I say PE-CAN, rhymes with ‘American

Around here it is Pah-Kahn ... like Star Trek II Wrath of Kahn.

[Gay State Conservative]

The Red Sox are wikkid pissah!

[IronJack]

Pee-CAHN, pee-CANN, or PEE-can? You know, like the pah.

One that bugs me — not a word but an expression — is the use of the adjective instead of the infinitive in the expression “It needs _______.” As in “It needs washed” or “It needs painted.”

No, it needs TO BE washed or it needs PAINTING. The verb “to need” is transitive; it requires an object. And an object, by definition, cannot be an adjective.

How’s that for grammar nazism?

[Gay State Conservative]

Only those of us with roots in Dixie know how to say pecan properly.

Pee can

[needmorePaine]

When I'm thirsty I enjoy a glass of wooder.

My kids like to color with crowns.

I would prolly make this author's head explode.

[Tenlein]

I don’t think I’ve ever heard “medieval” pronounced with four syllables, or with an “ee” in the first syllable.

I work at a university and a staff member came to me once and said there was a student asking about a course and she gave me a sticky with “Mid-Evil History” written on it (by the staff member). I wonder how many people thinks that’s actually what it is?