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10 Mispronunciations That Make You Sound Stupid

blogs.techrepublic.com.com — Right or wrong, people often judge you by the way you pronounce things. Say a word incorrectly and POW -- they've pegged you as a provincial, poorly educated moron. I ’d like to go a step farther here and talk about words that may be used correctly but are pronounced wrong.

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  • AmyVernon, on 08/06/2008, -77/+36great post; but she is actually a little bit wrong on No. 2: A friend of mine's dad worked in the nuclear field in its way early days and all the old-timers pronounce it like Bush does, apparently.
    • TheChunt, on 08/07/2008, -3/+49Eh?
      I don't think you can make the jump to her being "a little bit wrong" because you heard a story about some old guys that pronounced the word incorrectly...apparently.
    • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -7/+258People who pronounce(d) the word "NU-clee-er"

      -Albert Einstein
      -Marie Curie
      -Enrico Fermi
      -J. Robert Oppenheimer
      -Mohamed El Baradei (Head of the IAEA)

      People who pronounce the word "NU-cu-lar"
      -President Bush
      -Your dads old buddy

      Do you see a picture emerging here?
      • JoePython, on 08/07/2008, -1/+11And Jimmy Carter.
      • BulkHedd, on 08/07/2008, -5/+12Add Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to your list of people who pronounce it "NU-cu-lar"
      • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -1/+38I'll see your Robert F. Kennedy and raise you Homer Simpson who is also a "NU-cu-lar" pronouncer.
      • kiedesu, on 08/07/2008, -2/+5http://media.merriam-webster.com/soundc11/n/nuclea ...
        http://media.merriam-webster.com/soundc11/n/nucle0 ...
      • zip000, on 08/07/2008, -8/+14I remember saying nu-cu-lar as a child and my dad correcting me. Now, my dad is a huge redneck - southern, thick accent, non-intellectual, loyal Bushie still, etc, and he got it right.

        It's just one of the many things that has struck me about how dumb Bush really is.
      • NeoCortex, on 08/07/2008, -1/+7So...you're saying his dad was friends with several presidents?
      • 4321234, on 08/07/2008, -16/+18Speaking of presidents, saying "Vote McCain" makes you sound like a complete idiot. The proper term is "***** McCain".
      • Commodore84, on 08/07/2008, -2/+7Really? You've heard Fermi say nuclear? Where was this exactly?
      • Bersy, on 08/07/2008, -2/+5I've heard Kiefer Sutherland say "nukular" on 24.
      • saisumimen, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6@BulkHedd

        Kennedy also would've pronounced "Dora the Explorer" as DORA THE EXPLORA -- that means nothing ;p
      • HtomSirveaux, on 08/08/2008, -3/+2>"Vote McCain" makes you sound like a complete idiot. The proper term is "***** McCain".<

        I'd buy that on a t-shirt or bumper sticker.
      • Gundabad, on 08/08/2008, -1/+3I see a guy named Mohamed being in charge of nuclear power.
      • AmyVernon, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2wow, @alanr19, and you apparently can't read, as I didn't say it was my dad's old buddy, it was my friend's father. And considering he had top-secret clearance in the DOD and you didn't, he wins.
      • DrPh0bius, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Sorry Amy, DOD clearance doesnt mean he wins. Plenty of stupid people are in all sorts of positions of power and it does not mean they are correct in all matters just because of their position.
    • br0ck, on 08/07/2008, -4/+33I interned in the nuke industry for a few years and every single person--even the old scaffolding contractors from the south with accents so thick you could barely understand them--pronounced it correctly.

      However, the article is wrong about jewelry, "It’s not JOO-la-ree, it’s JOOL-ree. Again with the making things harder by turning a word into three syllables. What’s with that?", but according to the online dictionary, his correction is wrong as it's pronounced jew-el-ree --- jew·el·ry (jū'əl-rē).
      • cawpin, on 08/07/2008, -0/+8That's what I was going to post. It doesn't change the base word just because you add a syllable.
      • oldman, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4Ya know folks, maybe before you go around telling the world how smart you are not, take 1 minute to look up the word in a dictionary: [joo-uhl-ree] according to dictionary.com
      • p3ngwin, on 08/07/2008, -0/+13jewelry, as in JEWELry.

        hence JEW-EL-RY.

      • kingofinternet, on 08/07/2008, -2/+9It's jewellery in British English.
      • lemur, on 08/07/2008, -2/+12You mean the real English, kingo?
      • Rikkochet, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4I think the article was correct, they just chose a poor phonetic spelling for the word. Their point was that it's not "joolery" like kids say. They drop the 'w' sound too much.
      • lemur, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3Maybe part of the problem has to do with our accent, but some of the sounds we make in English are so slight/subtle that they are practically useless. Emphasizing the 'w' in jewelry does hardly anything to make it sound different from joolry. Yes the difference is there but it has no practical use.

        As native speakers, sometimes we don't notice the craziness of our language. One of my friends who has English as his fourth language can't manage to say "drawer" but instead says "droor."

        If only we had an alphabet that was truly phonetic so that we could rectify some of this madness.
      • spaceddaisy, on 08/15/2008, -0/+1February was also wrong, they're both accepted ways of pronunciation.

        The person who wrote the article just has no clue about phonetics and shouldn't be writing about pronunciation. Like the whole suppose to - supposed to, almost every person will pronounce them the same way, unless you have a very fine ear and a background in phonetics it's very hard to tell the difference. People's minds will hear what they expect to hear.

        @lemur: I totally agree, I'm from the Netherlands and I actually can't do the "r" in combination with "l", no matter which way around, like jewelry or world. I can only pronounce them if I take my time saying it, which makes me look like a moron >.
    • baldr, on 08/07/2008, -1/+30she is also wrong about "often" at the end there (according to Merriam-Webster online, and dictionary.com)
      • oldman, on 08/07/2008, -4/+6I looked it up, and pronouncing the T is the 3rd most prevalent pronunciation on dictionary.com. Frankly I hear both fairly regularly, and it hasn't bothered me a bit, though sometimes I think if the T is pronounced the person seems to be trying to sound, upper-crust or maybe that's just me!
      • WriterSD, on 08/07/2008, -5/+5Someone dugg you down, and you're absolutely right. Weird.
      • cyberwiz01, on 08/07/2008, -3/+5The bury brigade is out in full force today.
      • hakluytbean, on 08/07/2008, -0/+13Silent "t" in "often" is a regional thing.
      • Pstmann, on 08/07/2008, -3/+7Proper pronunciation is not acting "upper crust", it is having respect for your own thoughts and the people you are speaking with.
      • q00u, on 08/07/2008, -2/+3I pronounce the 't' in often. When I was a teacher in Japan and had to pronounce words for my students to repeat, it caused a to do. They weren't expecting the 't'.

        Must be a regional thing..
    • DAVENP0RT, on 08/07/2008, -2/+15In the introduction, she says "a step farther," whereas she should have said "a step further." When speaking metaphorically, "further" should be used rather than "farther," which indicates literal distances.
      • oldman, on 08/07/2008, -3/+4Where did you get this? according to dictionary.com:
        —Usage note Although some usage guides insist that only farther should be used for physical distance (We walked farther than we planned), farther and further have been used interchangeably throughout much of their histories. However, only further is used in the adverbial sense “moreover” (Further, you hurt my feelings) and in the adjectival senses “more extended” (no further comment) and “additional” (Further bulletins came in).
      • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/07/2008, -8/+2Farther Far"ther (f[aum]r"[th][~e]r), a., compar. of Far.
        [superl. Farthest (-[th][e^]st). See Further.] [For
        farrer, OE. ferrer, compar. of far; confused with further.
        Cf. Farthest.]
        1. More remote; more distant than something else.
        [1913 Webster]

        So, you're wrong. Sorry.
      • 1729, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3You're the man now, dog!
      • jamdogg, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4You are presently the male ***** sapien , member of the canine species!
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/07/2008, -11/+3You're a ***** idiot. It's in the dictionary, and the pronunciation is as this article suggests. Your dad's buddies' friends of friends who passed each other in the lot one day and/or anyone else who pronounce it like Bush are just wrong.

      Amazing how many other dumbasses who are embarrassed about their failure with their own language that modded you up just to make themselves feel better. Idiocracy.
      • PepeGSay, on 08/07/2008, -5/+1Actually, if you look into the discussion of Nuclear by people who make decisions about how to present things in dictionaries it's recognied that Nuc-u-ler is acceptable.
      • Testiculese, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3Is it acceptable to the interviewer? Then it's not acceptable for anyone else.
      • twertyto, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7Is it really necessary to call the guy a '***** idiot'?
      • AmyVernon, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1wow, @Wartyboskfapped, you also apparently can't read. see my response to @alanr19 above.
      • ShakeWell, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@twertyto
        necessary? no. fun? certainly
    • Apocalyptic0n3, on 08/07/2008, -2/+2Doesn't make it correct.
      • AmyVernon, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1That's the most intelligent rebuttal to my comment so far.
    • LeonFlux, on 08/07/2008, -1/+10Well lemme ask you this. When they talk about atoms, do they talk about electrons on the outside and protons and neutrons in the nuculus?
    • seantubridy, on 08/07/2008, -2/+2Maybe they were exposed to too much radiation. It's nu-clee-er. End of debate.

      Bravo on getting the possessive compound of your sentence correct, though, and not writing "friend of my dad's.
      • AmyVernon, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1thanks for "complimenting" my grammar, @seantubridy, but you also misread what I said. A friend of mine's dad means the father of a friend of mine, not my father's friend.
      • jamdogg, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@Amyvernon. You wrote: "friend of mine's dad" and "my father's friend" in both cases the apostraphe indicates that you dropped the "i" from theword "is". The correct way to write would be: "friend of mines' dad" and "my fathers friend".
    • bpoteat, on 08/07/2008, -2/+5Did he learn to pernounce it that way at the libary?
    • jbmcb, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4The OED says that new-ku-lar is an accepted colloquialism. It's even in the pronunciation guide. If you have a problem with it you can take it up with those word geeks, good luck with that.
    • CosmicJustice, on 08/07/2008, -2/+1They were all pronouncing it incorrectly.
    • lebatte, on 08/07/2008, -3/+3Even if she's a little bit wrong (she's not), you're clearly not in any position to be more correct. Horrible, presumptuous, pretentious comment.
    • MxM111, on 08/07/2008, -7/+9She is 100% correct.
      Theorem:
      If you pronounce nuclear as nu-cu-lar you will sound stupid.
      Proof:
      If you pronounce it as nu-cu-lar you will sound like Bush.
      QED.
      • Demener, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3I'm willing to accept this proof as proof.
    • themastersb, on 08/07/2008, -6/+5February - The first "r" is silent.
      • wizbowes, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2er - no it isn't. Who's ever heard of a silent r?

      • PlayingGangsta, on 08/07/2008, -0/+11My suggestion for you is to never go see the place where the Mona Lisa is exhibited.
      • DuffyDirect, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3lol@ playinggangsta -- fine show!
      • shadowfoxmi, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2you have got to get out of that basement, go up stairs and beat you mom for teaching you that!
      • Calcularius, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5Either pronunciation is acceptable.
      • LemonChicken, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3I think pronunciation might be different in French, but nice try PlayingGangsta.
      • mecharabbit, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5@wizbowes: Haven't you ever heard a person from Boston talk? Their "r"s are silent if they follow an "a".
        Example: "I broke my ahm and now it's wicked hahd to drive my cah."
    • Drakoola, on 08/07/2008, -0/+8I think she's fine up until #5 at which point she starts getting anal. Having a 'd' before a 't' just makes them slur together, I wouldn't think somebody was stupid if they did it. She is wrong on #8 according to dictionary.com [feb-yoo-er-ee]. And if somebody said mischievous that would be strange because so many people say mischievious it might as well be correct.
      • TheSpook, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7Websters says both pronunciations of February are acceptable. Not sure about the OED.

        Does anyone here arguing for "Feb-ROO-ary" actually pronounce it like that, or are you just being pedantic? (not referring to the parent)
      • Rolcol, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4I didn't learn English until kindergarten. I say it as "feb-roo-ary", TheSpook.
    • OperatorS, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4pronunciation is more about how you want to present yourself vs correct/incorrect

      the article below deals more with that then just being anal about how you pronounce February. seriously, who pronounces the r?

      http://digg.com/educational/5_corporate_mispronunc ...
    • Futile, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:
      http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuclear

      usage Though disapproved of by many, pronunciations ending in -kyə-lər have been found in widespread use among educated speakers including scientists, lawyers, professors, congressmen, United States cabinet members, and at least two United States presidents and one vice president. While most common in the United States, these pronunciations have also been heard from British and Canadian speakers.

      This is an anecdote but I know nuclear engineers and physics professors who pronounce it nu-cular. Just because Bush says nucular doesn't mean it's automatically wrong.
      • krnldmp, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4It's not automatically wrong because Bush says it. Its just wrong.
  • thefightgeek, on 08/06/2008, -34/+177Oregano with the emphasis on O rather than the A.
    Basil pronounced with a Zed rather than an S.
    Herb with a silent H.
    Any word ending in -er that over-emphasizes the R sound and makes the speaker sound like a pirate. Arrrr!

    But that would mean ALL Americans sound stupid (stoo-pid)!

    :)

    I 'spose an Australian (like myself) shouldn't really throw stones when it comes to pronunciation. I can barely pronounce my own country (Uh-stray-ya).

    But seriously . . If someone judges you by the pronunciation of your words rather than the message you're actually trying to convey, are they even worthy to judge you in the first place?
    • NathanielJ, on 08/07/2008, -1/+29http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/oregano

      Oregano has its emphasis on the E, not the O.
      • jjfac, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3I think he or she meant the sound of a short e, as in "or-Eh-gan-o" which can easily become "or-A-gan-o". Personally, I like Oregon-o. Or Yo-ko-Ono.
      • hakluytbean, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2Only in the U.S. Everywhere else it's on the A. I think that's what the Australian poster meant.
      • ghuytro, on 08/07/2008, -4/+1That's oregano you limey freak!!

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Jt9Ey3cqE
      • Whaines, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Oregon pronounced ORE-E-GONE always frustrates me.
    • Mier, on 08/07/2008, -21/+23There's that Zed ***** again. ZEE GOD DAMNIT
      • KingHumanity, on 08/07/2008, -7/+16Canadians actually speak English too, believe it or not. We say zed.
      • AbdullahAbuDawu, on 09/12/2008, -9/+3King I would bury you for saying Canadians speak English but 0 digg day wins eh?
      • secrity, on 08/07/2008, -2/+7It is "GOD DAMN IT", not "GOD DAMNIT" or "godamit"
      • Blandyman, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4or God dammit. Dammit is the accepted compound for the phrase "damn it" and God is pretty self explanatory.
      • 1729, on 08/07/2008, -6/+19Zed's ded.
      • superdrew0413, on 08/07/2008, -3/+3I'm going to be a bit of a smart ass here. It is actually Goddamn it. The God and damn form the contraction and not the damn and it.
      • dark2025, on 08/07/2008, -2/+15Only Americans say zee. It's zed everywhere else.
      • Azradesh, on 08/07/2008, -9/+8No, it's zed dumbass
      • rabs, on 08/07/2008, -6/+44it's zee, not zed. because if it were zed, then the alphabet song wouldn't rhyme at the end, and well, that's just craziness.
      • mecharabbit, on 08/07/2008, -8/+4I am going for a cruise in my Zed-28 Camaro. Wow, that looks stupid!^
      • rowjimmy, on 08/07/2008, -7/+1@mech - but "i bought the black zed-3" sounds a lot better than "zee-3"
      • draegloth, on 08/08/2008, -3/+7cruising in either the Zed-28 or the Z-28 makes you look equally stupid.
      • JoeDiggsIt, on 08/08/2008, -2/+1Just like my, Nissan 350Zed.... yeah no thanks.
      • Spaceboy492, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2Was it really that hard to just type Z?
      • ShakeWell, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1When you're speaking with someone? You pull out your typewriter and type Z whenever you come across it??
    • screamthenrun, on 08/07/2008, -4/+1You say "tomato," I say.......
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZ3fjQa5Hls
    • proghead, on 08/07/2008, -1/+6Ask any psychologist. It's in our nature to judge. Our brain simplifies the people it encounters into manageable bites. Otherwise, the complexities of the people we meet on a regular basis would overwhelm us. Even if you don't think you are judging someone, every time you meet someone for the first time, the primacy effect occurs.
      • beahmad, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1wow, very insightful stuff. how long did you have to go to school to figure out that people form opinions of other people based on interactions?
    • esgrove, on 08/07/2008, -6/+21American English, and all of our wacky "mispronunciations", is a dialect of English. It's not wrong for us to pronounce it the way that we do. If you don't like it, you should have said something hundreds of years ago when it was being established as precedent. So, in summary: It's not wrong, it's different.
      • Kajarago, on 08/07/2008, -10/+8No, a dialect of English is pronouncing the same word differently. Blatantly ignoring the spelling of a word and pronouncing it however the ***** you feel like is not dialect, it's called not reading correctly.

        Example:
        Nuclear...if a Briton pronounces it "nu-cle-uh," that's dialect, since the "r" sounds different.
        Nu-kyoo-ler makes you look/sound like an ignoramus that can't sound out a 7-letter word.
      • jumbalia, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2@Kajarago: it maybe be a dialect to leave out an 'r' sound, but adding an 'r' sound to the end of every word that ends with an 'a' is not. It's 'idea' not 'idear'
      • beahmad, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@Kajarago
        What about words like read, read, lead, bead, idea, and pear? How do we 'correctly' read those?

        Widespread written English (read: printing press) gained popularity at a time when the language was shifting from middle English into modern English. Consequently, we have words like the ones listed above where the spelling has no bearing on the pronunciation. It would seem, as a speaker of this language, you would have caught on by now that spelling doesn't really mean much in our system.
      • Kajarago, on 08/12/2008, -0/+0@ jumbalia
        I agree totally with your comment, I presume you to be speaking of a dialect such as a "southern accent," but we all know how that makes you sound... (not "you" in particular, in general I mean)

        @ beahmad
        What about those words? I never said words don't have multiple pronounciations; however, you can see how you would pronunce it as "leed" and "led," "reed" and "red." That's still correct spelling and correct pronounciation. You say spelling doesn't mean much in our system; I respectfully disagree.
    • CATSCEO2, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IzDbNFDdP4
      • jer21, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0dugg for eddie

        ...because there's a ***** H in it.
    • CH3CH2OH, on 08/07/2008, -1/+12All of that, of course is foliage. FO-LEE-IDGE., not FOIL-AGE
      • diggenerate, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1This word should be pronounced "foh-lee-ij"
      • tommyrocksout, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1foliage is michael and jan's safe word on the office.
    • jtbell04, on 08/07/2008, -16/+4"Herb" pronounced as "Erb" pisses me off.

      The H is there for a reason, assholes!
      • Pstmann, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3'H'erb is a person's name, herb is a plant.
      • superhobo, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Yes, the H is there for a reason. It's to emphasis the soft "e".
      • ShakeWell, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Have you no Honor? Spend an Hour, learn some thing...
    • toekneebullard, on 08/07/2008, -1/+20I can't decide if I'm jealous of, or feel sorry for Australian guys. One the one side, your women have the hottest accent in the world. On the other, it just sounds normal to you.

      Grass is always greener I suppose.
      • nosecohn, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I once met an Australian guy who thought it was really weird that Americans are always saying "you're welcome," as if it would be perfectly normal for the whole world to substitute, "no WAH-rees mayte."

        Also, my name, Steve, is apparently spelled STAYVE in Australia.

      • StevenJV, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1i'm an american guy dating an australian girl. And my name is Steve. Those two comments were made for me, so it seems.

        Biggest difference you notice off the bat is their use of 'how ya goin' whereas americans would say 'how ya doin', sometimes throws you for a loop.
    • Aeric, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6"are they even worthy to judge you in the first place?"

      English professors' say "yes."
      • beahmad, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4they also would say that your apostrophe behind professors is asinine
    • gwellington, on 08/07/2008, -0/+17I'm fine with you saying "Zed", but why aren't you writing "Z" instead of "Zed"?
      • AttackOfZack, on 08/07/2008, -0/+11The Australian alphabet is a bit more complex than the American one. It goes Ay Bee See Dee Ee Eff Jee Aych Aye Jay Kay Ell Em En Oh Pee Kyoo Arr Ess Tee Yoo Vee DubbleYoo Ecks Wy Zed
      • gwellington, on 08/07/2008, -3/+4But Z was the only one he spelled out phonetically.
      • RobertJoseph17, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I don't think you got the joke.
      • ldkronos, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2And if you are going to type "z" as "zed", shouldn't you then expand that z to give "zeded", and then again for "zededed" and so on..........infinite recursion, stack overflow.
      • beahmad, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1zed doesn't necessarily mean the 'z' sound. it is specifically referring to an 's' sound with the addition of guttural resonance. this is very close to the same sound, but it's different enough (some would say, not IMO) to give it a different name.

        "zip" uses the z sound
        "business" uses the zed sound
    • mbelleghem, on 08/07/2008, -3/+1true dinks.
    • hubbabu574, on 08/07/2008, -5/+12It's orEgano, not oregAno.
    • ummagummas08, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6I think the worst is 'libary' - you wouldn't BELIEVE how many people can't say the freaking word.
      My friend also pronounces Water as warter.
      • verivalta, on 08/07/2008, -1/+9People who say warsh instead of wash piss me off. It's also Washington not WaRshington. Oh and when my grandma pronounces temperature and mature as temperatour and matour. Grrrrrr...
      • billbugger, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1"It's fried rice, you plick!"
      • Kzoo, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1I'm really hating "orientate" right now. It's ORIENT!

        As for extra rs, my dad swears he doesn't, but he says breakfrist.
      • nofrickenway, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I pointed out the "warsh" thing to my grandmother and she actually put her finger and thumb togather and and moved her hand slowly away from her mouth as she very wrongly pronounced "(it's) waaaa-rr-shhh".

        No grandma its waaaa-oooshhh, right over your head.
      • jimv1983, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Well everyone is venting I have one to add too.

        The word is pumpkin not pukin. There is a damn M and a P in the word. PUMP + KIN.
      • nofrickenway, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1pump·kin [puhmp-kin or, commonly, puhng-kin]
        –noun
        1. a large, edible, orange-yellow fruit borne by a coarse, decumbent vine, Cucurbita pepo, of the gourd family.
        2. the similar fruit of any of several related species, as C. maxima or C. moschata.
        3. a plant bearing such fruit.
        4. sex in Arkansas
    • LeonidasStokely, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2I agree with your last point. I used to get pissed off about the kind of people above ^me^ because the true correct pronunciation of words is the pronunciation they used to teach to BBC newsreaders before the '90s. We invented the language our pronunciation is correct. Then I realised, so long as people understand what you are trying to say who cares how you say it? In England alone there are countless regional dialects. There must be thousands of dialects and accents worldwide. Who's to say which are 'correct' or 'incorrect'.

      Also, for a patronising bitch this woman made a few grammatical errors herself in this article and its sister article on grammar.
    • TomK, on 08/07/2008, -2/+8Our British brethren pronounce the 'h' in herb. Bothers the ***** out of me too.

      (Come to think of it, brethren is not pronounced BRE-ther-en ...)
      • danielcjtodd, on 08/08/2008, -2/+2oh, you mean the inventors of the english language pronounce the 'H'...wow. then they must be incorrect.

        U S A, U S A!
        dumbmericans.
    • djAnakin, on 08/07/2008, -4/+4Why does every non-American feel it's necessary to bash America and Americans?
      • nebkiwi, on 08/07/2008, -2/+4Everyone deserves the right to bash Bush..
      • homercles337, on 08/07/2008, -5/+2Because americans are generally a bunch of stupid *****. Just look at the last 8 years. All those ***** idiots want another 4 on steroids with that jerk off McCain?
      • tommyrocksout, on 08/08/2008, -0/+3"All those ***** idiots want another 4 on steroids with that jerk off McCain?"

        ... um. no, we don't.
      • JoeDiggsIt, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4Hey guys! Americans can generalize too! Aren't we awesome?!?! French people are smelly assholes who only eat cheese all the time. Germans are all S&M fans. British people live off of tea and crumpets! Aren't I clever?
      • danielcjtodd, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1Because dumbmericans are the SELF proclaimed "leaders of the free world" who think that we have the right to tell everyone else how to behave. I wouldn't have a problem with it if America was ACTUALLY the best place in the world and we were doing it right in the first place, but its far from it. (check your stats on the CIA world statistics page... we are number 1 only in a few things. weight, military spending, etc)

        If if the English language CAME from England (originating out of several other languages), Why should Americans spell it differently. Every other English speaking country seems to be able to get it right. If only our education system worked we might know better.

        Oh, before you get riled up, I'm an American who couldn't take the stupidity anymore, and left for greener pastures. YEEEE HAW
      • leb0wski, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Well at least you left and the only time we have to deal with your negative ass is on digg.
    • csb92376, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3What are you, the herb nazi?
    • homercles337, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2You dope, thats just brit v american english.
    • RahLisAJ, on 08/08/2008, -1/+1http://www.howjsay.com/
    • thefightgeek, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Um,

      The entire point of my comment was to stress the stupidity of judging people by the way they speak (or write for that matter).

      I think that went over a few people's heads.

      cheers

      :)

    • essjay, on 08/09/2008, -1/+1The single most annoying mispronunciation is of Aluminium. It's NOT a-loo-minum, it's al-you-min-ium. There's no double "o" and yes, there is an extra "i".
    • musicloverkate, on 08/10/2008, -0/+0Pronouncing a word correctly is something I strive for (sadly). HOWEVER, there are more important things that people should be concerned about.
    • Dozernotz, on 08/12/2008, -0/+0@theFightGeek

      I thought "Australia" was pronounced [PR-ĭzən].

      I kid, I kid.
  • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -30/+17Saying "Should of" instead of "Should have" is another red flag of retardation that broadcasts the double digit IQ of it's user.

    We actually used to pass over job candidates that used that term on CVs or in interviews. LOL how we laughed.
    • screamthenrun, on 08/07/2008, -3/+9If you say "should have" quickly/in conversation, it usually sounds like "should of." It's sort of like a liaison in other languages-- the words merge together.
      • zakatov, on 08/07/2008, -0/+24Pronounced quickly, it should sound like "should've", which is the correct condensed version.
      • sg7791, on 08/07/2008, -3/+0The only way to correct this is to start saying "off", instead of "of". I think I'll start today.
    • shredswithpiks, on 08/07/2008, -0/+17It doesn't bother me when people say it that way, see screamthenrun's comment above. But when people spell it that way (and they do. all the damn time)... what the hell are they thinking? :[
    • JMCJoshM, on 08/07/2008, -2/+15Also lots of people saying it "should of" are simply using the contraction "should've"

      More common use in speech rather than written.

      I also like to use periods even when they aren't used in complete sentences, although this is not an example of one.
    • quetzalcoatl1, on 08/07/2008, -7/+4That example is an Americanism. I have noticed a further two things that have spilled over from America to England. "Off of" as in, "get off of me" and "gotten" as in, "my headache has gotten worse". The first example is just plain stupid, "off of" makes anyone sound like a moron, please stop using it. The second one is bizarre. Everyone in American uses the word "gotten", whether they be poorly educated or Harvard graduates. To any English person this grates as much as "off of" and sounds like some lazy and dumb attempt at the past participle of "get". However, it turns out I'm completely wrong and the word is in fact archaic, it just sounds stupid to us Brits because we've not used it for so long.
      • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -7/+0"That example is an Americanism"

        So is invading countries for no apparent reason but that still doesn't make it right does it?
      • esgrove, on 08/07/2008, -0/+22So, just to clarify: we American's pronounce things differently than you, therefore, we're stupid? Was Shakespeare stupid when he wrote down the regional dialects used in everyday speech and made them a part of established grammar? British English is different from American English, just like Spain and Mexico, France and Canada. We all live in different, far away places, and our accents and grammar and spelling evolve separately. Hundreds of years ago, America branched off from England and started making our own rules. If you were to meet someone from your very country 300 years ago, and told them that you were speaking proper "English", they would ridicule you. And they would be ignorant to do so. Be tolerant of other countries, and accept that change happens.
      • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -12/+4@esgrove

        Nobody is saying you are stupid, however there's a right way and a wrong way to speak English. You have chosen the wrong way.

        If you want to be right you could either learn how to speak English properly or invent your own language wherein you can pronounce things any way you please and still be correct.
      • hakluytbean, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3It's not really an Americanism. In the east of England people say "off of". It hasn't come from anywhere else. As some have pointed out those "funny" Americanisms are just regional British variations writ large.
      • diggdiggerid, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6@alanr19

        Language isn't "invented," nor is there a "right" or "wrong" way to speak it. When neanderthals first started making previously-unheard sounds to communicate, they didn't look up words in the dictionary. Languages are formed by the whims of their speakers; they're not prescriptive (although, of course, some elitist jackasses like to pretend it is like those people who tried to invent the no-ending-preposition rule). There is only "commonly accepted" and "not commonly accepted" and of course, the level of acceptance of certain grammatical constructions can and has changed.
      • FranklinStaples, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6you should of gotten off of me
      • Hockey13, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1@alanr19,

        Whereas you seem to have chosen the ignorant way to speak English.
    • OverHeadCam, on 08/07/2008, -0/+70"...that broadcasts the double digit IQ of it's user."

      Something else that broadcasts a double digit IQ is using "it's" instead of "its."
    • rudedogdhc, on 08/07/2008, -1/+16Using "it's" when you should be using "its" is another sure sign.
    • rockefeller2, on 08/07/2008, -1/+8I always get bugged out by "try and." As in "I'm going to try and mow the lawn tomorrow." Should be "I'm going to try to mow the lawn tomorrow."
    • BetterOffEd, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5It's a *****' contraction. ("Should've")

      Get over it, Einstein.

      .
  • spazzx625, on 08/07/2008, -3/+66They missed "ex-pesh-ul-ee" aka especially and "arr-tic" aka arctic (same with Antarctica)
    This could also work with phrases like "I could care less" and "for all intensive purposes" aka "I couldn't care less" and "for all intents and purposes"
    All pet peeves of mine.
    • instntkrma, on 08/07/2008, -0/+57Joe's Butt Lube. For all intensive purposes.
    • completerobot, on 08/07/2008, -7/+3You know, "for all intensive purposes" is the wrong one.
      • optimuscrime, on 08/08/2008, -0/+5Something tells me that you thought "I could care less" was the right one, which is what led you to believe that he had those backwards. If that was the case, then you should know that "I could care less" is wrong.
      • completerobot, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Oh poop. Yeah, I did have those switched around in my head when I read his post. I really need to get some sleep.
    • MrTito, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6For all intensive purposes I could care less about your pet peeves, expecially the artic.
    • jattea, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7My pet peeve is "literally." People use it to mean "very." What's funny is that it usually ends up being the exact opposite of "literally" ("figuratively")

      I actually heard this on Law and Order: "The church was LITERALLY filled to the brim with people."

      now THAT'S uncomfortable!
      • VerdantLuke, on 08/08/2008, -2/+0i think that's the point though, it is used as a dramatization...
      • katzmoses, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I liked that joke better when David Cross did it

        http://dhawhee.blogs.com/d_hawhee/2007/03/of_the_a ...
      • nosecohn, on 08/08/2008, -0/+4YES! I can't believe how many times people make this mistake!

        "I literally exploded with rage."
        "Really? And yet you're still here to tell about it."
        "It's a figure of speech."
        "Not if you say 'literally'."

      • Arcanis, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I thought I was the only one who raged over this.
    • Spudster, on 08/07/2008, -1/+4My biggest is Iraq. It's pronounced e-rak, not i-rack.
      • Kenzan, on 08/08/2008, -4/+1Wow! Whoa!
        I did NOT know that...whooo!
        I'm sure glad a genius like you is around to educate all us unwashed, ignorant people.
        MAN! YOU'RE A GENIUS!
      • nosecohn, on 08/08/2008, -2/+5No, it's THE I-Rack... and such as.
    • unkyduck, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Strangely, many of the people who live in the arctic, say artic.
      • leb0wski, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Maybe they're just having trouble saying arCtic because it's so ***** cold
  • Smokeydabear, on 08/07/2008, -38/+99Interesting, but who gives a *****? Everyone pronounces something funky, based on where you were raised. People use language skills and grammar as a power trip. It's very pathetic sometimes.
    • brentinkc, on 08/07/2008, -16/+29The people who know how to use our language give a *****. Not knowing the difference between your and you're is pathetic EVERY TIME.
      • Smokeydabear, on 08/07/2008, -12/+17You're an *****.
      • KingHumanity, on 08/07/2008, -14/+4And you are an ignoramus.
      • Otto, on 08/07/2008, -5/+22Some of these may make you *sound* stupid, but if you're so shallow as to "make snap decisions about character and intelligence based on language", then you really are stupid.

        If you understand what somebody else means, then communication is achieved. Language is only a tool for communication; it is not a end unto itself.

        Grow up.
      • dragon76, on 08/07/2008, -9/+4I love how uneducated people constantly point out that you are the "stupid one" when they are shown the error. It's like saying, "oh yeah, well you're a doody head!"

        No, brentinkc is not a doody head but you are still uneducated.
      • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -0/+14Not knowing the difference between "your" and "you're" and pronouncing a word slightly different (usually due to regional dialects) are not the same thing.
      • Pake, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3Language evolves and there is a big ass difference between pronunciation of a word and spelling the word.
    • Druidblue, on 08/07/2008, -7/+10It doesn't matter if it's fair or not, but if you can't spell, use crappy grammar when writing or mispronounce words when speaking people with think you're a dumb *****- and that's impression is going to stick around as long as you continue to not care about those three things. You may not be a dumb *****, but everyone will assume you are. Language skills matter, period. It has nothing to do with "power trips", nor is it about demanding a perfectionist approach.
      • akruble, on 08/07/2008, -0/+10Proof-reading is also an important skill.
        It's doubly important when you're complaining about writing skills.
      • Spudster, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3Grammar and pronunciation remind me of Postels rule of design:

        "Be liberal in what you accept, and conservative in what you send"

        In many ways, this can transfer to how we behave. Be Conservative (as in, grammatically correct) as a person, but at the same time be liberal (as in, friendly) to those who are not so punctually eloquent. Nobody likes a grammar Nazi.
      • teesix, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2If someone thinks I'm a ***** for saying "OFF tun" then I would rather just punch them in the face.
      • Druidblue, on 08/11/2008, -0/+0@akruble: Hehe... yeah, well this goes to show you shouldn't drink and drive nor should you type posts online with 2 hours of sleep. x_x

        Still, if I had the ability I'd fix my errors, even if no one is ever going to read what I put- whereas most people would be like "stfu" or simply not care.
    • cooleo_no1, on 08/07/2008, -3/+18I agree.

      While it's important during first impressions (especially in a business situation) to show that you are educated enough to speak "correct" English it'd be a boring world without all our different ways of speaking. After all, English is a massive amalgamation of words from other languages pronounced wrong, along with a load of made up ones.

      People seem to think that you HAVE to follow the dictionary though, and if you don't YOU'RE WRONG. Incorrect, the dictionary reflects how we use the English language, not the other way round. If Bush wants to make a new version of the word nuclear, then he has every right to. You people act like our dictionary was decided by some perfect God.
      • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1"Incorrect, the dictionary reflects how we use the English language"

        Some dictionaries are prescriptive and some are descriptive.
      • betheturtle, on 08/07/2008, -2/+1I believe the phrase is 'pronounced incorrectly' and not 'pronounced wrong'.
      • Spudster, on 08/07/2008, -0/+5I'm scared to reply out of a fear that my grammar will not be perfect.
    • Nonplussed, on 08/07/2008, -3/+5You can easily improve your speech if you care to. Based on where I grew up, I used to say eye-talian and pop. But no longer.
    • Quaterni0n, on 08/07/2008, -4/+3That's just something dumb people say.
    • FredFredrickson, on 08/07/2008, -3/+4You need to learn the difference between dialects and pronunciations.
    • ammundsen, on 08/07/2008, -2/+4You are correct. And the English language has been in flux throughout its existence. Anyone who has ever read Shakespeare knows this.

      English as a language is full of irregular rules compared to most other languages. These exist so that some people can show they are better than others simply because they know these bizarre rules.

      The whole point of language is to communicate a thought. If you have communicated your thought you have succeeded.
      • nosecohn, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2But when you use language, you unintentionally communicate far more than your thought. It's unavoidable. The point of the article is to show people what they are communicating without meaning to. It's more a comment on how their particular use of language is perceived by the recipient than a statement of judgment about the speaker.
      • joot2112, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2Yes, it's about communication. Depending on what a person says, a communication can include the fact that the person is not well educated, did not pay attention in school, or is as dumb as a rock.
    • Spudster, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1This whole discussion reminds me of the children's novel Frindle, where a student tries to create a new word for describing a pen. The teacher subsequently punishes the child for his creativity and individuality.

      Grammar and punctuation in many ways are methods to create exclusive superiority over a group of people. It is one of the many bonding measures used to assimilate behaviour and quell individuality. In the past, and somewhat even to this day, such grammatical rules were used to fuel class differences.
  • pablo0713, on 08/07/2008, -22/+163Nazis suck.
    • CATSCEO2, on 08/07/2008, -23/+5Sure, but what does that have to do with this?
      • 11oops, on 08/07/2008, -2/+12Grammar nazis, spelling nazis, pronunciation nazis, etc...
      • Pixelpaws, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2I think he was making some sort of implication about grammar nazis. I'm going to second one of the earlier comments, though: when you know how to use the language properly, it becomes quite irritating when people are willfully ignorant of how to do the same.
      • aznpwnzor, on 08/07/2008, -2/+2On a relevant note, if you pronounce jewelry like they say then it sounds like jewry then you might become the Nazi kind of nazi
      • DesignNerd, on 08/07/2008, -4/+1If Grammer Nazis have children, are they Grammer NeoNazis?
      • barfnugget, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2oh man, I wish he really was just stating out of no where that Nazis suck.

        And who would dare digg him down?
      • broncfan23, on 08/08/2008, -0/+0@barfnugget

        Nazis
      • barfnugget, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@broncfan23

        I....all you said was Nazis.

        The amount of sense you are making is none.
    • astyanax, on 08/07/2008, -2/+35Come on digg parent up, (s)he clearly meant grammar nazis. This whole article is just a guide to how to be a douchebag by pointing out that some people completely harmlessly mispronounce certain words. BIG DEAL.
    • TomRemixed, on 08/07/2008, -0/+10I can understand being annoyed by misspellings or maybe mispronunciations of words like nuclear but most of these are just ridiculous. It doesn't make me dumb if I pronounce supposed to as suppose to. It's just kind of hard for some people with regional accents to pronounce some of these words.
    • mGARANDEUR1, on 08/07/2008, -0/+8Agreed. I'm going to go back to playing Wolfenstein.
      • lazlonger, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2sheesh. get a new video card or something...... for god's sake you're not on an Apple IIe are you!?!?
    • aTTicus78, on 08/07/2008, -7/+9Illinois Nazis. I hate Illinois Nazis
      • MasterPain, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2This crowd is to young to understand a Blues Brother's reference.
    • microchp, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2We could rebel. Suggested alternatives for digg communication:

      https://www.microchp.org/flip/
      https://www.microchp.org/english_to_12/

      * shamelessly stolen from other sites to avoid blogspam / digg-effect.

    • eyefork2, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I kind of like someone who is in-between. Some people on Digg sound like they are overacting in a play and make the simplest articles sound like they talk about something of great importance, and others sound like they slapped the keyboard, put it through Google translator, then slapped it some more.
    • tehgoatman, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2Godwin's law.
    • nborders, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2Amen!

      Or is it Ah-men...I hate Illinoize natsees.

      ~n
    • nosecohn, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Now is that NAH-zees or NAHT-sees?
  • xsecretfiles, on 08/07/2008, -18/+1HAHA I always say ANYWAYS
  • mattmollysdad, on 08/07/2008, -8/+105how about "irregardless" vs. "regardless"
    "irregardless" no such word
    • Llanowar, on 08/07/2008, -4/+2It's only a matter of time. If it's used enough it will become a correct word and be put in the dictionary.
    • ElvisMMI, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3I was expecting that in the list, too.
    • coyote1284, on 08/07/2008, -3/+2ir = without, regard = in respect to, less = without
      irregardless = in respect to
      Did you mean "irrespective"?
      /not *you*, matt, but people how use "irregardless
      • spookyttws, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2from websters:
        Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that “there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.
      • 11oops, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Yes, I wrote all that right below your post about nine hours before you. Oh well... it seems a lot of people need a refresher.
    • 11oops, on 08/07/2008, -2/+18Technically, there is such a word. Its usage is debatable.

      Main Entry: ir·re·gard·less
      Pronunciation: ˌir-i-ˈgärd-ləs
      Function: adverb
      Etymology: probably blend of irrespective and regardless
      Date: circa 1912
      nonstandard : regardless
      Usage: Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that “there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.
      • coyote1284, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I don't care if it's in the dictionary. Like "ain't", you still sound like a moron if you say it.
    • elshizzo, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4I prefer the usage homer uses, UNregardless
    • dezweber, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=irreg ...
    • Densetsu, on 08/07/2008, -0/+33"Inflammable means flammable? What a country!"
      • shadeOfGrey, on 08/07/2008, -1/+9And ingenious (basically) means genius.
      • Plewt, on 08/07/2008, -0/+5Along with invaluable and valuable.
      • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2You're an ingenius!

        ingenius != genius
        ingenius = of or possessing ingenuity
      • efitz11, on 08/07/2008, -2/+2ingenious is more about cleverness than intellect
      • billbugger, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1like novel as in "That's a novel idea"
      • shadeOfGrey, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@ tech42er I know, that's why I said "basically" means genius. As in, it's not the opposite like one might expect from the "in" prefix.
    • Crazyredivan, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4My friends and I actually got yelled at while having our usual mock argument about this. We were at our favorite bar and got into a huge fight with a very drunk woman who was adamant that irregardless isn't a word.
    • spookyttws, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4Even worse firefox's spell checker acknowledges that 'irregardless' is a proper word.
    • BetterOffEd, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3This one's a classic. Still gets on my nerves as well. My theory is that people are combining "regardless" and "irrespective" due to their similar meanings/definitions....

      http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irrespectiv ...


      .
      .

    • JJCDAD, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2RIP Freddy Soto

      http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ruikQFr3Q-c
    • exomni, on 08/07/2008, -2/+7There is such a word. The fact that people use it makes it a word.

      There is not some magical book that decides what is a word and what isn't.
    • flashingcurser, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2I thought it was a combination of "irrelevant" and "regardless". That also seems to be an accurate definition. I still don't use it, though I might start now that I know that it annoys people so much.
    • Altanar, on 08/08/2008, -0/+2It is a word and has been for a long time. Whether or not you like the word is another matter entirely.
  • ascguy, on 08/07/2008, -13/+2It always gets when, instead of saying caramel people say car-mel. The "A" isn't silent!!!
  • Rollic, on 08/07/2008, -14/+26I agree with the UK on a lot of social issues, but I will never accept their pronunciation of the word "aluminum." That's just silly.
    • zadadka, on 08/07/2008, -4/+17Well, it's spelt aluminium, not aluminum, so that's how it should be pronounced...
      Then again, we pronounce lieutenant completely wrong in my view.
      • coyote1284, on 08/07/2008, -1/+7Spelling of aluminum/aluminium is regional, just as "color" and "colour" or "theater" and "theatre" are acceptable dependant on where you are.

        Sergeant = sar-gent?
      • secrity, on 08/07/2008, -0/+5It is spelled both as aluminium and as aluminum, it appears that both are correct.
      • dark2025, on 08/07/2008, -0/+8Colonel = Ker-nel?
      • cdahlkvist, on 08/07/2008, -0/+10Brett Favre = Brett Farve?
      • DesignNerd, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3It's "Fahr-ve"
      • iFrikkenR, on 08/07/2008, -0/+18Well coming from New Zealand where we too say Aluminium i would usually argue the point, however as it was named Aluminum by the discoverer, you've got to give it to them. The brits changed it to Aluminium to make it sound like the other -ium elements. Though there are plenty of -um elements too (platinum, molybdenum, tantalum) so why did they bother.

        If you want to get technical though, it IS in a column with all -ium elements with the exception of Boron. Vertically aligned elements share common properties so i guess they should share naming conventions making it Aluminium

        /massive nerdity
      • thevoiceless, on 08/07/2008, -5/+1@coyote1284

        The words "theater" and "theatre" aren't interchangeable.
        Theater = The building, like a movie theater
        Theatre = The stuff performed in the theater
      • superhobo, on 08/08/2008, -1/+2Aluminum always sounded like a type of plastic to me. I have no idea why. Aluminium in Ireland anyway.
      • fudged71, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1what about the pronunciation of colonel ? how effed is that ?

        i'm looking at YOU, Sanders
      • coyote1284, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1@thevoiceless
        Thanks for the clarification
    • GenghisTom, on 08/07/2008, -3/+17Actually, I'm with the Brits on this one (though I'm an American) It makes much more sense to spell it alluminIUM - think of all the other elements following that convention: titanIUM, gallIUM, francIUM, einsteinIUM, germanIUM...

      However, since we spell it differently in America, I, too, pronounce it Aluminum.

      But, yeah, the Brits are totally off on liutenant (WTF is that, left-tenant???)
    • BrewBeau, on 08/07/2008, -7/+7The guy who discovered aluminium called it that. Maybe we Americans just decided, arbitrarily, to dumb it down.
    • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/07/2008, -5/+10As a matter of fact, the metal was named 'Aluminum' first, by the discoverer. The British were the ones who changed the ending to fit with the endings of other elements, so unfortunately, the Yanks are right about that one.
      • zadadka, on 08/07/2008, -7/+2As a matter of fact, check your facts :
        http://www.world-aluminium.org/About+Aluminium/Sto ...
        ...look on the right hand side.
        This is all before even America came to be, so "dumbed down" by Americans it most certainly was !
      • Gyga, on 08/07/2008, -0/+5From your article
        "In 1808 Sir Humphrey Davy proposed the name ALUMIUM for the metal. This rather unwieldy name was soon replaced by ALUMINUM and later the word ALUMINIUM was adopted by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists in order to conform with the "ium" ending of most elements."

        Aluminum is older than aluminium, but alumium is the original name. Personally, as an American high school chemistry student, I support the international name so I don't have remember horrible differences in names and lose a point every time I misspell a name on an assignment . But aluminum is the original name (that is still used).
      • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3@zadaka
        FTA: "This rather unwieldy name was soon replaced by ALUMINUM"

        Aluminum was first, followed shortly after by aluminium!
    • Bilabrin, on 08/07/2008, -2/+2Al-yoo-min-ee-um

      Also, couldn't reoccur be correct if you meant re-occur?
      • MarrowMan, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2wouldn't you just use the easier recur, or recurring?
    • wahidm, on 08/07/2008, -0/+11From Wikipedia:
      ALUMINIUM
      In the UK and other countries using British spelling, only aluminium is used. In the United States, the spelling aluminium is largely unknown, and the spelling aluminum predominates.[31][32] The Canadian Oxford Dictionary prefers aluminum, whereas the Australian Macquarie Dictionary prefers aluminium. The spelling in virtually all other languages is analogous to the -ium ending.

      The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) adopted aluminium as the standard international name for the element in 1990, but three years later recognized aluminum as an acceptable variant. Hence their periodic table includes both, but places aluminium first.[33] IUPAC officially prefers the use of aluminium in its internal publications, although several IUPAC publications use the spelling aluminum.[34]
    • LeonidasStokely, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2@Bilabrin

      Recur means 'happen again', which is the only meaning I can think of for re-occur.
  • ascguy, on 08/07/2008, -0/+13And athlete. It's not ath-a-lete.
  • Cyclone, on 08/07/2008, -6/+180Below me/Blow me
  • graahBrains, on 08/07/2008, -11/+92My douchebag sense is going crazy! Picking apart someone's pronunciation or grammar is a great way to win an argument.
  • gigsgtox, on 08/07/2008, -4/+24How is ask not on there? This is the biggest one for me. Its ask, not aks, I don't know how you look at the word and get it so confused but you sound like a ***** moron when you do.
    • BrewBeau, on 08/07/2008, -3/+1I was wondering that, too. I especially hate the person who says "aks" is well spoken otherwise.
    • zxjams, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5Compared to -ks, -sk is actually rather difficult to pronounce at the end of a word, which is why people switch the sounds. Not too many languages have -sk in the same syllable.
      • Buzzbean, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4If English is not a person's native language, you may have a point. Most people I hear pronouncing this wrong supposedly use English as their first if not only language.
      • zxjams, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1That is true. But linguistics shows that this happens even in one's own first language. Human mouths are all the same basic shape. So what's difficult for a non-native speaker is just as difficult for a native speaker - the native speaker is just more used to doing it all the time.
        During childhood speech development, the sounds that are more difficult to pronounce come later than the easier ones - this is why you hear young kids say "aks" every so often.

        You can call it laziness on the speaker's part, but the harder sounds are usually the first to get changed. Like -sk > -ks.
        Another example in English is th changing into f or v. (English is one of only a few languages that have all these sounds; usually it's one or the other.
        e.g. youth > "youf"
        brutha > "bruva"
        etc.

        Germanic languages are notorious for rather weird sounds. (especially our vowels, but that's another story)
    • Weswoman, on 08/07/2008, -0/+11"It's" means "It is". Maybe this will be a lesson for you.
    • so1980, on 08/07/2008, -1/+8Go get an old English dictionary and look up 'ask.' Notice that you'll find two entries: ascian and acsian. This has happened for hundreds of years.

      Get over it.
    • booboolean, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7They'd be accused of racism if that was on the list. See also: the Onion news in brief headline "Ask Murderer Terrorizes Black Neighborhood" (paraphrase)
      • superdrew0413, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2I don't neccessarily think that the "ax" is racist because I know a lot of of people who are white that say it that way. I just think it how someone was brought up to say "ask." Bad grammar passed from one generation to the next and the ignoring of it by educators.
        This is one of my pet peeves though.
      • Enchorito, on 08/07/2008, -0/+12"Axe me a question" makes you sound retarded regardless of ethnicity.
    • Bilabrin, on 08/07/2008, -3/+2Beacuse normally people who say "aks" when they mean "ask" can't read anyway.
    • mGARANDEUR1, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4I suppose my quantum mechanics teacher was a moron then.
    • Plewt, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7"You must be using an archaic form of pronunciation, like saying 'ask' instead
      of 'axe'."
  • cjvercetti, on 08/07/2008, -16/+19Baww people pronounce things differently than other people.
    • whorunbartertwn, on 08/07/2008, -0/+9Yup. It is hard to not judge others intelligence by regional accents or nuances in pattern, but in the overwhelming majority of cases that's exactly what you should do.

      If someone is from North Florida and has an IQ of 150 they still might talk about "fixin ta" do something if that's what they spent the first 20 years of their life hearing. Perhaps you attempt to correlate it with social class or education but not intelligence.
      • BrewBeau, on 08/07/2008, -3/+3I was at Houston Hobby airport a few weeks ago and the baggage checker attendant, who sounded normal and somewhat intelligent, said, "so, is this all y'alls luggage?" Good god.
      • superdrew0413, on 08/07/2008, -0/+5I'm from Texas, have a degree, and say y'all. It's a regional thing just like "use guys".
      • billbugger, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1i lived in Texas for only a year, and in that time i picked up the "ya'll" badly! That was over 10 years ago and i have pretty much gotten rid of it, but i still find myself saying it once in a while.
  • f4nt0m4s, on 08/07/2008, -7/+2I have trouble with the word "gesture."
    Is it "jess-ture" or "guess-ture?"
    I always hear people say it differently, I usually stick to the latter pronunciation.
    • Treoinmypocket, on 08/07/2008, -0/+18Sorry, it's "jess-ture"


      AND WTF IS WITH THE CAPTCHA ***** DIGG?!?!
    • f4nt0m4s, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2Really...oh well. See, "gesture" is the crux of my vocabulary.

      And I'm with you...why are all the comments hung at 0 diggs, and what's with the captcha on every comment.
    • gobbleplex, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1This reminds me of when I met a dutch speaking friend for the first time, and remarked on some graffiti containing the word "Pagans". I looked at me and said "Pay-gans, is how you pronounce it in english? I always thought it was 'Pay-jans'"
      • Wartyboskfapped, on 08/07/2008, -2/+0Wow, that's pretty dumb.
      • gobbleplex, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Well, it would be about as dumb as seeing what you come up with if you had to pronounce "uitgang", Wartyboskfapped.
      • hakluytbean, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0No. Really?
      • Kzoo, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1On the same line as gobbleplex, I worked with a post-doc from Norway, Hakon (sounds more like, but isn't really, Holken), and we all had trouble with its actual pronunciation. Didn't make us dumb, just not native speakers of Norwegian.
    • quetzalcoatl1, on 08/07/2008, -3/+2You don't really pronounce the "t" in "gesture", phonetically it's more like this "jeschu(r)" - according to my OED.
      • Treoinmypocket, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1OK - I have to acknowledge that since we ARE being precise but, just to ensure F4NT0M4S isn't confused "guess-ture" is still not correct


        AND WTF IS WITH THE CAPTCHA ***** DIGG!?!?!?!?!.
    • chuckDontSurf, on 08/07/2008, -1/+12I've never heard anyone pronounce it 'guess-ture.'
  • kh99, on 08/07/2008, -12/+7A list of things that "make you sound stupid"? Give me a break. "FEB broo ary"? No one says that. "Supposed to"? "It takes an extra beat in there to emphasize the d at the end, but it’s worth it." No, it's not. The list quickly goes from things that make you sound stupid to things that would make you sound like a pretentious ass if you pronounced them "correctly".
    • zadadka, on 08/07/2008, -4/+9There's nothing pretentious about using language properly....properly being the operative word.
      But, hey, if you want to sound like a lazy assed gutter rat to a prospective employer (for example), you go ahead and stick with pronouncing February as "Febry"....
      • kh99, on 08/07/2008, -2/+7"There's nothing pretentious about using language properly..."

        You're wrong. If you pronouce words "correctly" but not the way most other people do, you sound pretentious. If you think pronouncing words the same way most other Americans do makes one sound like "a lazy assed gutter rat", then you are pretentious.

        "Supposed to" sounding like "suppose to" is just the way most people in America talk.
      • Lythium, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5I can't remember the last time I heard anyone enunciate both Rs in February. Since this woman is such a language snob, here's a hint: the English language has the concept of SILENT LETTERS. And it is a living, evolving language, so just because something was appropriate 200 (or even 20) years ago, it doesn't automatically mean it will always be the accepted form. Most people around the NY/NJ region say "Feb-yoo-ar-ee" - anyone who goes out of their way to enunciate every letter sounds snotty.
      • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1"Feb-yoo-ary" is how he pronounces it, not "Feb-ry"
      • notanidiot, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1If you pronounce February like "Feb-roo-ary", you sound not pretentious, but like a complete dumbass. Its Feb-yoo-ary, and I don't care what idiot says otherwise on digg, it doesn't make it true. Not everything is pronounced like its phonetically spelled.

        Check out Merriam websters site http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/february

        and look at the first pronunciation. No febrooary, its febuary, so ***** off, you idiots.
    • redhotkurt, on 08/07/2008, -2/+4"Ah, you talk like a fag, and your *****'s all retarded. What I'd do, is just like... like... you know, like, you know what I mean, like... "

      -Dr. Lexus, Idiocracy
    • elshizzo, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3Language evolves. And sometimes language is inefficient [adding extra syllables where unneeded], so the culture evolves it to be more efficient. Nothing wrong with that. I agree the whole Feb - ru - ary part is pretty stupid, noone would ever think someone is stupid for saying "Feb - u - ary". As for the supposed/suppose debate, I don't use either, I always say spose'd. Fewer vowell's - saves time. Language isn't static, it EVOLVES people.
      • Nonplussed, on 08/07/2008, -2/+2Let me get this straight. 1. Language evolves. But wait: 2. the culture evolves language.

        Culture "evolves" music, fashion and politics too but that doesn't mean it's all good. Are we to succumb to every whim of somebody who simply doesn't know any better? Evolution implies that something is better, or at least equal; not substandard. This is not to say that language should not change, but skepticism is needed until those changes become mainstream and more importantly, accepted.
      • MarrowMan, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2Its called 'Annunciation', it isn't that ***** hard, that's how we separate ourselves from primates.
      • Lythium, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1"Its called 'Annunciation', it isn't that ***** hard"

        *facepalm*
        http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/annunciatio ...
        http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/enunciation
        If you're gonna be a prick, at least have the good grace not to be a moron on top of it.
  • DeadMeatUK, on 08/07/2008, -16/+25I always wonder why people pronounce Aluminium as Aloominum ? Plainly wrong.
    • Treoinmypocket, on 08/07/2008, -0/+17Depends actually.

      (L. alumen: alum) The ancient Greeks and Romans used alum as an astringent and as a mordant in dyeing. In 1761 de Morveau proposed the name alumine for the base in alum, and Lavoisier, in 1787, thought this to be the oxide of a still undiscovered metal.

      Wohler is generally credited with having isolated the metal in 1827, although an impure form was prepared by Oersted two years earlier. In 1807, Davy proposed the name aluminum for the metal, undiscovered at that time, and later agreed to change it to aluminium. Shortly thereafter, the name aluminium was adopted to conform with the "ium" ending of most elements, and this spelling is now in use elsewhere in the world.

      Aluminium was also the accepted spelling in the U.S. until 1925, at which time the American Chemical Society officially decided to use the name aluminum thereafter in their publications.
      • DeadMeatUK, on 08/07/2008, -0/+4Interesting, didn't realise it actually had a different spelling. I stand corrected.
      • Treoinmypocket, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2@DeadMeatUK

        I was surprised myself. I looked it up because being from the US, I thought the British pronunciation was an affectation.

        Looks like we BOTH learned something!

        -Cheers



        ....AND WTF IS WITH THE CAPTCHA ***** DIGG?!?!?!
    • MaynardJK, on 08/07/2008, -9/+6You pronounce it wrong because you are spelling it wrong.

      Aluminum
      • harrisonx, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5you're absolutely right, except for the part where you got it completely wrong
    • pe5t1lence, on 08/07/2008, -0/+40In the us: "Aluminum"
      In the uk: "Aluminium"

      Notice the difference?
    • GenghisTom, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Present-day ...

      And a longer version here:
      http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/aluminium.h ...

      Neither is wrong, they are just vestiges of cultural difference/isolation
    • quetzalcoatl1, on 08/07/2008, -1/+11No, YOU are wrong. Americans spell it differently. Us Brits spell it "aluminium" while the Americans spell it "aluminum". Both are correct.
    • coyote1284, on 08/07/2008, -7/+2'Cos in the US we took that word and made it our bitch. It's now "Aluminum" just 'cos we didn't like the extra "i". "Aluminum" is correct in the US. "Aluminium" for UK. I say "color", you say "colour", what's the big ***** deal?
      • rabidmonk, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1That's the ugliest comment I've ever seen.

        Medals in the post.
    • DiggityCarl, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6Not your fault, you don't speak English.
    • devilgoob, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1There are two widely accepted spellings AND pronunciations of Aluminum/Aluminium, dickwads.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium

    • cor315, on 08/08/2008, -2/+4***** you, two of my friends died trying to pronounce aluminum...
    • jerbaker, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I'm guessing it's because the actual discoverer of aluminum named it so. The British didn't see fit to call the element what the discoverer had named it because they didn't like how it sounded, so they changed it.
  • TheSwashbuckler, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2I'll add:

    - potable (I hard the current head of FEMA mispronounce that, disgraceful)
    - hegemony (hear talking heads mispronounce this all the time)
    • coyote1284, on 08/07/2008, -1/+7And the categories are...
      Potent Potables
      Japan US Relations
      An Album Cover
      FOREIGN FLICKS
      Horsemen
      and
      "S" Words
      • tykwondingo, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2ANAL BUM COVER!!1!lololol
      • somestranger26, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Oh geez, I need to go rewatch all the SNL Celebrity Jeopardy sketches now.
      • Transporter2000, on 08/08/2008, -0/+0I'll take "SWORDS" for $500 hundred Alex....
    • XombieRobot, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2You can also add the word

      Acrossed or Acrosst instead of just across.

      My friends say this all the time and it pisses me off!
    • soulkitchen, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3It may be a no-brainer for most of you, but the one word that sets off the "you're an idiot" alarm bells for me is Salmon. It's not "Sal*Mon".
    • DeathGod321, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7DIABETIS!
    • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Yet you didn't tell us how you pronounce these words. I'll go ahead and tell you what I hear (this is descriptive, not prescriptive):
      potable "Ppoh-tah-bull"
      hegemony "heh-juh-moh-nee"
      • jerbaker, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1The correct pronunciations are poh-tuh-bull and hedge-im-uh-nee.
    • exomni, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2Pot-ə-buhl
      Hedge-ə-moe-nee
    • chemdiva, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I would add annals (as in "annals of improbable research") - maybe it's just me, but i got seriously laughed at for that one the other day at work. It sounded fine in my head!
  • screamthenrun, on 08/07/2008, -16/+12I'm sorry, but if you pronounce the first "r" in February, you're a tool. [Then again, in New England, we don't really like the letter r.]

    Oh, and I'll pronounce mischievous how ever I want. Really, this post isn't all that great. The author should listen to some rap songs, because they pronounce their words "rull good."
    • jmas9, on 08/07/2008, -1/+5But the R isnt silent, so why wouldn't you pronounce it with the R... Do you say liberry instead of library? Its not that hard, its simply the proper pronunciation of the word. And coming from Boston, the R in this case is pronounced... its only in cases like Paahk the Cahh in Hahhvaahhd Yaahhd. But only people from Southie or Dorchester sound like that
      • screamthenrun, on 08/07/2008, -1/+3http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/february
        Because of this:
        "Usage Note: Although the variant pronunciation (fěb'yōō-ěr'ē) is often censured because it doesn't reflect the spelling of the word, it is quite common in educated speech and is generally considered acceptable. The loss of the first r in this pronunciation can be accounted for by the phonological process known as dissimilation, by which similar sounds in a word tend to become less similar. In the case of February, the loss of the first r is also owing to the influence of January, which has only one r."
      • tech42er, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I always thought the "r" was silent, go figure.
      • thesonofdarwin, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1"Generally considered acceptable" doesn't mean it's right.

        Can I pronounce January (Jan-roo-ary) and just introduce new a new letter since you are allowed to just drop one as you please? No.
      • DrMonkeyLove, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1""Generally considered acceptable" doesn't mean it's right."

        Go find me the RULES OF ENGLISH then! Oh that's right, language is mutable. If it's generally accepted, that means it's right. English isn't standardized. It's not like C++ for Christ's sake. English is what it is because it has generally accepted rules.
    • KingHumanity, on 08/07/2008, -3/+2Rap has no place in intelligent conversations, formal or informal. Sorry.
    • mrjah, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3I lived in Boston for a long time. New England LOVES the letter r, as long as a word ends in -a or -ah. Witness:

      Get in ya Hondehr and drive ovah ta thuh theatah fuh the Hannehr Montanehr extravaganzehr.
    • alwilson, on 08/07/2008, -2/+6Anybody that uses rap to justify mispronouncing words is an idiot.
    • Bilabrin, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2I think there's a fine line here. If I here anyone making a special point to pronounce the first R, I'm likely to think they are a pretentious tool. Leave it off and I'm not likely to notice at all. Same for Supposed to/ Suppose to.
      Most of the time it comes out "sposta" for me. "I'm sposta be inna meeting at 4:00. "
      • Kzoo, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Yeah. I pronounce that r just because that's how I learned it and that's how I've always said it.
    • Buzzbean, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2This is due to the migration of letters across the US. Rs have migrated from the Northeast to the South and Midwest. In Boston, you "wash "your "cah" but in Fargo you "warsh" your "car".
    • joecool834, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3If they're going to call out "FebRuary", which I have never heard said with the "r" in my life, what about "Wednesday". I guess we've really messed that one up over the years.
      • jerbaker, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I've always heard it pronounces wed-nez-day. Usually the "nez" syllable is very shortned so that it sounds like wed-nz-day.
      • unkyduck, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1If you want to hear someone pronounce the first d in Wednesday, listen to a CBC newscaster (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.)
    • UltraDavid, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1That "r" is a dead letter.

      Hey-o!
  • Llanowar, on 08/07/2008, -2/+7It's good to know this stuff for formal occasions. But when in a non formal environment I doubt anyone will think you stupid for the use of anyways over anyway.
    • Treoinmypocket, on 08/07/2008, -3/+5That's because you are stupid.
    • JoeFelice, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1The article is written by someone who never got the memo on farther vs. further. And he wants you to pronounce the d in supposed to. It's bad advice and it's only getting dugg because it's a list of things.
    • jerbaker, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1I run into people I think are stupid all the time because they can't even use the proper words, nor can they pronounce the ones their little brains do manage to dig up from the depths of their limited schooling experience. There's no reason not to use the proper words and pronunciation unless you don't know them, or your audience doesn't know them. The reason you or the audience doesn't know them is a lack of education.
      • Llanowar, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Not always lack of education. But the proper form of words, in some cases, sound quite lame in non formal talk.
        Besides that, region can have a big influence on the way a person pronounces something. While in the more formal settings you'll have a more equal pronouncation across the entire country.