Mispronounced Words

227 Mispronounced Words C HAPTER 13 Mispronounced Words 227 Nothing brands your speaking as “unpolished” faster than mispronouncing words, particularly if they’re common words. In this chapter, we’ll help you with some of the most common pronunciation problems. There’s no written test at the end of this unit, because a written test can’t tell you much about how well you’re pronouncing a word. Use the time you would have used quizzing yourself to practice saying these words out loud until the correct pronunciations feel more natural to you. 149. Air vs. Err Don’t Say: Air. Say Instead: Err (rhymes with “purr”). Say “err” when you mean the verb “err,” meaning to make an error, as in the phrase to err is human. v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM227 228 When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People 150. Anyways vs. Anyway Don’t Say: Anyways. Say Instead: Anyway. “Anyway” never, ever has an “s” at the end. 151. A ways vs. A way Don’t Say: A ways. Say Instead: A way. “Way” never has an “s” on the end when it’s being used as part of the expression “a way,” as in she has a way to go. 152. Cent vs. Cents Don’t Say: Five cent. Say Instead: Five centS. “Five cent” is perfectly fine as an adjective: a five-cent gumball. But when you use it as a noun, you need to add an “s” to “cent” if you’re talking about more than one: She can remember when stamps cost five cents. My parents gave me 25 cents when I lost a tooth, but I have to give my kids a dollar. Compare these sentences to: That 99-cent pen will break in three days. 153. Libary vs. Library Don’t Say: Li-ba-ry. Say Instead: Li-bRa-ry. Make sure you pronounce both “r”s. “Li-bra-ry.” v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM228 229 Mispronounced Words 154. Reconize vs. Recognize Don’t Say: Re-con-ize. Say Instead: Re-coG-nize. Don’t leave out the “g.” It’s “re-cog-nize.” 155. Stricly vs. Strictly Don’t Say: Stric-ly. Say Instead: StricT-ly. Don’t leave out the second “t.” It’s “strict-ly.” 156. Heighth vs. Height Don’t Say: Heighth. Say Instead: Height (rhymes with “bite”). Perhaps people mispronounce “height” as “heighth” be- cause they’re thinking of the “th” at the end of “width.” But it’s wrong; “height” always ends with a simple “t.” 157. Athaletics vs. Athletics Don’t Say: Ath-a-le-tics. Say Instead: Ath-le-tics (just three syllables). Leave out the extra “a.” And this goes for the person, too. It’s never “ath-a-lete,” it’s always “ath-lete.” 158. Goverment vs. Government Don’t Say: Go-ver-ment. Say Instead: Go-verN-ment. Don’t forget the first “n”—think of the verb, “govern.” “Go-vern-ment.” v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM229 230 When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People 159. Irrevelant vs. Irrelevant Don’t Say: Ir-rev-e-lant. Say Instead: Ir-RELL-e-Vant. Don’t transpose the “l” and the “v.” Think of the “rel” in the words “ relevant” and “related.” “Ir-rel-e-vant.” 160. Temperment vs. Temperament Don’t Say: Tem-per-ment. Say Instead: Tem-per-a-ment (say all four syllables). There’s a little “a” you have to sneak in near before the “ment.” “Tem-per-a-ment.” 161. Lightening vs. Lightning Don’t Say: Ligh-ten-ing. Say Instead: Light-ning (two syllables). Say “lightning” when you’re referring to the thing that hap- pens during a storm. “Lightening” (three syllables) means that something is becoming lighter. 162. Mischevious vs. Mischievous Don’t Say: Mis-che-vi-ous. Say Instead: Mis-chie-vous (three syllables, mis-cha-vuss). “Mischevious” is not a word. Leave out the extra “ee” sound. It’s always “mis-chie-vous.” 163. Grevious vs. Grievous Don’t Say: Gre-vi-ous. Say Instead: Grie-vous (two syllables, gree-vuss). v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM230 231 Mispronounced Words Like “mischievous,” “grievous” is a word people love to stick an extra “ee” sound into—but it’s always “grievous.” 164. Histry vs. History Don’t Say: His-try. Say Instead: His-tor-y (three syllables). Only an Englishman gets to say “his-try.” You need “tor,” in there when you’re in America, my friend. “His-tor-y.” 165. Nucular vs. Nuclear Don’t Say: Nu-cu-lar. Say Instead: Nuc-le-ar (nu-CLEE-ar). The word comes from “nucleus.” So you must begin “nuclear” the same way, with “nu-clee,” never “nu-cue.” It’s “nuc-lear.” 166. Perscription vs. Prescription Don’t Say: Per-scrip-tion. Say Instead: Pre-scrip-tion (pruh-scrip-shun). Think of “pre” in its sense as “before.” You need the prescription before you can get better. The same thing applies to the verb—it’s never “per-scribe,” it’s always “pre-scribe.” 167. Prespiration vs. Perspiration Don’t Say: Pre-spi-ra-tion. Say Instead: PER-spi-ra-tion. Don’t substitute “pre” for “per” when you’re talking about perspiring. “Per-spi-ra-tion.” v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM231 232 When Bad Grammar Happens to Good People 168. Disasterous vs. Disastrous Don’t Say: Di-sas-ter-ous. Say Instead: Di-sas-trous (di-zass-truss, three syllables, not four). Don’t throw a “ter” in there, even though the word clearly comes from “disaster.” It’s “di-sas-trous.” 169. Accidently vs. Accidentally Don’t Say: Ac-ci-dent-ly. Say Instead: Ac-ci-den-tal-ly (five syllables). In a flip-flop from the previous explanation, here we need to keep the “tal” from “accidental” when we make the word “ac-ci-den-tal-ly.” 170. Representive vs. Representative Don’t Say: Rep-re-sen-tive. Say Instead: Rep-re-sen-ta-tive (five syllables). Don’t leave out the “ta.” It’s “rep-re-sen-ta-tive.” 171. Preform vs. Perform Don’t Say: Pre-form. Say Instead: Per-form. It’s “per,” not “pre,” to start off words about showing off your talents: per-form, per-for-mance, per-for-ming. 172. Asterik vs. Asterisk Don’t Say: As-te-rik or as-te-riks. Say Instead: As-ter-isk (as-tuh-rik). v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM232 233 Mispronounced Words Boy, does this one give people trouble! The little star you use to tell a reader that there’s a note elsewhere on the page is an as-te- risk (*), with the word “risk” tacked on to the end. Not “as-ter-ix.” Not “as-ter-ick.” It’s “as-te- risk.” 173. Artic vs. Arctic Don’t Say: Ar-tic Say Instead: Arc-tic. You need the “c” in there—”arc-tic.” 174. Anartica vs. Antarctica Don’t Say: An-ar-ti-ca Say Instead: Ant-arc-ti-ca. The first syllable is “ant’ with a “t.” The second syllable is “arc” with a “c.” “Ant-arc-ti-ca.” 175. Expresso vs. Espresso Don’t Say: Ex-pres-so. Say Instead: Es-pres-so (ess-PRESS-oh). When you’re ordering coffee that will keep you up all night, the first syllable of the word isn’t “ex,” it’s “es.” “Es-pres-so.” v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM233 This page intentionally left blank . 227 Mispronounced Words C HAPTER 13 Mispronounced Words 227 Nothing brands your speaking as “unpolished” faster than mispronouncing words, particularly. “r”s. “Li-bra-ry.” v Bad Grammar Ch 13.pmd 3/17/2004, 9:47 AM228 229 Mispronounced Words 154. Reconize vs. Recognize Don’t Say: Re-con-ize. Say Instead: