Just as we have trouble misspelling some words, we all seem to have a similar problem with saying certain words and also butchering them everytime they come out of our mouth.

What are some of the words you just can't seem to say right no matter how hard you try to remember their pronunciation?

Sometimes I mess up with artists.... It's hard to get that "s" at the end.

anesthetist...I really have to think about this one before I try to say it.

entrepreneur...I can't spell it either.

Regularly, particularly, and controversial. 

the Philipino language Tagalog  I always pronouce it as    tag  a    log  whereas my daughter corrects me every time in defense of her many philipino friends at school and says  ta  gal  og    :-[

I KNOW i have trouble with these words:
cinnamon
methodology
significance

the Philipino language Tagalog  I always pronouce it as    tag   a    log  whereas my daughter corrects me every time in defense of her many philipino friends at school and says   ta   gal   og    :-[


I have a very hard time with that one, too. I have a lot of Filipino friends who speak it and they just laugh at me when I say it wrong  ;D

i think it's interesting and cool that you have a reason to use that word so often!^ :)

i think it's interesting and cool that you have a reason to use that word so often!^ :)


It is interesting to be around so many who speak that rather lesser known language.  :)

I have a rough time with saying anonymous, squirrel (it comes out as if I'm saying "scrolls"), and some various other words!

For some reason I have trouble with "Cacophony."

Medicinal.




Cat

Aluminium (the British spelling) is a bit of a tongue twister.

Floccinaucinihilipilification  :P

the Philipino language Tagalog  I always pronouce it as    tag   a    log  whereas my daughter corrects me every time in defense of her many philipino friends at school and says   ta   gal   og    :-[
That is correct ta  gal  og .

Drawer
Despot (I always want to say "depot")
prescription

I have a pet peeve here too.  I had a co-worker once who always said "pacific" when she meant "specific."  We worked in a very professional environment and it always bothered me that she didn't know how to say "specific."  BUT...I never corrected her, which I felt bad about, but at the time I was shy to do it.  That was many years ago.  NOW, I think I'd correct her on it.  What would you do in that situation?

Also, I have a friend now who often uses the phrase "It never ceases to amaze me..." but she says it wrong.  She says "It ceases to amaze me..." which really means "it stops amazing me" which is contrary to her meaning.  Should I correct her?

ugh! pet peeves:

jew-el-ry.
NOT ju-ler-ree.

esc-ca-lator.
NOT es-cue(Q)- lator!

A pet peeve of mine is :

Instead of I've seen they say, I SEEN - it sounds SO awful.

I have a pet peeve here too.  I had a co-worker once who always said "pacific" when she meant "specific."  We worked in a very professional environment and it always bothered me that she didn't know how to say "specific."  BUT...I never corrected her, which I felt bad about, but at the time I was shy to do it.  That was many years ago.  NOW, I think I'd correct her on it.  What would you do in that situation?



It's one that annoys me as well but apparently is more to do with their accent than with an inability to speak correctly  :-\\

It's one that annoys me as well but apparently is more to do with their accent than with an inability to speak correctly  :-\\


In this case, I'd say it's not so much an accent as a case of never having been taught correctly.  (same thing?  cultural?)  Still...I think I should have filled her in.

As a southerner I mispronounce the following due to my accent: water, didn't, doesn't and any gerund. That means water is "wut-er," didn't is "dit-un," doesn't is "dut-un" and gerunds become "runnin," "spellin" etc. Also tornado becomes "tornada." To say them correctly causes too much enunciation and people are always complementing me on not having an accent so I don't guess its a problem.
The real problem is that people outside the south don't know what an educated person's accent sounds like; they think we're all at one end of the scale talking like Gomer Pyle or the other, Scarlett O'Hara (who was British, incidentally.)

Words I don't know how to pronounce having only seen them written: debacle, incongruous, abysmal.

Words I don't know how to pronounce having only seen them written: debacle, incongruous, abysmal.


I would say

day-bar-cull

in-con-grew- uss

a-bizz-mull

I would say

day-bar-cull



I would say "deh-BAH-cull"

As a southerner I mispronounce the following due to my accent: water, didn't, doesn't and any gerund. That means water is "wut-er," didn't is "dit-un," doesn't is "dut-un" and gerunds become "runnin," "spellin" etc. Also tornado becomes "tornada." To say them correctly causes too much enunciation and people are always complementing me on not having an accent so I don't guess its a problem.
The real problem is that people outside the south don't know what an educated person's accent sounds like; they think we're all at one end of the scale talking like Gomer Pyle or the other, Scarlett O'Hara (who was British, incidentally.)


I'm originally from New Yawk City.  I have a bit of an accent too.  I think most people know the difference between someone with an accent and someone who doesn't know how to use their native language properly.  (And please know, I don't in any comments mean to make any judgment on people in this manner.  I just have a couple of particular pet peeves regarding language...my own pickiness.)

I would say "deh-BAH-cull"




Aye.  I was trying to find a phonetic way that couldn't be misinterpreted!

How do you pronounce "treatise"?

tree tease

ugh! pet peeves:

jew-el-ry.
NOT ju-ler-ree.

esc-ca-lator.
NOT es-cue(Q)- lator!


Oooh, may I add a few??

Turlet for toilet.

Pitcher for picture.

Bat-tree for battery.

ideal for idea.

Fish and chips (apparently...  ::))

??? ;D

i allegedly say repeat incorrectly..as in 'that show is a repeat' whereas most people say repeat

A pet peeve is when people miss letters out of words such as: Didn't=Di'int etc. when speaking.

And other words I mispronounce way too often are Maori words and place names. Especialy the "WH" sound. (In english it is a "W" sound, where-as in Maori it is a "F" sound)

Fish and chips (apparently...  ::))


can you throw me a bone on this one? ;D

can you throw me a bone on this one? ;D
From Wikipedia ('coz I can't explain it myself):

The short 'i' in New Zealand English is pronounced as a schwa /ə/. In Australian English, the short 'u' is often thought to be the vowel closest to the New Zealand pronunciation. So Australians frequently joke about New Zealanders having "fush and chups" instead of "fish and chips". However, it is really closer to an almost dropped vowel, so it's more like "f'sh and ch'ps".

From Wikipedia ('coz I can't explain it myself):



cool..think i've gotcha now.. :)

cool..think i've gotcha now.. :)
So it didn't confuse you even more?  ;D

So it didn't confuse you even more?  ;D

nope..i could hear the fush and chups and the f'sh and ch'ps in my head..no prob  :D

A pet peeve is when people miss letters out of words such as: Didn't=Di'int etc. when speaking.


The teenage boys around here (including my sons) are in the habit of saying "A-ight" (or some such mumble) instead of "Alright."  Drives me nuts. 

The teenage boys around here (including my sons) are in the habit of saying "A-ight" (or some such mumble) instead of "Alright."  Drives me nuts. 


Oy, I hate that.


I also hate when people say "My bad" instead of "Sorry".

Oy, I hate that.


I also hate when people say "My bad" instead of "Sorry".


;D  We say that in my house all the time.  I got used to that one.

??? ;D

i allegedly say repeat incorrectly..as in 'that show is a repeat' whereas most people say repeat




maybe it's the British influence?

Cache.

Is it pronounced "Cash" or "Cashay" or what?

Cache.

Is it pronounced "Cash" or "Cashay" or what?

I'm pretty sure it's pronounced "cash" but it looks like "cashay", doesn't it? ;)

How do you pronounce "treatise"?



tree-tiss

Cache.

Is it pronounced "Cash" or "Cashay" or what?



Cash.