To NOT say Miss-CHEE-vee-ous?

[MerryMarigold]

So ds1 AND ds2 both claim 'Mischievous' is pronounced thus. I do not say it like this and it is causing problems for ds1 who struggles in spelling at the best of times (it's on the Y6 spelling list ). He keeps spelling it 'Mischievious'. I have told him if he said it properly he would probably spell it right, but he (and ds2) said 'all the teachers' say it this way, so now I am doubting the way I was brought up by my well-spoken (but occasionally mistaken) Mother.

She says, and I learnt, 'MISS-cha-fus' (stress on first vowel and ending like 'superfluous'). Is that wrong?

I think I could just about handle 'Miss-CHEE-vous', but not with the extra 'ee' in it.

So, what do you say? And are you right?

[absolutelynotfabulous]

Yanbu. It's mischievous. Pronounced MISS-chee-vus.

[Beardsareweird]

You are correct.

[Mileymoocow]

I say miss chee vee ous too I'm north east and I get the piss ripped out of me by my southern friends. Could it possibly be regional?

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Interesting! It appears I say it with ease both ways.

[SparklyLeprechaun]

You are right.

[Tearingoutmyhair]

YANBU. It's "MISS-chi-v'ss"

Anything else is incorrect, not regional variation.

[Grilledaubergines]

You are right but I hear it pronounced both ways so I don't think it's a regional thing, more an individual preference!

[MerryMarigold]

One Y6 teacher is Canadian, the other is an Aussie. Ds2's teacher is Essex.

[bigtapdancingpimp]

You are correct.

However my kitten is definitely 'Mr-CHEE-vee-ous

[ailPartout]

You're correct OP.

www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/word-stress-rules.htm

Something (us) linguists know that the majority of the population haven't realised is that it is unimportant. If you wouldn't confuse the the two pronunciations then it will have no effect on anything, ever.

According to my bible the OED, mischievious was a common variant until the 1500s and the stress on the second sylable until the C18.

Your child is pronouncing the word accoring to common English standards. Give them a break.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

I've always said mis chiv ous, so similar to several replies so far. I was challenged on it recently, but I don't have a local accent so wondered if that was the cause. It sounds clumsy saying it as mis cheev I ous.

I always got berated at school for chick en not chick in. Different area, still not local. I'm used to being different- the price of changing area very young!

[absolutelynotfabulous]

I'm confused. How can miss-CHEE-vee-us be a "version" of mischievous? They're spelled differently. Fine if it were spelled mischievious, but it isn't.

[Scribblegirl]

I agree with you OP.

I also think 'controversy' is 'controv-er-see' not 'cont-reverse-ee'.

Controversia l

[MerryMarigold]

Your child is pronouncing the word accoring to common English standards. Give them a break.

I'll give them a break when they can spell it correctly! It just doesn't help.

However, it is something of a comfort that they are speaking Ye Olde English.

[Babbitywabbit]

You are correct OP.

[MerryMarigold]

Scribble, my Mum also says 'con-TROV-ersee'.

[TrustySnail]

YANBU. 'MisCHEEveeous' irritates me whenever I hear it.

[strawberrypenguin]

I vary between both versions!

[Grilledaubergines]

Scribble, my Mum also says 'con-TROV-ersee

That's how I say it. Not sure there is another way, is there?

[pointythings]

Misscheeveeous is as bad as 'Pacific' (instead of specific).

[Scribblegirl]

grilled DFiance says 'cont-reverse-ee' (middle pronounced exactly like going backwards in a car). This thread has caused a pub argument between us, so well done OP!

My children are doomed

[Grilledaubergines]

Scribble where does your DH hail from? As I read his way out loud, I've become. geordie!

[CaoNiMa]

This is by the by, but I once knew a woman who pronounced "aromatherapy" as "ARROW-muh-THER-upee".

[notsurehowtodothis]

Sorry, I say it your DCs way..... as do most people apparently: blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2014/01/mischievous-mischievious/

Tp quote Grammarist: 'The OED lists instances of mischievious going back to the 17th century, and a Google Books search reveals a few thousand instances from before 1920. So while mischievous is certainly the standard spelling and is safer in formal writing and school papers, using mischievious is not a grievous error in informal contexts.'

I'd lay off them.

FWIW the one I cannot stand is 'Issue' when pronounced 'Isss-you'. It's 'Ish-oo'. Like 'Tissue'. Stop it.

[caz323]

OP, you are 100% correct with your pronunciation. And this is one of my gripes: people who say pronounciation instead of pronunciation!