Mispronounced words

[PuffPuffSea]

I have embarrassingly only just realised that "ballache" isn't pronounced ballash... obviously I know the word ballache but I'd always pictured it in my mind as two words or at least hyphenated.

Are there any words that you mispronounce due to only having seen it written down and not said aloud?

Acetate. Ace -tate.

A very well-educated (linguist) friend of mine said 'epitome' the other day and pronounced it 'ep-ee-tome'! She couldn't believe she'd been saying it wrong her whole life!

I know a lot of people mispronounce hyperbole, for obvious reasons.

My sister always pronounces Prosecco as Proshecco. Drives me mad.

I did not know how to pronounce 'omnipotent' as I had read it, understood its meaning but always stressed the first three syllables, in my head.

I always read 'banal' as bay-nel. My DH creased himself laughing and said it was 'buh-nahl'

I struggle with getting my tongue around the word obfuscate but it luckily doesn’t come up in conversation too often!

Specifically/pacifically
Espresso/expresso
Nuclear/nucular

Oh God.

Someone I know consistently says ‘Bur-mun-um’ when referring to Birmingham.

I lived in Birmingham I’ve never heard anyone else say this, ever. But they swear they’re correct. Whaaaaat?

Towcester

Often pronounced Toe cester
But should be Toaster

Leominster, pronounced Lemster

I overheard a woman asking about "cuttle ree" in a cafe yesterday.

And although I know the correct pronunciations, I pause over biopic and Calliope every time.

I always get the ‘l’ and ‘n’ mixed up in millennium. I can say it if I’m reading it but unless it’s in front of me then I’m getting it wrong.

(I also thought monogamy was a type of wood )

Oh god there have been lots of times when I've heard a word and realised I had been pronouncing it wrong (usually in my head) because I'd only ever read the word and never heard it out loud.

Magdalen college
Belvoir castle
Caius college
Beaulieu
Grosvenor
Laoghaire (Outlander!)
StJohn (JE)

The owner of the company I work for is called Mr Beauchamp, and it took me 3 years of working there before someone corrected me that it’s pronounced ‘Beecham’ and not Bow-champ

Someone I know consistently says ‘Bur-mun-um’ when referring to Birmingham.

I sometimes say it like this as a joke. It's an exaggerated way of saying it in a Brummie accent. Don't use that pronunciation seriously though.

I knew the written word segue; I knew the spoken word 'segway.' I was 30 before I realised they were the same word.

I say matalanD every fuckin time

I read somewhere recently that you should never be embarrassed by pronouncing a word incorrectly, because it means you learned it from reading - and if it's an unusual word that you don't hear in everyday conversation it means you're well-read.
Truculent was mine - I've never heard it in my head as truck-yoo-lent when reading it. More like troo-soo-lent. Fortunately it's not a word I'd used in conversation before hearing it in an audio book :)

@contblin so does my nan! And dressing gownD 😭

I'm going to need help with these ones.

Belvoir castle
Caius college
Beaulieu

Threehoursfromhome segue was the same for me, except I was about 42 before I knew.

Cholmondeley (Chum-ley) always gets American visitors to Cheshire in a twist, as does Grosvenor (grow-v'ner).

Andylion
Beaver Castle
Keys College
And Bu-Lee
Goodness I hope I am right

I always pronounce biopic to rhyme with myopic (in my head! Don't think I've ever said it aloud).