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Original poster

Words you realised you pronounce different or wrong?

238 replies

heartbroken22 · 04/12/2023 05:59

What words have you realised aren't pronounced the way you pronounce them? How did you find out? Tribute was pronounced try bute by me. Only realised when a child corrected me 😂

OP posts:
RaraRachael · 04/12/2023 21:11

Redebs · 04/12/2023 18:32

Lots of people pronounce basmati as 'baz martee'
It's 'bar smutty'

I'd say baz-matty as it hasn't got an r in it

Newtonianmechanics · 04/12/2023 21:14

My dd reading the Greek heroes pronounced Persephone as Percy Phone. She also read a message pop up on her Dads phone. She said who is Niggel? Nigel!

enchantedsquirrelwood · 04/12/2023 21:21

Another one was the town Billericay in Essex. For years I had misread it as Billercray. I guess because of places like Foot's Cray and St Mary Cray ;) It was only when I worked with two people who happened to live there that I realised.

Newtonianmechanics · 04/12/2023 21:30

Is Boureton on the water..

Bore ton or Burton? I have heard both never been sure.

Newtonianmechanics · 04/12/2023 21:39

My family have mispronounced

Alnwick as Aln wick
Yeovil as Ye oh vil

Pollyparkin · 04/12/2023 21:57

backatschool · 04/12/2023 10:50

Adroit. I want to pronounce it as if I'm French (a droite - to turn right). I'm not even any good at French so no idea why.
Also the misled thing.

Ooh. I've got that one wrong too <googles correct pronunciation >

RaraRachael · 04/12/2023 21:57

@Newtonianmechanics it's Bore-ton. I'm on lots of Cotswolds FB pages and lots of people write it as Burton too.

AllTheChaos · 04/12/2023 21:59

ohdamnitjanet · 04/12/2023 07:00

I’m in the UK and it’s only in the last year or two I realised Arkansas and Arkansaw aren’t two different places …

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Wait, what? They are? I did not know that!

pickledandpuzzled · 04/12/2023 22:04

So today I learned that in addition to rifling you can also riffle. The first refers to searching with a view to theft, the second to rustling through documents or books.

The second spelling and pronunciation is new to me!

moonlight1705 · 04/12/2023 22:06

Mine was Snape from Harry Potter who I called Snap (as in snap your fingers) in my head for ages.

My DM used to love Little Women when she was a child but thougth Amy was pronounced Am-eee

FixItUpChappie · 04/12/2023 22:14

I know I drop the "r" sound in 'library" so that its more like - lie-berry. Its been pointed out to me a few times which is embarrassing but it is my default. I noticed my son pronounced it the same way the other day and hastened to correct him Confused

MissMarianHalcombe · 04/12/2023 23:48

I live near Belvoir Castle. Most pronounce it belv-w-ar it’s bee-vuh (beaver). Which I have to admit makes no sense whatsoever. I think it goes back to Anglo-Saxons not being able to pronounce it as the French did

OhHowTheDogsStackUp · 04/12/2023 23:52

MissMarianHalcombe · 04/12/2023 23:48

I live near Belvoir Castle. Most pronounce it belv-w-ar it’s bee-vuh (beaver). Which I have to admit makes no sense whatsoever. I think it goes back to Anglo-Saxons not being able to pronounce it as the French did

We've got a Belvoir Street near me. I love people asking me directions to Bel-voir Street. I'm like, oh are you in for a treat. Listen up...

OnlyCorrect · 05/12/2023 00:01

I used to rhyme pinochle with Pinochet (still do this in my head, and have to correct every.single.time).
Kiosk: koy-sk (despite spelling it correctly).
Only realised at university that gaol was just the alternative/English spelling of jail, rather than pronounced gole (despite knowing its meaning).

ohdamnitjanet · 05/12/2023 03:05

glad it’s not just me 😆

Underthesea65 · 05/12/2023 03:35

RaraRachael · 04/12/2023 21:11

I'd say baz-matty as it hasn't got an r in it

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There's definitely no r sound in it

DinosApple · 05/12/2023 07:33

Albeit was definitely a German word when I read it as a child. Therefore I pronounced it allbite in my head 😆. I think my DM corrected me.

I also misheard spoken words, so I thought it was 'disturved' until I read 'disturbed' in a book aged about 8.

enchantedsquirrelwood · 05/12/2023 07:52

FixItUpChappie · 04/12/2023 22:14

I know I drop the "r" sound in 'library" so that its more like - lie-berry. Its been pointed out to me a few times which is embarrassing but it is my default. I noticed my son pronounced it the same way the other day and hastened to correct him Confused

I am surprised people have felt the need to correct you on that one as I think a lot of people do that, it's much easier to say without the extra r.

I had no idea about rifle versus riffle in the context of drawers!

Newtonianmechanics · 05/12/2023 08:46

RaraRachael · 04/12/2023 21:57

@Newtonianmechanics it's Bore-ton. I'm on lots of Cotswolds FB pages and lots of people write it as Burton too.

Thank you

Newtonianmechanics · 05/12/2023 08:49

Chorizo? T or no T?

IngridMcDonald · 05/12/2023 09:55

Adroit - I NEVER knew I was saying that wrong until now

AllTheChaos · 05/12/2023 10:37

We are all clearly just terribly literary types who have learned many words by reading them - hence not actually knowing how to pronounce them 😊

SinnerBoy · 05/12/2023 10:47

Newtonianmechanics · Yesterday 21:39

My family have mispronounced Alnwick as Aln wick

Oh dear, I hope they didn't drive past Ulgham on the way there!

peachescariad · 05/12/2023 10:52

I'm Welsh so when I went to uni I got slated for saying 'tuth paste' and 'year ring' (earing)
My DD once asked 'what's man get out? It was mangetout and she was 19!

BreakfastAtMilliways · 05/12/2023 11:01

smilesup · 04/12/2023 08:14

I still read Grand Pricks in my head before changing it when F1 is on.

Sounds about right. 😂 DH and I say it deliberately as a joke. We do similar with ‘picturesque’ and I occasionally have to remind myself that it’s picture-ESK not picture-SKEW.