Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

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:
KirstenBlest · 06/12/2023 15:06

@SharonEllis, I've only heard doo-r in England.
@Wolvesart , genre?

Wolvesart · 06/12/2023 15:15

KirstenBlest · 06/12/2023 15:06

@SharonEllis, I've only heard doo-r in England.
@Wolvesart , genre?

Yup, same 👍🏼

CarolinaInTheMorning · 06/12/2023 15:36

KirstenBlest · 06/12/2023 14:43

I've only heard Glenmorangie said as Glenmor Angie, but I've only heard the name in England

Per Mr. Cox:

When we visited the distillery a few years ago, there was even a phonetic illustration with an orange in the center to show that MOR is the syllable with the most stress.

How to Pronounce Glenmorangie

Proud Scot and esteemed actor Brian Cox helps order a scotch. SUBSCRIBE to Esquire: https://goo.gl/l0l9ETEsquire: Modern American culture, through the men, w...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ZwgGB1Lr4

KirstenBlest · 06/12/2023 15:43

Thanks @CarolinaInTheMorning , I've only heard it said by a 'whisky buff' (not the I-lay one) and I thought Glenmor Angie sounded wrong. I also know someone who lived in a house called Craeg Dubh and I have a feeling it's not really pronounced Craigidoo. Feel free to correct me.

ShinyPikachu · 06/12/2023 15:45

Someone mentioned pinochle and that was one of mine too. I pronounced it like Pinocchio when I saw it and I once googled what the game "pea knuckle" was after hearing the word in a TV show. Blush

Segue/segway is another for me as well.

I was an odd child who was obsessed with Greek myths and read Shakespeare for fun so a lot of the names mentioned like Phoebe, Hermione, Penelope, Persephone etc I had come across in one way or another but never had an issue with pronouncing them. Petruchio on the other hand... I pronounced the ch like in church and it was many years before I realised it was meant to be like a K sound.

KitchenAngst · 06/12/2023 16:01

RaraRachael · 06/12/2023 13:33

I'm still not sure how hygge should be pronounced. It's not a word I'm in the habit of saying but I'd say it like higgy to rhyme with piggy - and probably make a fool of myself!

The 'y' sound is more of a narrow 'u' sound, like the French 'tu', and the final sound is a schwah, so more like somewhere between 'HU-guh' and 'HEW-guh'. Kind of.

FatFatMary · 06/12/2023 16:05

Disingenuous. I didn’t know the real meaning of the word as well as how to pronounce it until I heard someone say it in real life

OnlyCorrect · 06/12/2023 20:30

RaraRachael · 06/12/2023 13:33

I'm still not sure how hygge should be pronounced. It's not a word I'm in the habit of saying but I'd say it like higgy to rhyme with piggy - and probably make a fool of myself!

It's 'HYOO-guh' apparently.
I prefer the Finnish kalsarikännit (pantsdrunk)

RaraRachael · 07/12/2023 11:32

We had relatives up for a wedding and there's a place nearby that they thought had a hilariously rude name. We racked our brains to think what it could be, as non sprang to mind. They eventually said it was Fochabers, but with their accent it sounded like Fuckabers.

StardustGiraffe · 07/12/2023 12:01

SharonEllis · 06/12/2023 14:49

Doo-ur in Scotland, dour as in sour in England, surely?

Show quote history

Yes I'd say dour as in sour.

pickledandpuzzled · 07/12/2023 12:04

Dooourrrr the Scottish way is a wondrous word. Somehow less insulting than dour to rhyme with sour!

TorroFerney · 07/12/2023 12:10

Pocketfullofdogtreats · 04/12/2023 10:19

I didn't say anything when MIL told me they were going to Maj-or-ca, pronounced as in Major. Even after they'd been she said it like that

Is that not a mickey take on the old Heiniken/ my fair lady adverts ?"The wor ta in ma jor ca "

KirstenBlest · 07/12/2023 12:49

Heineken Advert Full - The Water in Majorca - Advert Commercial - Bing video
I'm old enough to remember when people went to Madge-orca and Mar-bella for their holidays

Zimunya · 07/12/2023 13:47

I'm not sure whether it's me pronouncing this one wrong, or the people I work with, but "oral". I say "or-al" but my collegaues say "aural". But that just confuses me as I think they're talking about hearing and ears. Aural refers to the ear or to hearing. Oral refers to the mouth or to speaking. Two separate words with totally separate meanings and spellings, but somehow pronounced the exact same way by my colleagues.

KirstenBlest · 07/12/2023 14:38

@Zimunya , or-al vs aur-al. They sound slightly different. Not everyone can hear the difference.

Zimunya · 07/12/2023 15:17

Yes, I definitely don’t hear a difference!

KirstenBlest · 07/12/2023 16:13

@Zimunya the difference is slight but there is a difference.
Would you be able to distinguish between 'awesome' and 'or some'?

Redebs · 07/12/2023 16:22

RaraRachael · 04/12/2023 21:11

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

Show quote history

Ok, bah smutty then

Zimunya · 07/12/2023 16:44

KirstenBlest · 07/12/2023 16:13

@Zimunya the difference is slight but there is a difference.
Would you be able to distinguish between 'awesome' and 'or some'?

It really depends who is saying it. If a Canadian or an American, then definitely. If Southern British, I'm not so sure.

KirstenBlest · 07/12/2023 17:00

I wouldn't worry about it @Zimunya . You can probably guess fom the context if something is oral or aural.

RaraRachael · 07/12/2023 19:11

I used to do aural tests for music exams and it was pronounced like au (like in cause)-ral. That was in Scotland but an English woman pronounced it as ow (like in cow)-ral.

StillWantingADog · 07/12/2023 20:48

RaraRachael · 07/12/2023 19:11

I used to do aural tests for music exams and it was pronounced like au (like in cause)-ral. That was in Scotland but an English woman pronounced it as ow (like in cow)-ral.

Lol.
i’m in England and it’s def NOT pronounced ow!
aural same as oral

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 08/12/2023 07:42

I used to work in a modern languages department. We used to run both oral and aural examinations. They were two separate examinations and the words were pronounced differently: oral (or-ral) was a speaking examination. Aural (ow - as in cow - ral) was a listening examination. This was in southern England.

Clydagh · 08/12/2023 07:54

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 08/12/2023 07:42

I used to work in a modern languages department. We used to run both oral and aural examinations. They were two separate examinations and the words were pronounced differently: oral (or-ral) was a speaking examination. Aural (ow - as in cow - ral) was a listening examination. This was in southern England.

Ditto in my experience.

Fixit23 · 08/12/2023 07:59

All my f,th,v,ph sound the same I can't hear the difference in them sounds . My kids take the piss that's how I know 😅