To not realise I was saying this wrong...

[HelloBunny]

Stopped on the street today by a lady looking for a shop. She asked for the nearest “Shrov-Ski”.
Explained further that it’s a jewellery shop. I eventually cottoned on that she meant “Swaa-Rov-Ski”
Bit like “hyper-bole” with me as well... (until I heard it said on the News!) And the name “Beat-Rice”.

The first time I used the word 'epitome' out loud, I felt very smug and posh for about a second until I was laughed at. I was pronouncing it epi-tome (last syllable rhyming with home).

Same. I thought there were 2 words meaning approx the same thing: Epi-tome and epi-toe-me

I can’t do equerry, which isn’t much of a handicap in daily life. But is it:

eck-kw-ree

or

ack-wary

I think the first, cos second really is too poncy for words.

Same as valet and fillet I guess, we pronounce the ts, but Americans don’t

I don't pronounce the 't' in valet. Am from NI if that makes a difference.

I remember having to read out the word heifer in a poem in school. I knew the word to say out loud, but had never seen it written down and pronounced it as 'high-fer'. Cue much laughter from my classmates. Same with determined. I knew the word but when I saw it written down I didn't make the connection and said 'detter-mined'. Felt like a right numpty when I realised my mistake.

Paradigm from a book I was reading. English teacher friend put me right.

Me too! It also made me smile that they explain how to pronounce it in the bumf they put in your carrier bag 😆

Is it not Parr-kay?! Don't tell me it's parr-kwet, after all this time!

it’s Flat Iron, because apparently it looks like one (an iron).

Now how do you pronounce the Adirondack Mountains? Addy-ron-dack, stressing the “ron”? Add-eye-ron-dack, with the stress on the “eye”? Add-iron-dack with the stress in the “add”?

Until I was about 11 years old,I thought the name 'Penelope' was pronounced 'Penny-lope'.

It's park kay surely?

I still think it's par-kay. Is it not?

In the Uk you should (as in it’s standard) as in eg Downton Abbey.

I knew the correct pronunciation of Persephone, but that's only because I remember it being used in a very very old episode of The Simpsons 😅 (a car company's idea of a name for its new model).

Misled is the BEST - the mispronounciation conveys far more meaning.

‘I was miss led about my husband’s whereabouts’ = prim, giving evidence in court.

‘I was my-zzl-ed about my husband’s whereabouts by his skanky receptionist’ = there’s a story.

LOL, would you believe that I had trouble with "meme?" But then, I'm almost 70 years old! At least I know where to find (LOTS OF) them.

BTW...I may be the only person in the USA who says "ZEH bra" instead of "ZEE bra." I actually get corrected for it! Tell them "I pronounce it the way the people who named it pronounce it."

@Luckycatt yes

It was only post covid I found out Arkansas isn't pronounced ar-Kansas.

In the Uk you should (as in it’s standard) as in eg Downton Abbey.

Oh, here we go again. Assuming everyone in the UK pronounces everything the same way. In NI we don't pronounce the 't' in valet. Most of us don't care how it's pronounced in a fictional TV series. Are we 'wrong'?

L’Occtane has the same root as occident, as in the East.

Chaos, at school I knew I was wrong but I could only imagine pronouncing it 'chay-os'. We were doing Chaos at Crusty Towers so I died a thousand deaths until the teachers read the name out. Thinking about it I probably was not the only child who wasn't sure because no-one was saying it.

Bit niche but I wasn't sure how 'beatified' was pronounced for ages, thought it was 'beauty-fied'. Or 'liana', thought it was 'liner'.

Still not sure how 'lichen' is pronounced. Is it 'litch-en' or 'like-en' or both, like 'scone'?

Then there's 'mochi', is it 'mow-chi', 'moh-chi', or something else entirely?

Arkansas is just Kansas for pirates 😊

How were you saying it?

@Pinkittens - isn’t it me-luh ?

I say it that way!

First time I came across the name Hermione was a Jilly Cooper book when i was a teen. Not quite as high brow as George Orwell! I tried first Her-me-own, then thought maybe it’s French so Air-mee-on then finally the Italian version, Hair-mee-oh-nay.

I've only ever pronounced it the Italian way - the other way is nit tge "English" way, ut's just the wrong way. Similar situation with lido.