Can You Pronounce These 40 Words? Lots of New Yorkers Struggle To
For those who speak to the public as I do, it can sometimes be frustrating when mispronouncing a word. It happens more times than I'd like.
Sometimes, it may be because I was rushing while reading something on the radio, and my mind was going faster than my mouth. But there are some words, no matter how hard I try, I just can't pronounce them correctly.
For example, I avoid the word 'Anonymity.' It comes up from time to time in a news article I'm reading, and it just throws me. For example, the article may read like this - "The person spoke to our reporter about the incident on the condition of anonymity since nothing has been officially confirmed."
I get around it by saying something like "The person spoke on the subject after being guaranteed not to be identified since the allegations have not been officially confirmed.
Sports names? Forget it. Thank goodness for Google's pronunciation tool. I used it all the time. I recently asked on social media the question - "What's a word that you always mispronounce?" Well, a few I knew would be a no-brainer, but some surprised me.
Check out below, what some of our listeners struggle with pronouncing, or hear others mispronounce.
- Pam S. - Porcelain
- Nicole K. - Architecture. I keep putting texture in there
- Jeffrey K. - Worcester
- Chris C. - It's a chimney, not a Chimley. it's a Flue, not a Flume. I hear these on a weekly basis
- Jessica S. - Ask, not axe
- Alicia P. - Mitsubishi
- Joan W. - Aluminum and Exacerbation
- Richard H. - Charcuterie
- Sheila K. - Forsythia
- Tesha G. - Cinnamon
- Sherry K. - When I was much younger I would confuse the wordsProsecute and Persecute
- Carmen F. - Wolf (sounds like “woof.”) But I do it on porpoise
- Mike C. - My biggest speech issue is Hay Bales. I always say Bay Hales without thinking
- Mary D.- Phenomenon
- Joel S. - Quid pro quo
- Renee R. - Worcestershire
- Lainey T. - Licorice
- Pat D. - Otsiningo
- Linda L. - Gastroenterologist
- Tom M. - I can't say Italian. I say Etalian
- David R.- Binghamton
- Lori L. - Tioughnioga River
- Daniel W. - Antidisestablishmentterism
- Kristine F. - Scenerio
- Karman H.- Rural
- Roxie B. - FebRuary
- Diane L. - Advocate
- Nancy H. - I cannot pronounce Memoir
- Alicia M. - Hearth
- Vicky D. - Iron
- Wayne B. - Specific not Pacific
- Timothy M.- Roof. Around here it’s a ruff
- Carla C. - Interpret
- Linda D. - New Berlin, or so says my husband. It is a small town in Upstate New York
- Marcy D. - Thoracic
- Michelle L.- Ambulance
- Pam B. - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- Angela K. - Hydrangea