 |
| "Listen up, class." -Miss Pronunciation |
It's time for AMAZE-ing Words Wednesday! Today’s
word lesson will be taught by renowned language arts instructor, Miss
Pronunciation. Miss Pronunciation will present the incorrect and
correct ways of articulating some commonly mispronounced words in
the English language. Without further ado, I hand our virtual classroom over to Miss Pronunciation.
AUTHOR
Arthur
is a lovable aardvark featured in children’s books by Marc Brown
and the PBS series of the same name and/or Dudley’s Moore drunken character from the movie Arthur
(1981) which co-starred Liza Minnelli and gave John Gielgud a
Supporting Actor Oscar. An author
writes books. Please do not confuse the two.
ASK
An
axe
is a tool wielded for cutting down trees or butchering family members
(e.g., Lizzie Borden). To ask
is to inquire, query, request information.
ATHLETE
An
ath-a-lete
does not exist. Unfortunately, the additional syllable is often added
by those simply unaware of the proper two-syllable version, athlete,
or by such athletes who have been knocked in the head too many times.
ET CETERA
I
believe that Excetera,
or Ekcetera,
is Superhero Elektra’s younger sister whose ninja skills didn’t
quite make the cut to get her own comic line. Et
cetera, pronounced [et set-er-uh],
is the Latin phrase meaning “and so on” and is used to indicate
more items in a list without naming them specifically.
 |
| Pic from Kevin at deviantart.com |
IDEA
An
ideal
is a standard of perfection or excellence, while an
idea
is a notion or thought which pops into your mind like that light
bulb above the cartoon character's head. What would be ideal
is for people to pronounce idea
without the added “l” since it is rather unnecessary and somewhat
confusing.
LIBRARY
Libary
is the command given to your dog Barry when you wish him to play dead
for the amusement of your neighbors. A library
(note the "r") is a public institution which collects and loans out books to
residents who go the trouble of procuring a library card.
 |
| New York Public Library |
MISCHIEVOUS
Mischievous
is a word almost no one knows
how to say. However, it does not have an ē sound anywhere in the
word (no mischievEEous).
Those who mispronounce it demonstrate a mischievousness all their
own. Personally, Miss Pronunciation believes that the problem could
easily be avoided by changing the spelling of this word altogether to
mischuhvus.
PICTURE
A
pitcher
is what one uses to pour liquids into cups and glasses, as in “Bring
me and my buddies another pitcher of beer!” If, however, you have
too many pitchers, you and your friends will not be a pretty picture
for long. Not only will your speech slur such that you can no longer
get a “k” sound in before the “ch,” but nearby tables will
ask you to leave or call the cab for you. (Drink responsibly. Or not
at all.)
 |
| Johannes Vermeer's The Milkmaid A piCture with a piTcher |
SPECIFIC
The Pacific is an ocean or the region of islands in that ocean. Specific is something identifiable and particular. You may wish to be more specific in using this word by making sure that you include the requisite “s."
SUPPOSEDLY
If
the good-looking guy across the hall asks whether you get ESPN
because he wants to watch the game at your place, do not answer
“Supposably
I do.” That will be the last “I do” you say to him if he
possesses pronunciation skills. In fact, he will supposedly
find another young lady in the apartment building whose couch is
comfortable and whose speech is clear. “Oh well,” you say, “I
didn’t want a sports-obsessed couch potato anyway!” Perhaps, but
you might want to shift that “b” to a “d” just in case the
guy you adore wants to know if the Caribbean cruise passes through
Acapulco, to which you would say, “Supposedly” as you pack your
carry-on to join him.
Miss
Pronunciation thanks you for your attention and hopes that this
lesson has been enlightening and entertaining.
What
other words have you heard mispronounced? Do you struggle with
certain word pronunciations yourself? (Undoubtably
Undoubtedly, it can be hard to break a habit!)
