I Love Learning And I Like To Learn About Proper Pronunciation

Discussion in 'Education & Learning' started by Von Jones, Feb 10, 2021.

  1. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    words with weird spelling that we pronounce incorrectly.

    I came across this on my FB page as something I would be interested in watching and I was.

    There is one word specifically that I thought was or has been used or spelled incorrectly in commercials and advertisements, can you figure out which one it is?

     
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  2. Sheldon Scott

    Sheldon Scott Supreme Member
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    Add a southern accent and it really gets confusing.
     
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  3. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    At ~2:00, doesn't she say "shire" is pronounced as shur, when used alone, as in a region in England? o_O I thought it was shai·ur, like in tire. :confused:

    My uncle could never say aluminum. It was always "alumium."
     
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  4. Hugh Manely

    Hugh Manely Very Well-Known Member
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    l only had trouble with two of them - acai and worcestershire .

    While we're at it, I wish the word irregardless would not be used. It should be irrespective (since regardless and irregardless mean the same thing)

    Also, I see a lot people use the words their, they're and there incorrectly, not to mention its and it's.

    But irregardless of my post, some will still misuse them
     
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  5. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    The only one I mispronounce is Worcestershire. I can't make my tongue say "Shur". It persists in saying "Sheer". Woo-ster-sheer
     
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  6. Kate Ellery

    Kate Ellery Supreme Member
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    We always called Worcestershire sauce “Hot sauce” it was never called anything else in our home
    @Shirley Martin
     
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  7. Susan Paynter

    Susan Paynter Very Well-Known Member
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    While watching the above video "Rachel's English" , I fail to understand her remark. She said "how is it that Americans mispronounce words in their own language".

    She was in reference to the native speaker pronouncing the word "echelon".
    Don't the native Americans have their own language and dialect.

    Also, the Americas are made up of immigrants coming from different cultures/countries who have their own language/mother tongues.

    English then happens to be their second language. So it is vernacular to them.
    All in all, it is good to improve our public speaking abilities, but making a general comment as she did, is not justified.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 11, 2021
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  8. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Our language is a mish-mosh of so many others. And those immigrants you speak of tend to settle in specific regions with their own regional dialects...at least, that's been our history. I doubt that any language on the face of the planet has just one "correct" pronunciation for every single word.

    I will say that hearing "jew-luh-ree" and "ree-la-tor" sets my teeth on edge. I mean...really????
     
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  9. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    She made that statement as a general observation given her area of expertise in the English language. With that said, she often refers to the use of the dictionary's explanation on how certain words are mispronounced. A source that 'we' often disregard and feel comfortable speaking phonetically.

    As diverse as native born Americans are and even immigrants the use of the English language is just as diverse with the pronunciation of words. Not every American is going to carry around a dictionary to make sure they are pronouncing a word correctly or even think that they are going to be corrected if not.
     
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  10. Susan Paynter

    Susan Paynter Very Well-Known Member
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    There is so much of intermingling, intertwining and interaction with the "Queens/American English " speaking versus" Vernacular" speaking and those same immigrants taking the podium. So no, they are not settled in one specific region.

    The dictionary created by mankind has set rules for pronunciation...so in someway, yes, there are rules. But not everyone is capable of following them. That's where public speaking comes to the fore.
     
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  11. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    Public speaking is not exempt from mispronouncing words in some of the clips as she noted in her video.
     
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  12. Susan Paynter

    Susan Paynter Very Well-Known Member
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    @Von Jones
    Given her area of expertise, that general statement she made, imo, is an error on her part.
    Then again, I am not the better judge, and with no offense intended, it was simply my observation.
     
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  13. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    I had to learn a whole new language when we moved from Idaho to Alabama, there are so many words that are pronounced and spelled differently here, and different words to express a common phrase. For example, every place I have ever lived, we used a “shopping cart”, when we went to the grocery store. Down here, people use a “buggy”. Similar word meaning, but entirely different usage of it.

    Dogs are kept in a “pin”, instead of a “pen”, and the name of a nearby town is called A-rab, as a mispronunciation of Arab. In Idaho, you could ask for a can of pop, and here they just stare at you funny, unless you say you want a soda (often pronounced as Sodie , instead).

    Because America has such a diversity of people, we have a lot of words that we do not even realize have been corrupted from some word in another language, and often misspelled as well as mispronounced.
     
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  14. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    I am in no way offended, Susan. We are all entitled to our perspective and you just shared yours. I appreciate it.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 11, 2021
  15. Susan Paynter

    Susan Paynter Very Well-Known Member
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    Von, not at all. We are all entitled to our opinions and this was mine.
     
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