25 words you've probably been mispronouncing your entire life
Let’s try to address a few blind spots in our vocabularies. Here are 25 words that often stump even the smartest among us.
Sommelier
At nicer restaurants, the staff might roll their eyes if you refer to the sommelier as "wine guy" or "wine gal." They won't be any less condescending if you pronounce it "so-MAH-lier." The proper way to say it is "suh-mel-YAY."
Cavalry
Send in the ... er, uh ... those soldier guys who ride horses! It's frequently pronounced "CALV-ary" but it's pronounced just the way it's spelled: "CAV-alry."
GIF
We love watching GIFs, so we should know how to pronounce them. The "G" is soft, not hard, so pronounce it like you pronounce the peanut butter: "Jif"
Although, to be honest, this one's totally debateable.
Bruschetta
Don’t let the tricky pronunciation deter you from ordering this yummy bread-based appetizer at an Italian restaurant. The key is to remember that the “ch” is pronounced like a hard “k” in Italian. Just think of our wooden friend Pinocchio. Hence, the antipasto is pronounced “broo-SKET-a” instead of “broo-SHET-a.”
Pulitzer
The Pulitzer Prize is awarded annually in 13 categories for achievements in journalism, literature and musical composition. It's named for Hungarian-born Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the New York World newspapers. But is the name pronounced "PEW-litzer" or "PULL-itzer"? Answer: Pulitzer's father had always told people to say "pull it sir."
Gala
Some people say "GAY-luh," others say "GAL-uh." The "GAY-luh" people are correct and will no doubt celebrate with some sort of festive affair.
Cache
This word for a storage place (usually for money or weapons) is one syllable, not two, so don't be tempted to add panache to the end. It's simply pronounced "cash." Some people mispronounce it "cash-AY," but that's how you pronounce "cachet," a word meaning prestige.
Worcestershire sauce
Ask 10 people how to pronounce the name of this pungent fermented condiment and you might get 10 different answers. I mean, just look at that word. It's a linguistic nightmare, right? Looking at it, you'd think it would start with a "WAR" sound, but it's really more of a "WUSS" sound. It's "WUSS-ter-sher sauce" Fornuately, they'll usually put it in your bloody mary even if you don't ask for it by name.
Mauve
This is one of those words that probably had you scratching your head the first time you saw it. Heck, we're still reluctant to buy clothes of this color because it doesn't seem like we're saying it right. It's "mawv," and it does NOT rhyme with "stove."
Abalone
This large mollusk is basically a marine snail, and it can be quite tasty. If you're bold enough to order it at a higher-end restaurant say it as "AB-uh-loh-nee" rather than "AH-buh-lone."
Meme
So you Rickrolled 15 friends on multiple occasions and still don't know how to pronounce this word? Shame on you. These viral sensations are here with us forever, apparently, so you should know that it's "meem" and not "mehm" or "mee mee."
Gyro
Those of us who grew up playing with gyroscopes might be tempted to as for a "JEYE-roh" when we want a yummy Greek sandwich on pita bread. But it's pronounced either "YEE-roh" or "ZHIHR-oh." (And let's wait until we've conquered this word before we tackle the correct pronunciation of that yogurt sauce on gyros: tzatziki)
Chutzpah
The definition of "chutzpah" is an attitude or behavior so rude or shocking that people might feel compelled to admire it. It was shocking — and not in an admirable way — when then-U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann said in 2011 that President Barack Obama had "CHOOT-spah." It takes audacity to sound out the "ch" of this Yiddish-based word. It's "HUUT-spah."
Sherbet
It's tempting to add an extra "r" to the end of this fruity frozen treat, making it sound like "SHER-bert." There's no way to resist a delicious bowl of sherbet, but use your willpower to resist a second "r" sound. It's just "SHER-bet."
Niche
We'll give you some leeway on this one. "Nitch" is correct. And if you want to go all Euro on us and say "neesh," that's acceptable, too. But please don't hit us with "nee-SHAY."
Antarctica
There is a misconception that the first "c" is silent. This is as mistaken as the belief that Antarctica is a tropical paradise. Let the "c" have its say! It's "ant-ARC-tica."
Nuclear
George W. Bush pronounced it as "NUKE-you-lerr." Jimmy Carter pronounced it as "NOOKEY-err." You'd think a president would need to have this one down cold, since it pertains to that all-important briefcase. Guys, it's "NEW-clee-er."
Acai
It's only a four-letter word, but it's a tricky little devil with three syllables. The small, berrylike fruit is pronounced "ah-sigh-EE" and not "ah-KYE" or "ack-KAY" or "ah-SIGH."
Rendezvous
So many potential pronunciation pitfalls here. It starts with "rahn," not "ren." A lot of people want to pronounce the "z," but it's silent. So is the "s" at the end. So while some people might accidentally say it as "REN-dez-voos," it's "RAHN-duh-voo" (and "RAHN-day-voo" is generally accepted.)
Salmon
It will sound fishy if you pronounce the "l" It's "SAM-uhn," not "SAL-mun."
Affidavit
Even if your attorney's name is David, please don't pronounce this word as "affi-david." Let's be more informal about it. Pronounce it "affi-DAVE-it."
Candidate
The electorate is angry, and voters are anxious to vote out the first of the two "d" sounds in "candidate." Hopefully it has an October surprise in store, because "CAN-ni-date" is unfit for office. We need that first "d" to give us a worthy "CAN-did-date" and help us pronounce the word correctly.
Foyer
Don't get fancy and pronounce it "foy-AY." That entry hall in your house is a "foy-ur."
Tenet
It can be hard to avoid adding an extra "n" sound at the end to make it "TEN-ent," but we don't believe we can live with that extra "n" sound. It's TEN-ett."
Pronunciation
How fitting we end with this word. What sometimes trips people up is the difference between "pronounce" and "prenunciation." With the "noun" gone missing from the latter, you really have to hit the "NUN" part of the word: "Pro-NUN-see-ay-shun."
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