The Top Ten Mispronounced Words in the Hoosier State - Andy's Blog
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The Top Ten Mispronounced Words in the Hoosier State

 

Inspired by a conversation at the lunch table...

11. Excetera (et cetera) - Eleven because, well, at Klipsch we just think it ought to go to eleven.

10. Libel (liable) - Yes, I know, libel is a word, but that's not what you mean.

9.  Nucular (nuclear) - I think we're all tired of this one.

8.  Wheelbarrel (wheelbarrow) - OK, you get a pass on this one; it makes sense, but I still get a kick out of it every time my wife says it.

7.  Upmost (utmost) - I reckon that half the country has never heard this word pronounced correctly.

6.  Expecially (especially) - Favorite of English teachers everywhere.

5.  Sherbert (sherbet) - Don't feel bad, hardly anyone says it right.

4.  Dialate (dilate) - What the ophthalmologist (<--- didn't make my list, but is both commonly mispronounced AND misspelled) does to your pupils.

3.  Acrossed (across) - No matter how hard you try, you'll never get your point "acrossed."

2.  Realator (realtor) - Two syllables.

1.  Irregardless (regardless) - Regardless gets jumbled with its synonym, irrespective.

And one to fight over...

Comparable - KOM-per-a-ble, not kum-PARE-a-ble

 

Comments

 

colterphoto1 said:

ask (axe) who taught these people how to speak?

February 27, 2009 10:14 AM
 

colterphoto1 said:

oh and one more terribly non-standard usage- 'impact' is not a verb. The only thing that can be 'impacted' is a wisdom tooth.

February 27, 2009 10:14 AM
 

Mike 585 said:

I keep running into people with "prostrate" (prostate) trouble.

Oh yeah, and those who need new bat-trees (batteries).

February 27, 2009 12:30 PM
 

blsamuel said:

And don't forget that in Indiana creeks are called cricks and we  warsh our clothes instead of wash them.

February 27, 2009 12:36 PM
 

Amy Unger said:

My favorite is "for all intensive purposes" (intents and purposes)

February 27, 2009 12:52 PM
 

Daddy Dee said:

These are pretty good. A few of these are recognizeable in the speech of Arkansans. A few others not mentioned, perhaps more unique to the south: Can I "axe" (ask) a question?

Someone call an amulance.

Been to the Wal-Mark?

Jeet yet?

How's your monanem?

February 27, 2009 3:15 PM
 

Jason said:

You ever read "The Elements of Style" by Strunk & White?  An English teacher favorite.  Many of these appear in there.

I should also add some new knowledge I gained about phonology and orthography.  As I suspected, English is one of the least phonemic orthographies in the world, which is why we have to have lists like this.  If only we all spoke Spanish...

March 2, 2009 11:05 AM
 

Georgie said:

May I add one that really bugs me...and this may also be a southern thing.  People using the word ideal when they mean IDEA.  I had a friend that said it all the time and drove me insane.  Then I began to notice how many others did the same.  It boggles the mind.

March 2, 2009 2:48 PM
 

Trey Cannon said:

Were fixin to strighten all this out.

I figur that if GWB can use words like fixin then youall can too.

March 3, 2009 12:23 PM

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