What to Say in the USA

Correct pronunciations of certain words used in the USA.

Opinion page by Duane Alan Hahn.

Most of the following information was adapted from the book:

The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations

The Complete Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker

by Charles Harrington Elster

Your favorite dictionary is probably wrong. Read the Big Book to find out why. If you have any arguments with this list, check out the book before complaining. You might be able to find it at your local library, but it's better to own your own copy if you can. It's fun to read and you might improve your pronunciation while you're at it.

I collected the following list for my own use, but you can look at it too. Some of the words I have problems pronouncing correctly, and others are ones I have heard other people mangle. It's fun to look through the list to see which words you may still mispronounce. You'll need to read the Big Book for detailed explanations for why a word should be pronounced a certain way in the USA.

If you send an e-mail to me bitching about some of the words below and you didn't bother to read the book, I will not waste my time telling you why you are wrong. Read the book and if you still do not agree, send Charles Harrington Elster your hate mail.

Most Mispronounced

Top 10 words I've heard mispronounced on TV

often

AWF-in or AHF-in < Correct

AWF tin or AHF tin < Wrong in the USA

The T is silent. You don't sound more intelligent by pronouncing the T, you just sound uneducated. You do not pronounce the T in the words: sof[t]en, lis[t]en, glis[t]en, fas[t]en, chas[t]en, gris[t]le, epis[t]le, apos[t]le, bris[t]le, rus[t]le, has[t]en, and mis[t]letoe, so why would you pronounce the T in of[t]en?

obvious

AHB-vee-us < Correct

AHV-ee-us < Wrong

The B is pronounced. Movie stars are famous for mispronouncing this one.

sandwich

SAND-wich < Correct

SAN-wich < Wrong

SAM-wich < Wrong

SAM-mitch < Wrong

The D is pronounced.

length

LENGKTH < Correct

LENTH < Wrong

strength

STRENGKTH < Correct

STRENTH < Wrong

data

DAY-tuh < Correct

DAT-uh < Wrong

jewelry

JOO-wuul-ree < Correct

JOO-luh-ree < Wrong

JER-ee < Wrong

JEW-ree < Wrong

If you can say jewel, you can say jewelry.

pianist

pee-AN-ist < Correct

PEE-uh-nist < Wrong in the USA

salmon

SAM-un < Correct

SAL-mun < Wrong

The L is silent.

gala

GAY-luh < Correct

GAL-uh < Wrong

Other Mispronounced Words

arctic

AHRK-tik < Correct

AHR-tik < Wrong

asterisk

AS-tuh-risk < Correct

AS-tuh-rick < Wrong

calm

KAHM < Correct

KAHLM < Wrong

KAWLM < Wrong

The L is silent. Calm rhymes with mom.

catsup

KECH-up < Correct

KACH-up < Correct

KAT-sup < Wrong

chamois

SHAM-ee < Correct

CHAM-oys < Wrong

SHAM-oys < Wrong

cham-WAH < Wrong

sham-WAH < Wrong

chic

SHEEK < Correct

CHIK < Wrong

clandestine

klan-DES-tin < Correct

klan-DES-tyn < Wrong

klan-DES-teen < Wrong

KLAN-di-styn < Wrong

KLAN di-steen < Wrong

KLAN-di-stin < Wrong

cliche

klee-SHAY < Correct

kli-SHAY < Wrong

clique

KLEEK < Correct

KLIK < Wrong

Rhymes with sleek, not slick.

coupon

KOO-pahn < Correct

KYOO-pahn < Wrong

There is no Q in coupon.

culinary

KYOO-li-ner-ee < Correct

KUHL-i-ner-ee < Wrong

The first part does not rhyme with gull or skull. It rhymes with the letter Q. You don't say kuhcumber when you pronounce the word cucumber, so that's a good way to remember how to pronounce culinary (Q-linary or cue-linary). Think of cucumber and culinary as if they were cousins.

deal

DEEL < Correct

DILL < Wrong

decibel

DES-i-bel < Correct

DES-i-buul < Wrong

The last syllable sounds like bell because the last part of the word comes from Alexander Graham Bell.

deity

DEE-i-tee < Correct

DAY-i-tee < Wrong

disastrous

di-ZAS-trus < Correct

di-ZAS-tur-us < Wrong

Only has three syllables.

domicile

DAHM-uh-syl < Correct

DOH-muh-syl < Wrong

either

EE-thur < Correct

EYE-thur < Wrong

evil

EE-vuul < Correct

EE-vil < Wrong

Second syllable rhymes with full, not hill.

February

FEB-roo-ER-ee < Correct

FEB yoo ER ee < Wrong

fecal

FEE-kul < Correct

FEE-sul < Wrong

feces

FEE-seez < Correct

FEE-keez < Wrong

flaccid

FLAK-sid < Correct

FLAS-id < Wrong

Would you say assident for accident, susseed for succeed, or essentric for eccentric? In these and similar words � where cc precedes an i or e � the double c should be pronounced like x or k-s, as in accept, vaccinate, accentuate, accede, occidental, and occipital.

flutist

FLOO-tist < Correct

FLOW-tist < Wrong

FLAW-tist < Wrong

foliage

FOH-lee-ij < Correct

FOH-lij < Wrong

FOY-lij < Wrong

foyer

FOY-ur < Correct

FOY-ay < Wrong

FWAH-yay < Wrong

fracas

FRAY-kis < Correct

FRAK-is < Wrong

fungi

FUN-jy < Correct

FUN-jee < Wrong

FUN-gee < Wrong

FUN-gy < Wrong

There is no guy in fungi. It has a soft g as in age, and a long i as in sigh.

geisha

GAY-shuh < Correct

GEE-shuh < Wrong

GUY-shuh < Wrong

GESH-uh < Wrong

genuine

GEN-yoo-in < Correct

GEN-yoo-wyn < Wrong

There is no wine in genuine.

height

HYT < Correct

HYT-th < Wrong

HY-th < Wrong

Rhymes with bite.

heinous

HAY-nis < Correct

Hee-nis < Wrong

Hee-nee-is < Wrong

Hay-nee-is < Wrong

herb

URB < Correct

HURB < Wrong

Do not pronounce the H unless it's a man's name or you are British.

hyperbole

hy-PUR-buh-lee < Correct

HY-pur-bohl < Wrong

Any sports fan will tell you that there's a Super Bowl, a Sugar Bowl, a Cotton Bowl, and a Rose Bowl, but there is no Hyper Bowl.

idea

eye-DEE-uh < Correct

eye-DEER < Wrong

incomparable

in-KAHM-pur-uh-buul < Correct

in-kahm-PAIR-uh-buul < Wrong

There is no pair in incomparable.

irony

EYE-ruh-nee < Correct

EYE-ur-nee < Wrong

jaguar

JAG-wahr < Correct

JAG-wyr < Wrong

JAG-yoo-ah < Wrong

There is no you or wire in jaguar.

jewel(s)

JOO-wuul(z) < Correct

JOOL(Z) < Wrong

ketchup

KECH-up < Correct

KACH-up < Correct

KAT-sup < Wrong

library

LY-brer-ee < Correct

LY-ber-ee < Wrong

There is no berry in library.

machination

MAK-i-NAY-shin < Correct

MASH-i-NAY-shin < Wrong

There is no mash in machination.

measure

mezh-ur < Correct

MAY-zhur < Wrong

niche

NICH < Correct

NEESH < Wrong

NISH < Wrong

nuclear

N(Y)OO-klee-ur < Correct

NOO-kyuh-lur < Wrong

NOO-klur < Wrong

ophthalmologist

AHF-thuul-MAHL-uh-jist < Correct

AHP-thuh-MAHL-uh-jist < Wrong

orangutan

uh-RANG-uh-TAN < Correct

uh-RANG-uh-TANG < Wrong

palm

PAHM < Correct

PAHLM < Wrong

The L is silent.

poem

POH-um < Correct

POH-eem < Wrong

POYM < Wrong

POHM < Wrong

poinsettia

poyn-SET-ee-uh < Correct

poynt-SET-ee-uh < Wrong

poynt-SET-uh < Wrong

poyn-SET-uh < Wrong

possess

puh-ZES < Correct

poh-ZES < Wrong

potpourri

POH-puu-REE < Correct

POT-pour-ee < Wrong

psalm

SAHM < Correct

SAHLM < Wrong

The L is silent.

pumpkin

PUHMP-kin < Correct

PUHNG-kin < Wrong

PUHM-kin < Wrong

qualm

KWAHM < Correct

KWAHLM < Wrong

The L is silent.

quixotic

kwik-SAHT-ik < Correct

kee-HOH-tik < Wrong

ruse

ROOZ < Correct

ROOS < Wrong

Rhymes with shoes, not moose.

salmonella

SAL-muh-NEL-uh < Correct

SAM-uh-NEL-uh < Wrong

This word is based on a man's last name, not the fish, so pronounce every L.

sherbet

SHUR-bit < Correct

SHUR-burt < Wrong

SHUR-bay < Wrong

soiree

swah-RAY < Correct

sor-AY < Wrong

sor-EE < Wrong

something

sum-thing < Correct

sun-thing < Wrong

succeed

suk-SEED < Correct

suh-SEED < Wrong

Taurus

TOR-us < Correct

TOW-rus < Wrong

vegetable

VEJ-tuh-buul < Correct

VEJ-i-tuh-buul < Wrong

vendor

VEN-dur < Correct

VEN-dor < Wrong

ven-DOR < Wrong

versatile

VUR-suh-til < Correct

VUR-suh-tyl < Wrong

vur-suh-TYL < Wrong

vertebrae

VUR-tuh-BREE < Correct

VUR-tuh-BRAY < Wrong

visa

VEE-zuh < Correct

VEE-suh < Wrong

wash

WAHSH < Correct

WAHRSH < Wrong

WAWRSH < Wrong

zoology

zoh-AHL-uh-jee < Correct

zoo-AHL-uh-jee < Wrong

The first part rhymes with toe or show. It does not rhyme with poo. There Is No Zoo in Zoology.