Tell me words you can't pronounce correctly.

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  • germanveg
    germanveg Posts: 15
    English is my second language and I sometimes have problems with "twelve". The German word for it is "zwoelf" and I tend to pronounce the "v" in "twelve" like the "f" in the German word. Twelff. I don't have a problem with any other words that I can think of (including squirrel (I saw videos of Germans trying to pronounce squirrel on youtube, lol)), but twelve gets me if I don't think about it first.

    My 8-year-old calls pretzels "pren-tzels. No clue why, but she always forgets there's no "n" in that word :)
  • ThinLizzie0802
    ThinLizzie0802 Posts: 863 Member
    Drury
    As in Drury Inn and Suites
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    English is my second language and I sometimes have problems with "twelve". The German word for it is "zwoelf" and I tend to pronounce the "v" in "twelve" like the "f" in the German word. Twelff. I don't have a problem with any other words that I can think of (including squirrel (I saw videos of Germans trying to pronounce squirrel on youtube, lol)), but twelve gets me if I don't think about it first.

    My 8-year-old calls pretzels "pren-tzels. No clue why, but she always forgets there's no "n" in that word :)
    Well, in fairness, it *is* "twelfth", so our languages clearly only relatively recently diverged on that score.

    And I think pretzels *should* have an "n" in it! Brava for your 8-year-old's creativity!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I think we can safely claim that "rur" is in general a pain in the butt to pronounce, in whatever word into which it may fall! :laugh:
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I have to say suspicious very slowly, or it just comes out Spishus.
  • kuolo
    kuolo Posts: 251 Member
    For some reason I grew up mispronouncing quite a lot of words, which my husband finds hilarious and takes great glee correcting. One still comes up every few months, I think it's because I read a lot as a child and didn't talk much!

    But the worst thing is that even though I now know the right pronounciation for these words, in my head I still read it as the wrong one. So when I read it on MFP, in my head, 'deficit' is actually 'deaf-FISH-it'. There are more, like medicinal = medi-CEE-nal, alibi = ab-libby... I just try to avoid saying these words out loud as half the time I can't remember which way is the right way to pronounce it. I also wonder how many people heard me say these things before my husband started correcting me!
  • trisha986
    trisha986 Posts: 139
    I usually say "ax" instead of "ask." Not that I can't pronounce it. Just so use to saying it.

    I was just about to say this was my problem but wanted to see if anyone else had it! Its more just a bad habit lol Ugh. Drives my boss crazy.
  • BehindtheMic
    BehindtheMic Posts: 1,741 Member
    Thats like saying mirra instead of mirror? HAHA
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    For some reason I grew up mispronouncing quite a lot of words, which my husband finds hilarious and takes great glee correcting. One still comes up every few months, I think it's because I read a lot as a child and didn't talk much!

    But the worst thing is that even though I now know the right pronounciation for these words, in my head I still read it as the wrong one. So when I read it on MFP, in my head, 'deficit' is actually 'deaf-FISH-it'. There are more, like medicinal = medi-CEE-nal, alibi = ab-libby... I just try to avoid saying these words out loud as half the time I can't remember which way is the right way to pronounce it. I also wonder how many people heard me say these things before my husband started correcting me!
    My husband is the same way, because of learning words by reading them rather than hearing them spoken aloud. For some reason, my ignorant hayseed family has a very rich vocabulary, and I also learned to read when I was 3 by memorizing the words as they were read to me, so if I have to do something phonetically (why is that word not spelled phonetically?! :laugh: ) it's slow going.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I usually say "ax" instead of "ask." Not that I can't pronounce it. Just so use to saying it.

    I was just about to say this was my problem but wanted to see if anyone else had it! Its more just a bad habit lol Ugh. Drives my boss crazy.
    Believe it or not, "aks" used to be a widely used variant that was not seen as wrong at all. Chaucer used it.
  • ShinyFuture
    ShinyFuture Posts: 314 Member
    Specifically --- comes out pacifically every time. Specific too, it's pacific.

    Absurd. Just can't say it.

    Yew Nork for some reason happens a lot.
  • steffihoney
    steffihoney Posts: 392
    sandwich...I always say samwich. Then I correct myself. I hate it!!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    Specifically --- comes out pacifically every time. Specific too, it's pacific.

    Absurd. Just can't say it.

    Yew Nork for some reason happens a lot.
    Makes sense. "Unique New York" turns into "New Neek New Nork" for most people if they say it fast over and over.
  • Karabobarra
    Karabobarra Posts: 782 Member
    Rural ......grrr I hate trying to say it.

    ^^^^^ this!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I'm so referring back to this when I take phonetics!

    This page is fun...
    https://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/beastly/#Pecan
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    "Acrylic." I have also been told that "Don" and "Dawn" aren't pronounced the same, but I pronounce them the same – I think that's a CA vs. LA accent thing, though.

    Nothing personal, but my name is Dawn, and I intensely dislike when people call me by a man's name. It never occured to me that the person speaking it may not be able to pronounce it correctly. I usually have to get all Boston on them. I will keep this bit of info in mind for the future, though, so thanks for sharing :flowerforyou:


    So how do you say your name? I don't know any other way to say "Dawn."

    It's Dawn, like fawn, yawn, or lawn. I never had anyone call me "Don" (with the "ON" sound) until I entered the workforce. I've literally had to say "no, I am not a man. It is DAAWWWWWN. Like Awning" ... sheesh.
    Those pronunciations must vary depending on region. I say all of those things with the "on" sound, so Don & Dawn sound identical to me. It would also then be: fon, yon, lon & onning. lol I keep trying to discern what's supposed to be different there, but I can't see (hear) it. :ohwell:
  • MrsG31
    MrsG31 Posts: 364 Member
    I'm so referring back to this when I take phonetics!

    This page is fun...
    https://www.pbs.org/speak/speech/beastly/#Pecan

    Great find!
  • EllaBelleAces
    EllaBelleAces Posts: 51
    Feminine.

    It's comes out feninine.I can say it slowly correctly, but quickly, it comes out garbled.
  • silver_arrow3
    silver_arrow3 Posts: 1,373 Member
    OOOH! I thought of a real one.

    I don't know how to say Jaguar (I grew up saying "jag-wire"). I don't know if I can't, it just isn't one of those words that comes up in normal conversation. There was one person that called me out on my pronunciation once, but he's from Boston and everything he says comes out funny... :laugh:
  • ImaWaterBender
    ImaWaterBender Posts: 516 Member
    I have a hard time with L's. I used to pronounce them as W's. Talking about jeans was hard when we all wore Wewi's (Levis). I once bought a collie from a lady named Woretta Wutzo (Loretta Lutzo). That was hard.

    I finally taught myself how to pronounce them, but it sure made for some hard times.
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    OOOH! I thought of a real one.

    I don't know how to say Jaguar (I grew up saying "jag-wire"). I don't know if I can't, it just isn't one of those words that comes up in normal conversation. There was one person that called me out on my pronunciation once, but he's from Boston and everything he says comes out funny... :laugh:
    I've always said it Jag-wahr (rhymes with bar), but I like how the Brits say it on Top Gear: Jag-u-are
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    OOOH! I thought of a real one.

    I don't know how to say Jaguar (I grew up saying "jag-wire"). I don't know if I can't, it just isn't one of those words that comes up in normal conversation. There was one person that called me out on my pronunciation once, but he's from Boston and everything he says comes out funny... :laugh:
    Jag-wire is how they say it in Jacksonville. It makes me stabby. :laugh: I kinda like some of the British accents where they say it "JAG you are". :happy:

    Jinx! And edited to fix my accent marking. "jag YOU are" would make me stabby too.
  • The_Aly_Wei
    The_Aly_Wei Posts: 844 Member
    Popcicle also known as "paws-ick-le". I have to pause mid sentence to say it correctly.
  • hospitablegirl
    hospitablegirl Posts: 64 Member
    Mirror. Always comes out mira
  • NerdyTXChick
    NerdyTXChick Posts: 155 Member
    "Acrylic." I have also been told that "Don" and "Dawn" aren't pronounced the same, but I pronounce them the same – I think that's a CA vs. LA accent thing, though.

    Nothing personal, but my name is Dawn, and I intensely dislike when people call me by a man's name. It never occured to me that the person speaking it may not be able to pronounce it correctly. I usually have to get all Boston on them. I will keep this bit of info in mind for the future, though, so thanks for sharing :flowerforyou:


    So how do you say your name? I don't know any other way to say "Dawn."

    It's Dawn, like fawn, yawn, or lawn. I never had anyone call me "Don" (with the "ON" sound) until I entered the workforce. I've literally had to say "no, I am not a man. It is DAAWWWWWN. Like Awning" ... sheesh.
    Those pronunciations must vary depending on region. I say all of those things with the "on" sound, so Don & Dawn sound identical to me. It would also then be: fon, yon, lon & onning. lol I keep trying to discern what's supposed to be different there, but I can't see (hear) it. :ohwell:

    I say them all the same as well. I've never been able to figure out what is supposed to be the difference between 'Don' and 'Dawn'.

    I also say "puh-kahn".
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    worcestershire sauce

    To this day, I am still not quite sure what the correct way to say this word is..............obviously I mean "Worcestershire" and not "sauce". Lol I can pronounce "sauce"

    Woost-a-sheer - easier as I'm a Midlander (UK) but it's not at all pronounced how it's spelt, annoyingly enough. Shrewsbury is also not Shrews-bury, but Shroes-bury. Special language... :P

    This is how I was taught to pronounce it and I'm a Texan.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    I live in the south and there is always a debate on whether it is PeCAHN pie or PeCAN pie.....I am sad to admit I have used both b/c I am not sure which one it is supposed to be.

    My former supervisor's name is Lara. I have worked here for over 6 years and I STILL have to make an effort to say her name correctly. She used to laugh at me all the time. It's LAR-uh...not Laura, not LAIR-uh.....I get tongue-tied just typing this out!
    There's no debate in the south. It's "puh-CAWN". "Pee-Can" is what those damn yankees have, and they can keep it!

    :drinker:
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    This thread is making me paranoid that I am not saying some of these words correctly and just never knew it.

    There are a lot of things I CAN say correctly, I just get lazy with them. For instance, the days of the week - if my mom and I are having a conversation and a day comes up, "-day" comes out "-dee". Mon-dee, Tues-dee, etc.

    I'm also not quite sure how the word "oil" is pronounced. My mom says "oi-ull", my dad says "oll".

    Your days of the week thing really messed me up in kindergarten when we were told to "sound it out" when we spell something. Every day of the week ended in -dee!

    Also, the letter "W". In Texas, it's always dub-ya. In kindergarten, I was always like, when are we going to learn the letter double-u! :laugh:

    I always said double-u, but in spanish it's "doble ve" which makes more sense because it looks like a double V!
  • Pipsg1rl
    Pipsg1rl Posts: 1,414 Member
    I can pronounce most words correctly. But my problem is mental. There are times where the word I am trying to say will not come out of my mouth. Even if it is CAR. I will be able to talk but I can't say CAR. I will say, you know that thing we drive around in??? It has happened on the phone with customers too, very embarrasing. I work in the mortgage business and I was trying to say interest rate and I could not! I just put him on hold and tried to calm my mind down. UGH!!
    That's very interesting, but you're right, it's a different matter called anomia. If it's happening more and more frequently, I would seriously recommend mentioning it to your doctor. Not to alarm you.

    any chance you take Topamax for any reason? I took it for migraines and it has a side effect that can cause you to not "source" a word for what you need from your brain. It makes your sentences really slow as you file though your memories for the right word.

    That was probably the WORST side effect of the drug for me.

    For example - I needed my son to get me a Phillips head screw driver. I could see the picture of it in my head and I asked my son for... a.. screw driver... with the top... ummmmm ... not like this! (and I held up a flat head). He looked at me like I was crazy.

    ...Dawn/Don - My uncles' name is Don. I pronounce it Dahn. My friends name is Dawn. I say her name Daun.
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
    I think maybe I'm giving it too much duration by representing it as "puh-cawn". If you say it "pee-can", you're taking too long to say it. It's almost as if it's monosyllabic...

    P'cawn.

    And from now on, anyone who says "can" at the end of it, I'm going to repeat it back to them but change the "can" to "can't". As in, "you can't say it that way"! :laugh:

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