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Pronunciation Nazi

Please allow me to be a total Nazi on the pronunciation of some words commonly mispronounced by Filipinos.  I am in no way perfect and just wanted to give you a "for-your-information" kind of post because you don't know how much I try to control myself not to correct you when I hear you mispronounce some words so as not to embarrass you publicly.  But you have to know that this is one of my pet peeves.

1. Firm/Confirm 
correct pronunciation: (fɜːm)/(con"fur"m)
mispronounced as: (fEErm)/(confEErm)

I don't know how this started but ever since we were in primary, secondary and tertiary education it has always been pronounced with a short "i".  But nowadays I hear some people say it with the long "i". 
i.e. I already "confEErmed" it with him.  And I was like: (?!!?!?!?!?!?!). 

 No people it is not a trend. Even if it is, it is not good to listen to. You sound uneducated.

 2. Lettuce
correct pronunciation: (letis)
mispronounced as: (letus)

 "Tag pila na ang "letus"?"  Although in Filipino culture, the pronunciation of "letus" is somehow accepted and is just shrugged upon (maybe due to ignorance), the correct way to say this word is LETIS not LETUS. Kakapal pa ng mga mukha! Once you say the correct pronunciation they look at you as if you're an alien. 

                                     If I throw your "LETUS" and it hits your head, would you come
                                     to your senses and say it correctly as "LETIS?"

 3. Tarot
correct pronunciation: (tair-oe)
mispronounced as: (ta-roT)

 Here listen:
correct pronunciation of "tarot"  

 Maybe I'm just a snob.  I just think to myself that people who pronounce tarot with a "t" in the end, perhaps lack sufficient knowledge on the esoteric and occult nature of the tarot cards. The word as claimed by Antoine Court de Gébelin, a Swiss clergyman came from the Egyptian words "tar" meaning "royal" and "ro" meaning "road." Therefore, the tarot is "the royal road" to wisdom.

                                                         "taroT?!?!" Yup, you the fool!

4. Spinach
correct pronunciation: (spi-nich)
mispronounced as: (spi-nach)

Popeye says shame on you!


5. Cashier
correct pronunciation: (ka-ˈshir)
mispronounced as: (kay-shir)

Because it comes from the word "cash" and not "caysh" Like duh!

                                               Pay your "caysh" to the "cayshir". LOL

6. Caffein
correct pronounciation: (ca-FIN)
mispronounced as: (ca-FEIGN)

                                                     Don't you just love your "ca-Fin?"

7. YouTube
correct pronunciation: (yu-tub)
mispronounced as: (yu-CHOOB)

Nuff said. 

 8. Menu
correct pronunciation: (men-yoo)
mispronounced as: (me-noo)
                                                        May I please see the "men-yoo?"

9. Hyundai
correct pronunciation: (hun-deh) or (he-yon-deh)
mispronounced as: (yun-dai), (yun-day)

Hyundai is a Korean brand.  Trust me you pronounced it that way. It's Korean so I know. I was supposed to marry one.. LOL

10.  Cocoa
correct pronunciation: (kōkō)
mispronounced as: (ko-kwa)

 Don't worry I also thought it was pronounced as "ko-kwa" before too.



Just so you know.


from Leia's beautiful mind... 09/03/12

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 24, 2014 at 10:51 PM

    hmmm glad i tripped on this blog post. learned a lot from it. im watching a noontime variety show a while ago and i grew tired of all the hosts pronouncing "confirmed" with a long e. i googled if it is a trend, newly-recognized pronunciation etc. but well, merriam webster still says it in short i. sometimes, i lose my confidence in saying the real pronunciation since i am surrounded by a lot of people who does it as confeerm.
    just find it alarming that a lot of popular celebrities nowadays are saying it wrongly. anyways, i'll go firm with confirm. thanks. :)

    ReplyDelete

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