Mispronunciation

[Robert G]

There's a BBC news reporter today pronouncing the word 'nuclear' as if it were spelt 'nucula' (or 'newcuela'). He's not the first - I think that's how George Bush pronounces it too.

Why do they do it? Surely, anyone can say the words 'new' and 'clear' properly, so all they have to do is join them up.

Apart from explaining why they do it, what other words are irritatingly mispronounced by people who should know better?

[snook]

God knows why people make these strange and unusual pronunciations, and of course if you hear one and mention it to anyone you're instantly branded pendantic and asked why you haven't anything more important to occupy your mind.

Cocaine is one that spring to mind. For some reason, with the last six months or so, it's become c'caine, specially with newsreaders. Oh, another one is footballers... they're almost invariably now referred to as f'b'lers. What on earth's wrong with saying the full word I really can't imagine. I'm sure there's a few more I could think of but I know you can't wait around for me to think of them. Anyway, I'd only be being pedantic, I suppose.

[Nummy]

there's a few that grate on me....

film...becoming fillem

sixth mispronounced as sickth

drawing...which suddenly develops and extra 'r' - drawring!

decade...which seems to be changing to the US pronunciation of 'decayed', instead of deck-ade

law and order...which seems to change to a girls name - Laura Norder!

[Kathyan]

The one that really gets to me is mischievous, which is sometimes pronounced mischiev-i-ous. Another thing that I hate is people who say 'thee' instead of 'the' when the word begins with a consonant.

[lankeela]

Intregral

Unindated

Controv ersy or contra versy

[lankeela]

One that gets to me is the pronunciation of the film title 'Love Actually' - although I have not seen the film (can't stand that Hugh Grant who always plays that bloke Hugh Grant) I presume it should be 'Love, Actually,' rather than as in tennis (love all) with the emphasis on the word 'love' rather than 'actually'. Maybe its me, as I've never heard it said with the emphasis on the 'love'.

[SarCaustic]

Nummy - sickth annoys me, I find drawring absolutely infuriating and this Laura Norder woman is fast becoming famous. My biology teacher last was the worst offender I came across:
Struggle became "Struddle"
Specific became "Pacific"
Nucleus became "Newkilus"
and the ever famous dubyaism of Nuclear being a "newkiller" - and there I was thinking the Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed decades ago. Another annoying mispronuncition is of "our" as "are". I know people go on about language evolving and being ever-changing - that's all good and well but if the changes aren't to some resisted then the changes will be too quick and confusing. So frent no more about being pedantic - hooray for pedantry!

[Narolines]

And while we're at it it, when did "nuclear" become a noun? Politicians especially are always going on about how "we must put more money into/abolish (delete as appropriate) nuclear" or "nuclear will provide XX% of our elecricity needs" or "nuclear has many advantages/disadvantages (see above)" Nuclear WHAT?

[Nummy]

i've thought of another one!!

Akks instead of ask.

[joko]

aloominum

vayce

aks

specialty

hostel for hostile - also fertle = fertile etc etc

menustrate

liberry

peeza

once heard an american on tv say " the bee - attles" for the beatles

[joko]

oh, and "urrrb" for herb

[lady_p_gold]

Oh I think I heard the very same woman and it really annoys me I felt like writing and helping her by saying just say 'new clear' - so many people seem to say nucula as you say, can't think why. My other bugbear is when they type text on tv when you can't hear people whispering on Big Brother or for whatever reason and they type 'alright' .

[lady_p_gold]

Oh I didn't see you had put the same thing !

[lady_p_gold]

Oh and don't forget the classic American one .. they say 'sodder' and 'soddering iron' .. sounds more like torture to me !

[joko]

sec-u-tary

par for power

or far for fire

very posh 'eh?

[new_squizza]

i have to say that my favourite mispronunciation is when somebody mispronounces something and somebody else corrects them by saying "no, the correct pronounciation is..." rather than pronunciation.

this irony always amuses me - i should probably get out more :(

[Playbill]

I have noticed a trend for some BBC reporters to pronounce the word 'says' as 'sayz'. Whilst this appears more correct, it grates on my nerves.

[Playbill]

And 'garige' instead of 'garage'

[PowderKeg]

Anytime "th" is pronounced with a "v" (or "f") sound just appals me.

This probably should be a question in its own right ... but why are so many people unable to pronounce the "th" sound these days?

[Robert G]

Because veir too fick to put veir tongue between veir teef.

[Robert G]

Joolery instead of jewellery.

Febuary instead of February.

Wensday instead of Wednesday.

And, in the case of the Royal Family, we have these ghastly mispronunciations:

The hisekeeper is somewhere rind abite the hise.