Words, Words, Words
Misused words or mispronunciation of words can lead to misunderstandings. Here are some examples I have collected through the years. Some are words I have heard spoken; some are words I have seen written; and, of course, some are from friends who know I like this kind of ‘stuff’ 😉.
Commonly Misused Words
“He is so conscience about our responsibility. . .”
- Should have been “conscious of” or “conscientious about . . .”
“He has a pension for . . .”
- Should have been a “penchant” for . . .
“They had a cachet of goods.”
- Should have used “cache.”
- Cachet means “style,” as in someone has cachet.
- Cache is a collection, often used to indicate a hidden collection.
Commonly Mispronounced Words
- “Modern” pronounced as “modren”
- “Supposedly” pronounced as “supposably”
- “Realtor” pronounced “reel-a-tor”
“It ticks me off so bad when people completely mispronounce my profession. I am a realtor, not a real-a-tor. Where the heck does the “a” come from? When you go to the doctor, do you say I have an appointment with my doc-a-tor?” (from the “Ticked Off” column in Orlando Sentinel, March 4, 2022)
I used to think that people mispronounced words because the incorrect pronunciation was easier to say, like “aks” is easier to say than instead of “ask.” But heck if I can grasp why “reel-a-tor” is easier to say than “realtor”?
Do you have any other examples of commonly misused words or mispronounced words? Maybe I’ll have a contest next year of the best examples, similar to our Funniest Misspelled Online Words. 😂
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