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Mispronounced Words
The following is a list of words and names which are often pronounced by native speakers of the English language in ways which many others consider to be incorrect. In some cases, speakers disagree on how to pronounce borrowed foreign words; in other cases, the dispute arises from the effect of spelling on a word not pronounced as it is spelled. Many heated arguments are disagreements between the residents of a place and outsiders on how to pronounce the name of a place.A
applicable
Arkansas
ask
B
Boise
C
cafe, café
Caribbean
Chinese: Most dictionaries list only the pronunciation with stress on the second syllable. Some recommend stressing both syllables, a rare exception. K&K and LPD note that stress may shift to the first syllable when an initially stressed word follows, as in the phrase Chinese
cabbage
controversy: the pronunciation with stress on the second syllable, is listed as an optional British pronunciation, even in American dictionaries like M-W, although notably, it is not listed in OED.
coupon
E
envelope
equinox
err
evolution
F
February
G
garage
genealogy (and related words)
gigabyte
guillotine
H
Hans: the debate is whether stress should occur on the first or second syllable. Most dictionaries list both pronunciations. AHD has this usage note: "Educated usage appears to be evenly divided on the pronunciation of harass. In a recent survey 50 percent of the Usage Panel preferred stressing the first syllable, while 50 percent preferred stressing the second. Curiously, the Panelists' comments appear to indicate that each side regards itself as an embattled minority."
Hawaii or Hawai‘i
I
Illinois
Iraq
K
kilometre
L
Lima
Linux
Louisville
M
Melbourne
Moray
mores
mortgage
N
Nahuatl
O
och
often
Oregon
P
paella
patronize
pianist
primer
Q
Qatar
R
realtor
reich
S
Saddam
schedule
Shrewsbury
T
temperature
U
Uranus
V
valet
W
Washington
Worcester
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