Do people's mispronunciation of common words exasperate you?

Question

I work in the Real Estate industry, and hear Realtors call themselves Realitors every day.  There's no 'i' in the word.  I understand where these conversions happen (confusing realty for reality, but transposing it even further by swapping the already wrong L and I).
Worse yet is adding the extra 'U' in nuclear.  No 'U' or 'OO" in the middle there.  But so many say nucular.  Do teachers and parents no longer correct incorrect language skills?  My kid learned from both that she'd sound like an idiot if she didn't say the words correctly, so she learned from the mistakes caught.

Lady Morgana · Accepted Answer

I had to answer your question because yes, it does, and nuclear in particular is one that bugs me when mispronounced.

The funny thing is that I teach English as a Second Language to adults from many countries, and correcting pronunciation is one of the main things I do.  My students work very hard to pronounce English better but it's really difficult for them sometimes, and with certain sounds that don't exist in their languages.  I don't get irked at their mispronipunciations because they are learning, but when a native speaker mispronounces a word they should know, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Lady M

John · Answer

It certainly does.

Apart from 'nuclear', one of my pet hates is 'vulnerable' when pronounced 'vunnerable'.  The third letter is L, not N.

Secondly there's the word that means 1000 metres.  'Kilometre' has the prefix kilo-, not the suffix -ometer.  The suffix -ometer means a device for measuring something, as in 'thermometer', but the prefix kilo-, means 1000.  'Kilometre' should therefore have the stress on the first syllable, the same as 'millimetre', 'centimetre', 'decimetre' etc., and indeed 'kilogram', kilohertz' and 'kilobyte'.

Crystal · Answer

Sure does,but I want you to hear about "Merry Christmastime is Here": "Little Women"!  I am a singer and just noticed the carol in the movie. Have written the words and melody, still working on chords.  I could attach an image when I am done if you like.  My ear feels the song might be a church hymn, the words simple and repetitive like nursery rhyme. Easy for children to sing, easy for carolers.  Crystal in Kansas

RE · Answer

It used to exasperate me, thirty years ago, but luckily I got over the problem before people started writing defiantly for definitely.

? · Answer

Yes

zack · Answer

Honestly when people mispronounce words I just ignore it. Who cares? People get shot every day for no reason and I'm supposed to get all worked up over mispronunciations? I couldn't care less.

Anonymous · Answer

Many Americans do indeed say "nucular", but I do not hear that version in Britain.

I could complain about the way that all Americans say "lingerie", since we pronounce it differently in Britain. But neither version sounds like the true French version! That is also true of "buffet (the portable meal).  And as for "oregano".....!

In Britain I grew up with "IN-tegr(a)l", but now everybody says "in-TEG-r(a)l".

Karen L · Answer

Yes, it does.

Bazza · Answer

And IDEALIC
for
IDYLLIC

Anonymous · Answer

Move to another state, please.

Do people's mispronunciation of common words exasperate you?

10 Answers