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Words that are always pronounced wrong

Nuclear. It's not "nu-kyu-lar", it's "nu-klee-er"
Bagel ("bay-gull" or "bag-ull", I'm not sure which is correct)
Iran (Eerahn)
Iraq (Ih-rahk)
Afghanistan (af-gahn-is-tahn)
Canada =/= Canadia
Llama ("Yama", apparently)
Caramel (Carmel)
Finite (Fye-night)
Pro[b]nun[/b]ciation, not pronounciation
Arab (AYR-ub, not ay-rab)
Ascertain (A-sur-ten VS Ass-er-tane. Not sure on this one)
Colonel (Kernel. But I don't think anyone gets this wrong)

Feel free to comment your own, I will add to the list.

February 4, 2013

26 Comments • Newest first

crazybass

Jesus is supposed to be Hay Zeus, not Gee Zus.

Reply February 4, 2013
CoolSauce

The English language is weird...

Reply February 4, 2013
GrammarJew

[quote=oliikills]I still refuse to believe that colonel is pronounced like "kernel".[/quote]

It came from the French word "coronel", pronounced "kor-uh-NELL" but was respelled to conform with the Italian spelling of "Colonello"

Reply February 4, 2013
pancakes030

@Bulimia: Probably because the "Cae" part has "ae" which is similar to "ea" so they just assume it's pronounced like that.

Reply February 4, 2013
dimo

When I visited America one of my biggest peeves was how most of you pronounced Adidas. Seems that it being a German company has alluded a lot of people and hence is not pronounced uh-dee-duhs.

Reply February 4, 2013
oliikills

I still refuse to believe that colonel is pronounced like "kernel".

Reply February 4, 2013
Exumaii

[quote=AimeeLikesPie]It isn't bay-gul? Llama isn't prounounced Yama. o.o[/quote]

Llama is Spanish, and ll in Spanish is pronounced as a y sound.

Reply February 4, 2013
milkocha

@dubmason:
pa-jam-ma or pa-jah-ma
nuu-tel-ah or nut-tel-ah
bag or baig
cyuu-pon or cu-pon

Reply February 4, 2013
GrammarJew

[quote=Bauss]Actually, Les Miserables is pronounced "Lay Miz-Er-Ah"[/quote]

"Lay-Meez-Er-Ah-B". The "-les" is silent. The b is not.

Reply February 4, 2013
Nolen

I always say bass as the fish

Reply February 4, 2013
Bauss

[quote=FriedSnake]Les Miserables
It's Lay-My-Sir-Rhab-Bles

Allele
Ah-leal not Ah-lee-lee[/quote]

Actually, Les Miserables is pronounced "Lay Miz-Er-Ah"

Reply February 4, 2013
GrammarJew

@Pashmimi

Yes that's what I meant. I do a lot of MUN and i've heard the proper pronunciation is Ih-rahk.

Reply February 4, 2013
pancakes030

I believe Caesar = C-eye-zar
or maybe it's just me

Reply February 4, 2013
Pashmimi

Do you mean "Nu-kyu-lar?" Cause I hear that all the time.
Hm... Iraq? Ih-rack, not Ey-rack.
Uh. Konnichiwa...? Everyone seems to say Kon-NICHI-wa instead of KON-nichi-wa...
AND BRITISH PEOPLE DON'T SAY PO-TAH-TO. THEY SAY TO-MAH-TO AND ZEH-BRA, BUT NOT PO-TAH-TO.

Reply February 4, 2013
GrammarJew

[quote=dubmason]@milkocha:
While this is going strong...
Yo-gurt not Yoh-gurt
Gar-aj not Gayr-age[/quote]

Pretty sure the yogurt/yoghurt pronunciation is due to accents

Reply February 4, 2013
dubmason

@milkocha:
While this is going strong...
Yo-gurt not Yoh-gurt
Gar-aj not Gayr-age

Reply February 4, 2013
milkocha

[quote=dubmason]Car-mel not Kahr-uh-mel[/quote]

Yes this omfg. I actually went around the hallways asking people how they pronounce this.

Reply February 4, 2013
steven7x23

[quote=KawaiiLord]Who the hell says "Nu-ku-lar", I'd love to hear that.[/quote]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hORaebYWDwk]George Bush[/url]

Reply February 4, 2013
FreeWii4Mii

finite
though idk if there is a correct pronunciation

Reply February 4, 2013
FriedSnake

Les Miserables
It's Lay-My-Sir-Rhab-Bles

Allele
Ah-leal not Ah-lee-lee

Tsar/Czar
It's sar not Tee-sar or Cee-zar

Fjord
Fe-yord not Fa-Jord or Ford

Montreal
Mon-trey-all not Mont-real

Reply February 4, 2013 - edited
dubmason

Car-mel not Kahr-uh-mel

Reply February 4, 2013 - edited
Quasar

It's "encyclopaedia", not "encyclopedia".

Reply February 4, 2013 - edited
Exumaii

Who pronounces nuclear nu-ku-lar. Never heard it like that in my life.

But anyway, llama is pronounced yama because it's a Spanish word. I would name more, but there are too many, like its oo-roo-gooaye, not ur-a-guay.

Reply February 4, 2013 - edited
ZOMGitjon

grammar

Reply February 4, 2013 - edited