100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English

Now that Dr. Language has provided a one-stop cure for the plague of misspelling, here are the 100 words most often mispronounced English words ("mispronunciation" among them). There are spelling rules in English even if they are difficult to understand, so pronouncing a word correctly usually does help you spell it correctly. Several common errors are the result of rapid speech, so take your time speaking, correctly enunciating each word. Careful speech and avid reading are the best guides to correct spelling.

Don't say

Do Say

Comment

A

acrossed

across

It is easy to confuse "across" with "crossed" but better to keep them separate.

affidavid

affidavit

Even if your lawyer's name is ''David,'' he issues affidavits.

Old-timer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

While it is a disease of old-timers, it is named for the German neurologist, Dr. Alois Alzheimer.

Antartic

Antarctic

Just think of an arc of ants (an ant arc) and that should help you keep the [c] in the pronunciation of this word.

Artic

Arctic

Another hard-to-see [c]梑ut it is there.

aks

ask

This mispronunciation has been around for so long (over 1,000 years) that linguist Mark Aronoff thinks we should cherish it as a part of our linguistic heritage. Most of us would give the axe to "aks."

athelete, atheletic

athlete, athletic

Two syllables are enough for "athlete."

B

barbituate

barbiturate

Don't forget this word contains three others: bar+bit+u+rate

bob wire

barbed wire

No, this word wasn't named for anyone named ''Bob;'' it should be "barbed wire," although the suffix 杄d, meaning ''having,'' is fading away in the U.S.

bidness

business

The change of [s] to [d] before [n] is spreading throughout the US and when the unaccented [I] drops from this word the [s] finds itself in the same environment as in "isn't" and "wasn't."

a blessing in the skies

a blessing in disguise

This phrase is no blessing if it comes from the skies. (Pronounce it correctly and help maintain the disguise.)

C

Calvary

cavalry

It isn't clear why we say, ''Mind your Ps and Qs'' when we have more difficulty keeping up with our Ls and Rs. Had there been a cavalry in Jesus' time, perhaps Calvary would not have been so tragic.

cannidate

candidate

You aren't being canny to drop the [d] in this word. Remember, it is the same as "candy date." (This should help guys remember how to prepare for dates, too.)

card shark

cardsharp

Cardsharps probably won't eat you alive, though they are adept at cutting your purse strings.

Carpool tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome

This one is mispronounced (and misspelled) several different ways; we just picked the funniest. Carpal means ''pertaining to the wrist.''

caucaphony

cacophony

There is no greater cacophony [k?kaf阯i] to the ears than to hear the vowels switched in the pronunciation of this word.

The Caucases

The Caucasus

Although there are more than one mountain in this chain, their name is not a plural noun.

chester drawers

chest of drawers

The drawers of Chester is a typical way of looking at these chests down South but it misses the point.

chomp at the bit

champ at the bit

"Chomp" has probably replaced "champ" in the U.S. but we thought you might like to be reminded that the vowel should be [æ] not [o].

close

clothes

The [th] is a very soft sound likely to be overlooked. Show your linguistic sensitivity and always pronounce it.

coronet

cornet

Playing a crown (coronet) will make you about as popular as wearing a trumpet (cornet) on your head梤eason enough to keep these two words straight.

D

dialate

dilate

The [i] in this word is so long there is time for another vowel but don't succumb to the temptation.

diptheria

diphtheria

The ''ph'' in this word is pronounced [f], not [p].

doggy dog world

dog-eat-dog world