Would you correct someone if you heard him or her mispronounce a word?

What say I? Well, I've never pronounced Saoirse and Timothée, so that's not an issue. In fact, I put every thread about Timothée or Armie on ignore (which keeps me busy). I wouldn't mind being corrected, myself, if I'm attempting to pronounce a name from another country, like Saoirse. I'm not Irish, after all.

If it's a ridiculous Irish name like Saoirse that even many Irish can't pronounce, then sure, because I assume the person would be stumbling over it while saying it and might appreciate the help. If it's something more minor that no one cares about like Timothee, then I wouldn't, because I doubt they'd struggle to say that name. And other words, again, unless they were struggling and seem like they could use the help, I would, but otherwise, I wouldn't.

I knew someone that said "ideal" for "idea," but because she was trailer park, I never corrected her.

Gotta love wait staff that say Brooshetta. I don’t “correct” them but make a point of saying it with the proper prononciation. Usually goes 100 feet over their head.

r4 that just means you're a passive aggressive cunt, since they know exactly what you're doing.

R4 - prononciation, huh?

The only time I do it is with friends/family. I do hear Expresso often, instead of Espresso.

Also, dumbasses who pronounce it New orLEEENS instead of New Orluns.

If it is someone I know, I will correct them politely or with gentle humor. If I don't know the individual, I will just silently cringe. Depends on the situation.

In the theater, I had to endure entire productions with my fellow actors mispronouncing words. I used to correct them immediately because the director wouldn't, but every offender- and there were many - became nasty and started a catty war against me. And yes, they continued mispronouncing the playwright's words. It was hell.

I no longer act. If I watch a show, I know have the freedom to chuckle loudly as I leave.

*now

For the grammar police sluts

I live in Ireland. Even Saoirse's own pronunciation of her name ("Shur-sha") is considered non-standard and "pretentious." Most Irish people would pronounce it "Sheer-sha."

r10 what did the Irish think of her Golden Globes outfits?

When it is a name, I pretend I don’t know and say, “Oh! That’s how you pronounce it!” Which often starts a conversation and “we” end up googling the correct pronunciation.

If it is a regular word, I try to use it *correctly* around them. But at a later date/conversation.

Keep in mind, I only do this if I have to deal with this person a lot...and I NEVER do it in front of other people.

r12 that seems like a lot of work! Have you considered just kneecapping them in the parking lot after your meetings, instead? Wear a dark hoodie.

I think we have a good idea why you no longer act, R8.

Interesting that people say that saoirse is prententious. I know two prententious couples who have named their daughters Saoirse. Neither live in Ireland. The best part is that over the years the constant inability of other people to pronounce their daughters name correctly has begun to drive both couples crazy. Serves them right. Now they know how their poor kid is going to feel for the rest of her life.

For R11: Ronan can do no wrong here in Ireland. They're pretty proud of her. I don't really keep up with award ceremonies and the dresses worn by the actresses, but the national public broadcaster RTE was predictably flattering in their "critique":

Saoirse would have been changed to Susie if she came through Ellis Island.

People who constantly correct other people who mispronounce a word are know-it-alls and annoying. They need someone to correct their overbearing behavior.

The people struggling with "Saoirse" will weep when they hear another Irish 'mystery' woman's name: Caoimhe, pronounced "Quee-fa."

Is it dis-in-GEE-nuous or dis-in-GEN-uous?

i can't help it, i always correct people when they mispronounce a word. I try to do it in the kindest way possible, tho. And i think they should be thankful.

I have a co-worker who says mute for moot. I've never corrected them because I think it's funny.

I prefer being corrected to being further judged by even more people for mispronunciations.

R14 is a fat, closeted wanna be thespian from the Midwest. He acts in community theater and fancies himself a "star" ( pronounce with hard ' r'. ) He has never taken a vocal production or speech course, let alone received any education in theater. He firmly believes that ' merry' and ' marry' are pronounced the same way. Cunty enough for you bitch?

r14 has been VICIOUSLY SLAPPED!

We HATE it when R14 is right!

Portuguese is my native language. I learned a fair amount of British English by dealing with vacationers and retirees from the UK. When I relocated to the US, I had to adapt to American English, so I’m appreciative of all guidance through the mine fields of pronunciation.

I think we need to call a professional.

I don't think it is anyone's business to correct the pronunciation of others, unless it is someone we know well, or in a situation where it would be of immediate help to that person.

[quote] i can't help it, i always correct people when they mispronounce a word. I try to do it in the kindest way possible, tho. And i think they should be thankful.

You can help it, R21. You just don't want to. Consequently, you are an asshole.

I know the Irish refer to Saoirse as "that Irish girl who can't pronounce her own name properly". So definitely don't think her version is set in stone.

I was listening to a podcast last week and Guy Branum [italic]wrongly[/italic] corrected Louis Virtel on his proper pronunciation of Timothée's name. Don't you just cringe that much more whenever that happens?

R8 Was it legitimate theatre, though? Because your anecdote would be extra hilarious/sad if it wasn't.

R27 there’s no such thing as American English. They may pronounce things differently or spell things slightly differently to the British, use slang and colloquialisms but American English/British English/Australian English etc etc aren’t languages of their own. There’s only the English language.

R32, is correct but it's often referred to as American usage, British usage, etc.

No one should ever be corrected for mispronouncing Irish until someone sober who knows the language can be found.

[quote]there’s no such thing as American English.

What? American English, British English, Australian English, etc., are all [italic]dialects[/italic] of English, so of course they exist.

Yes, dear. But American isn’t a language r35. English is a language. If you use an English word that Americans don’t commonly use, it doesn’t make it incorrect. R27 doesn’t actually have to adapt to the American version of any word if he doesn’t want to. He can, for example, use the word pavement if he wants rather than sidewalk (or footpath in many other English speaking countries). It means the same thing even if not used in that particular country and is perfectly correct. It’s all still English.

R36 don't get cunty about it.

I do this all the time. But I get cursed, slapped, and shunned. I only try to help and receive a bit of gratitude.

This thread really separates the wheat from the chaff.

Only when properly dressed in a tutu and tiara.

r7 were these two dumbasses?

"It's AAAHndrea, actually."

Is anyone here a friend of Karina Longworth?

[quote]I live in Ireland. Even Saoirse's own pronunciation of her name ("Shur-sha")

She doesn't pronounce her name "Shur-sha." She pronounces it "Sur-sha" (one "h" sound, not two). I saw her on Stephen Colbert, going over the name and how exactly the Irish arrive at that pronunciation.

I felt bad for the guy on Jeopardy last night. He mispronounced both Hesse and Edinburgh.

It’s the height of bad manners.

R2 Idiot. Saoirse, pronounced SEEOR-sha, is a wonderful Irish name meaning freedom. Even the sound is enchanting. Head and shoulders above Tammy, Cindy, Madison, Kaylee, Jada, Shelby.......

R19 Almost got it...Caoimhe pronounced Qwee-va. In Irish, mh= v.

If a conversation was centered around the mispronounced word, I would just casually and correctly pronounce it as the conversation continued. I don’t put the other person on the spot.

I'm with R46, never correct strangers, unless they are peeing on your leg.

no, I would never correct someone's speech that I didn't know but I have always felt bad that I didn't tell someone something that they misunderstood.

I was in a Salvation Army and there was a black man who worked there and a black woman shopping who he was talking to. He was showing her a bracelet attached to a ring and kept emphatically saying this is a "Slave Bracelet". He was right but I wanted to tell him it was called that after Egyptian slaves, not black slaves. my manners of not eavesdropping kept me from saying anything but I wish I had as he seemed really upset over it.

Correct me! I want to know if I am mispronouncing a word so I can correct it going forward. Years ago, I would say "conversate" until a friend finally corrected me with "converse". I was embarrased, but grateful and never made that mistake again! However, everyone is different. Some people resent correction. There is a guy at work who mispronouces "Illinois" and "Roget". He has been corrected, but still insists on pronouncing them incorrectly. You can't do anything about stubborn stupidity...As long as you don't do it in a condescending manner to embarrass them in front of people etc., they *should* be grateful.

^embarrassed :)

Mispronounced words that grate on my nerves: Epitome (ep a TOHM instead of ep IH ta ME) Chick for chic (sheek). Poddy doo for pah duh duh (pas de deux). Donkey Shine for Dahn kuh she(r)n danke schoen But I would bite my tongue before I'd correct someone. I'd do the passive-aggressive thing of saying these words with the correct pronunciation sometime much later in the conversation if I was really annoyed, but usually I just let it go. I once attended a lecture where an academic with credentials out the wah zoo mispronounced epitome 30 times over the course of the lecture (which she was reading from her notes). It's easy to mispronounce once if you are reading, but 30 times? Come on......

I have a friend that despises my pronunciation of unknown. In his accent, the w is silent - in mine it is slightly pronounced. He stops me each and every time that I say it to tell me how much he hates it (Un nohn vs un nohwan) For me, it's a tomato = tomahto situation, but it makes him crazy.

I've just recently found out that "victuals" does NOT rhyme with "rituals."

I was in a meeting and some spaz kept saying 'specifically' over and over but pronouncing it 'pacifically'. In the end I used it correctly in a sentence and emphasised it but I doubt the guy noticed.

All Americans mispronounce "z"

I corrected someone once who said "Sushi is a "delicatessen." This person did not appreciate my correction with the word "delicacy." Arguments ensued.

To answer your question, NO, I wouldn't. Let them go on sounding like a dumb ass. Just to clarify, they're not dumb for making a mistake. They're dumb for not accepting a gentle correction from someone who cared that they not sound like a dumb-ass the next time they use the incorrect word.

I correct children, and foreigners who are new to the language. I don't correct those who mispronounce words due to regional or cultural influences, like MissourA for Missouri, or aTHUHlete for athlete.

[quote] Idiot. Saoirse, pronounced SEEOR-sha, is a wonderful Irish name meaning freedom

That's not how Saoirse Ronan pronounces her own first name. Watch this video if you don't believe me,

And everyone will see her as much more of an expert than you on this matter, Anonymous.

Opie, I don’t think I want to know you.

R60 I don't care how she pronounces it. The pronunciation I gave it how we Irish pronounce it. I'd venture Saoirse gives her particular pronunciation for the benefit of the many people who simply hack the Irish pronunciation. Here she's referred to as SEEOR-sha, never Sursha.

That's right, R55, it is pronounced "chumley".

Saoirse rhymes with "inertia" - whether accurate or not, it's funny as hell.

I do but with a smile and a little "I used to say that one wrong too" even if a lie. Because I do want people to correct me especially on names in my business like Saoirse -- which I never got right until that song on SNL. I don't even want to admit how I pronounced Joaquin (Phoenix) for almost a year (I was much younger). And Givenchy (no excuse, only recently learned, cringeworthy).

(I do, however, take pride in my now perfect pronunciation of Chloe SEVEN-yay. Sometimes you have to watch the Oscars because you know they get it right. Unless it Tiffany Haddish or Travolta).

The only reason anyone pronounces Sevigny right is because it is the name of a famous writer. If Chloe came along without Mdm Sevigny in the background, she would have changed her name.

What if you mispronounce this town's name? Would the locals box your ears for doing so?

yes I do.

"We Irish," R62? I don't believe you're Irish, and I don't think you've ever been there.

My dad does that just to yank peoples’ chains. It amuses him.

r62, I KNOW Saoirse Ronan is Irish herself, and a world-renowned film actress. But you--you're Charlie Nobody on an Internet forum.

I believe her, not you.

R70 I couldn't give a flying fuck what you think. Away with you you bollix.

I don't think you can say someone pronounces her own name wrong.

However Saoirse Ronan pronounces her name is the right way to pronounce her own particular name. It may not even be the same way to pronounce the name of other Irish women whose first name is Saoirse, but that's the way her own first name is pronounced.

[quote] Away with you you bollix.

I'm not going anywhere, you arrogant know-it-all twat.

Slurp my shit.

R72 Actually by birth sh'e a Yank, born in the Bronx to Irish parents. R75 I'll pay for your flight to Ireland if you'll promise me to swan dive off the Cliffs of Moher. Go ndéana an diabhal dréimire do chnámh do dhroma.

R74 My name is Mark, but I pronounce it Steve. Are you a phonics teacher?

Interesting, R67, I thought nobody knew how to pronounce Chloe's last name. Even Edina Monsoon calls her "Chloe SeVEENY" on the episode where she wants her to play her daughter in a magazine spread.

Although you clearly meant it as a reductio ad absurdum example, r77, actually "Steve" is a good example of why names are not predetermined by the language from which they spring. Americans, British and Irish say "STEEV", because they pronounce the longer form of the name as "STEE-vuhn." But Stephen/Stephan/Steven comes from the root Greek word "stefanos," meaning a crown or a garland. The Greeks do NOT pronounce "stefanos" with a "STEEV" syllable, but that does not mean the name "Steve" pronounced by the British, Americans, or Irish "STEEV" is wrong.

Names don't have to adhere to national origins. The British and Irish pronounce "Maurice" completely differently from the way the French do, but even though the name originated in France, that does not mean the British and Irish are wrong in their pronunciations.

People get to determine the way their names are pronounced. Saoirse Ronan pronounces "SUR-sha"--so that's how her name is pronounced, regardless of how the Irish word for freedom is pronounced.

By the way, I see why you're annoying people so much--you are kind of a pissy pedant.

As R62 knows, if he is familiar with the Irish language, there are two pronunciations of the word 'saor', from which Saoirse derives. In Connacht/Ulster it is "see-r" and in Munster or the caighdeán oifigiúil (standardised Irish, as it is taught) it is "say-r" (as in the link below). So it is correct to pronounce it as Saoirse Ronan herself pronounces it or as R62 has heard it pronounced.

As to the question, I would not correct someone's pronunciation unless I knew they would prefer me to do so, but I actually appreciate having my mistakes pointed out.

A friend once corrected told me that I was speaking ungrammatically and I never spoke to that person again.

Who wants to be the next person r81 never speaks to again? I'm going to never speak to him again instead.

R80 Fair point. I knew her parents to be Dubs, and wondered about Dublin being down the road from Ulster. As someone who learned Munster Irish, the pronunciation I prefer is what I have always heard it as, even in the Irish media.

R79 Saoirse is from the Irish language, and I'm not aware of it being spelt differently. Your example of Steve.Steven/Stefanos is of the ball-they are all spelt differently and thus pronounced differently. As R80 points out there are 2 pronunciations in Irish, but the spelling is the same, but it is still within the same language. R80 Is there any other pronunciation in say a Leinster dialect or are Ulster and Munster the only ones? Cosúil leis an gcuid is mó duinn d'fhoghlaim mé Gaeilge ar scoil. Cé nach bhfuil mé chomh líofa mar a bhíodh trath, is féidir liom comhrá a dhéanamh go heasca. Ach chanúint Dhún na nGall, ta se an-deacair a thuiscint. Rud iontach e an Ghaelige a fheiceáil ar DL.

The Van Wyck Expressway is near JFK Airport. It's named for NYC mayor Robert Van Wyck, whose family has pronounced it Van WIKE for more than century, The same "yck" as in Ten Eyck and Dyckman Street. For years traffic reporters said it correctly. Suddenly we heard "Van Wick" An insider told me they were told to say it incorrectly, because most of the people in Queens say it that way.

I use the word in another sentence, which sometimes will prompt the person to ask why I say it that way. Or maybe they don't realize I've said it differently, so it doesn't matter,

Yes

Would depend how I felt about the person.

At a meeting, a co-worker said she was going to "appraise the boss" of a situation. One person giggled.

My sister in-law (fucking aspie human bean bag), pronounces ‘petite’ as “pa-tight”. She also thinks that paradigm means the next level in final fantasy, and pronounces it as “para-didge-um” She is like auditory water boarding. She is constantly correcting myself, her husband and her husband (pretty much anyone - no social awareness). Cunt. We say nothing. That nearly kills my husband. I often have to kick him under the table.

I heard a film critic on a podcast recently pronounce "quota" as "quote", twice in the space of five seconds. And everyone was too embarrassed to correct him. This tends to happen to me once a year but it's so precious whenever it happens to a native speaker, which is probably... once every decade or so? Feels like we should celebrate such moments with a cake or champagne instead of shaming people for finally seeing the light.

R90. If I were only so fortunate to be spared!

[quote]Also, dumbasses who pronounce it New orLEEENS instead of New Orluns.

Dear, that's still slang even if everyone in New Orleans ghettofies it into Orluns.

R8, I’m guessing they would’ve choked if having to tackle Shakespeare.

^Natives pronounce it as "Nawluns"

I hate when people say, Nor Easter...got to say it right, Nor Easter storm is coming. Do these numb nuts realize its a slur on a phrase which is North Eastern?

I got in a discussing with some organic corn flake girl who insisted Persimmon were pronounced Par-SU-muns.

R32. I don’t entirely agree with you. If English is your second language, learned in a specific culture/country with varying pronunciation, colloquialisms, and slang, then moving to another English speaking country can be daunting. In my homeland, to get “pissed” refers to inebriation. I think in the U.S it denotes being irked or annoyance. Vernacular and cultural context change a LOT.

Learned just this week how to pronounce "glower" properly. Never heard it spoken before. And for some reason, I always tend to prefer the previous version that my brain came up with. Maybe that's why some people protest or feel offended when you correct them? Because they're somehow attached to the word?

R32 and 36 is an uptight pedant. For fucks sake, REALLY?

I hate when people pronounce Spaghetti with a D as in Spa-Geddy. Its so white trashy

Its spah-GEH-tee in English and in Italy the TT is pronounced even stronger because it's a double letter, Spa-Ghét-Tee

R37, so we know what the reply to OP’s question for R32 would be.

Amen r29 . Case closed.

Ever wonder what English sounds like to someone who doesn't speak English?

35 Accents in the English Language

[Quote]In my homeland, to get “pissed” refers to inebriation. I think in the U.S it denotes being irked or annoyance.

That's true, r97 (it also means to be angry/mad), but we do use the phrase "pissy drunk," which is the same as your country's meaning of "pissed."

[Quote]At a meeting, a co-worker said she was going to "appraise the boss" of a situation. One person giggled.

Ha ha. She probably heard another fool use it in that way, r88. It seems to be an error too many people make.

R58 : That’s hilarious!

I've seen Irish people elsewhere, not just here on DL, making fun of Ronan for pronouncing her name that way. In fact, they like to refer to her as "that Irish girl who can't pronounce her name properly" in Ireland. Saying she has a say on how her established, traditional name is pronounced is solipsistic and makes about as much sense as saying a person has the right to pronounce any given word their way.

But whatever, I don't intend to die on this particular hill as I'm not that bothered by people mispronouncing words. Plus the less I think of her, the better.

It's always jarring to hear a word mispronounced (often when someone says a word they've only seen written). Easy to do, but I tend to judge them anyway.

Harry Truman said it was sometimes difficult to pronounce words correctly when you’ve only read them in a book and not heard them spoken. He had a point.

I dealt with lots of visitors from other parts of the US and overseas when I worked and corrected them one-on-one when they (understandably) mispronounced a word, usually a place name, when I heard them pronouncing it incorrectly. I didn’t want them to be seen and heard as outsiders by anyone else. No one said they resented my doing so as most people want to fit in, not stand out in terms of pronunciation.

Ugh, place names are the worst, R110. I was informed when living in Kansas, that the Arkansas River is pronounced "Ahrkan-Sass" instead of "Arkan-Saw" like everywhere else. El Dorado is pronounced "El Dor-AY-Doh" instead of "El Dor-Ah-Doh"

Well that’s just confusing, R111!

If the word was my name.

I hate listen to this awful sports talk show host - he actually reminds me of a poor man's Donald Trump - who makes a fetish of correcting callers for any mistakes, real or perceived. Yet he is a constant gaffe machine himself. One of his frequent errors is to pronounce the term heir apparent as hair apparent!

R96, don't be so persimmonious. And I thought "paradigm" was 20 cents.

It wasn't mispronounced but I used "prolific" for "profound" for a big chunk of my young life up to and including adulthood. Not sure how I learned it so wrong since I had good teachers in high school and college both.

Kansas also, famously, says "warshed" for washed and "Warshington" for the president, city, and state.

There are some names like Rebecca Romijn, Wachowski sisters, most Balkan transplants to America... where people will [italic]never[/italic] be on the same page and I've (reluctantly) accepted that.

Having said that, I will fight you to the death if you pronounce Denis Villeneuve's name the Spanish way. And if you butcher Jean-Marc Vallée's name in the same manner while you're at it, I will haunt you for the rest of eternity.

[quote]I will fight you to the death if you pronounce Denis Villeneuve's name the Spanish way.

Isn't it French? Same avec Vallée?

The receptionist at the doctor's office today had one of those plastic letter signs (the ones that look like white letters on black corrugated cardboard) on the counter. It read: "ALWAYS BE HUMBEL AND KIND TO EVERYONE"

I didn't say anything about it at first, but being a DL Grammar Nazi at heart, I finally asked her if that were a personality test to see if anyone would speak up to correct it. She said she'd looked at it all morning thinking something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what.

I have passed up the opportunity three times lately, with two physical therapists and a doctor who urged me to "[bold]lay[/bold] down on the table." In the final instance, I pulled an "Okay, I will [bold]lie[/bold] down on the table," but I don't know if he got it.

As a foreigner, I hope my friends would correct me instead of my going on and looking ridiculous like that.

I do not have problem with most errors posted here but I sometimes forget or am puzzled by very simple things like 'director' and where accents shoud go.