The American Way (pronunciation of "ile" words)

On each side of the Atlantic there is a difference in the pronunciation of many adjectives ending in "ile": the British rhyme them with "mile," and Americans rhyme them with "hill." Here are some examples:


               hostile                            agile                                fragile

               docile                             facile                               fertile

               futile                               sterile                              tactile

               tensile                            mobile                             virile

              volatile                            versatile                          infertile

              nubile                              puerile                            servile

                                                     ductile



Exceptions: infantile, juvenile, senile                     



 P.S. This also applies to the noun "missile."




              

                  

Stress Management #3 (accented syllables)

There are a few two-syllable words that can be adjectives or verbs, depending
on which syllable is accented: as adjectives, the first is stressed, and as verbs the second. Here are some of them:


                          Adjectives                                              Verbs

                          FREquent                                           freQUENT

                          ABsent                                                abSENT

                          PERfect                                              perFECT




A few words that can be adjectives or nouns have a similar accent shift:


                            Adjectives                                           Nouns

                           miNUTE                                             MINute

                           comPLEX                                           COMplex

                           inVALid                                              INvalid

              

                

                       

                        

Stress Management #2 (accented syllables)

Additional words related to my last post:



                       Nouns                                                          Verbs

                  TRANSplant                                                  transPLANT

                  INcrease                                                        inCREASE

                  DEcrease                                                      deCREASE

                  PROtest                                                         proTEST

                  TRANSfer                                                      transFER

                  EXport                                                           exPORT

                  IMport                                                            imPORT

                 TRANSport                                                    transPORT

                 COMbat                                                         comBAT

                 REfund                                                           reFUND

                 IMprint                                                            imPRINT

                 COMpound                                                    comPOUND

                 DEtail                                                             deTAIL

                 ALly                                                                alLY

                 ANnex                                                            anNEX

                 FInance                                                         finANCE

                 CONtrast                                                       conTRAST

                                                                                                                                                                 

Stress Management (accented syllables)

Yesterday I heard a news announcer say that the station SURveyed people about something. I didn't hear any more because my ears quit after "surveyed." Once more a person whose profession is public speaking provided a topic for my blog.

There are some two-syllable words that can be nouns or verbs, depending on which syllable is accented: as nouns, the first is stressed, and as verbs the second. Here are some of those words:

                        Nouns                                                           Verbs

                      SURvey                                                         surVEY

                      PERmit                                                          perMIT

                      INsult                                                             inSULT

                     TORment                                                       torMENT

                     EScort                                                           esCORT

                     CONtract                                                       conTRACT

                     DIScharge                                                     disCHARGE

                    FRAGment                                                     fragMENT

                    PRESent                                                        preSENT

                    PERfume                                                       perFUME

                    REFuse                                                         reFUSE
                    
                    AFfix                                                              afFIX
        
                   SUBject                                                          subJECT

                   REcall                                                             reCALL

Hold the Fort #2 (commonly mispronounced words)

Here are more words that are frequently mispronounced:


sherbet- second syllable pronounced "bet," not "bert"

sloth- rhymes with "both," not "cloth"

clique- rhymes with "geek," not "sick"

cerebral- first syllable stressed, not second-CERebral

zoology- first syllable rhymes with "so," not "boo"

genealogy- third syllable "al," not "ol"

processes- last syllable sounds like "iz," not "eez"

Hold the Fort! (commonly mispronounced words)

Many words are mispronounced so often that their correct pronunciation seems strange because it's unfamiliar. Eventually these mispronunciations make their way into the dictionary as accepted and even preferred! My mother used to say, "Right is right if no one is right!"



Here are a few words that are commonly mispronounced:


cache - "cash," not "cashay" - something hidden away-   a cache of food for an
                emergency  (There is a word pronounced "cashay," which is spelled
                "cachet" and means "prestige.")

covert-  related to "cover" - first syllable sounds like "kuv" - hidden - covert
                operations

err- sounds like "fur," not "air"- to make a mistake

forte- sounds like "fort," not "fortay"- a strong point

harass- stress on the first syllable, not the second- "HAR as"

lingerie- ends with  the sound "ree," not "ray"

reprise- rhymes with "please," not "prize"

schism- has no "k" sound- is pronounced "sism"

The Trouble with X(confusion about the "ks" sound)

Sometimes people are confused about the sound "ks": either they change it TO the sound of "s," or they use it INSTEAD OF the sound of "s." The sound "ks" is usually spelled with an "x," but it can also be spelled by "cc" before "i," "e," or "y."

Here are some words that are often mispronounced because the speaker used a "ks" sound instead of an "s" sound":
                     eScape               not eXcape
                     eSpecially           not eXpecially
                     asteriSk               not asteriX
                     eSpresso             not eXpresso
                     et cetera              not eX etera

The following words can be mispronounced when the speaker substitutes the sound of "s" for the sound of "ks":
                     succinct               suKSinct, not suSSinct  
                     ecstatic                eKStatic, not eStatic
                     accessory            aKSessory, not aSSessory
                     flaccid                  flaKSid, but flaSSid has been used so often
                                                    that it's now accepted
                     


  

As We Speak #3 (words often mispronounced)

because >   be-COZ, not be-CUZ            nuclear>   nu-KLEE-ar, not nu-KEW-lar


bouquet>   BOO-kay, not BO-kay           recognize>  rec-OG-nize, not rec-uh-nize


dissect>     DIS-sect, not DI-sect             cyclical>     SI-clic-al, not sic-lic-al

As We Speak #2 (words often mispronounced)

Today we'll consider a few more words that you'll often hear mispronounced. (The previous sentence contains one of those words, as the "t' in "often" should not be heard.)  Because of their widespread use, incorrect pronunciations are frequently included in dictionary entries as second choices.

etc.- the abbreviation for "et cetera," a Latin phrase which means "and other
          things." It sounds like "ET SET-ER-A," and has no "x" sound.
asterisk- ends in "RISK" and also has no "x" sound.                                               
chaise longue- Don't confuse the second word with the English "lounge."
                         These words mean "long chair" in French, and they're    
                         pronounced "SHAYS LONG."
realtor- Be sure you call yourself a REE-UL-TER, not a REE-LUH-TER.

 

As We Speak (words often mispronounced)

When you are speaking with clients in person or on the phone, you make a more positive impression if your language is not only in good taste but also correct. Today we'll focus on the pronunciation of words, and I'll give you a few examples of words that are frequently mispronounced.

 divisive          The second "i" should be long, sounding like "eye."
 long-lived      The "i" should be long, sounding like "eye."  Remember that the
                         word is made from "long life."
 mischievous   The last syllable is pronounced "vus." There is no "i" after the "v."