Why Do These Words Get Mispronounced So Much? | Otherwords

Summary

In this engaging script, Dr. Erica Brozovsky explores the fascinating world of mispronunciations, from common mistakes to linguistic phenomena like hypercorrection, hyperforeignism, and metathesis. Through humorous examples, she highlights how language evolves, with mispronunciations sometimes becoming the new norm. She also delves into tonal languages and how a slight change in tone can completely alter a word’s meaning. Whether it's ‘espresso’ turning into ‘expresso,’ or regional variations like ‘pecAN’ vs. ‘pecAHN,’ the video emphasizes how language is constantly changing, and what might be a mispronunciation today could be the standard tomorrow.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mispronunciations are common, and everyone, even language experts, occasionally gets words wrong.
• 😀 Some mispronunciations come from reading words before hearing them spoken, leading to misconceptions about how they should sound.
• 😀 Examples of tricky English words include *facade*, *colonel*, and *epitome*, which are often mispronounced due to their unusual spellings.
• 😀 English words like *espresso* and *mischievous* often get mispronounced because they sound similar to other words with related meanings.
• 😀 In tonal languages, mispronouncing a word by using the wrong tone can change its meaning completely, as seen in languages like Yoruba and Mandarin.
• 😀 Hypercorrection occurs when people try too hard to pronounce words correctly, sometimes leading to mispronunciations like *jag-wire* instead of *jaguar*.
• 😀 The word *silicon* is often mispronounced as *silicAHn* because of hypercorrection, which also happens with other scientific terms.
• 😀 Hyperforeignism is when people overpronounce borrowed words, such as saying *jalapeno* as *jalapeño* with an accent that isn’t natural to the word's origin.
• 😀 The pronunciation of certain words can change over time, as seen with *often*, where the ‘t’ is now pronounced by many speakers.
• 😀 Language is constantly evolving, and what might be a mispronunciation today can become the accepted pronunciation in the future.
• 😀 Family dialects or *familects* often result in humorous mispronunciations that are passed down through generations, creating unique language quirks in different households.

Q & A

What is a mispronunciation?

A mispronunciation occurs when a word is pronounced incorrectly, often because of a misunderstanding of its spelling or sound. It can happen due to speed, jumbling letters, or simply not knowing the correct pronunciation.

What is a spoonerism?

A spoonerism is a type of wordplay where the initial sounds or letters of two words are swapped, such as saying 'belly jeans' instead of 'jelly beans'.

Why is 'facade' pronounced 'fissaud' instead of 'fassade'?

The word 'facade' is pronounced 'fissaud' due to its French origin. The spelling might suggest a different pronunciation, but the word was adapted into English with this particular pronunciation.

What is hypercorrection in language?

Hypercorrection happens when someone overcompensates to correct a word's pronunciation based on a perceived rule or standard, often leading to an incorrect or awkward result. For example, saying 'Jagwire' instead of 'Jaguar' due to regional accent influences.

What is the difference between hypercorrection and hyperforeignism?

Hypercorrection involves altering a word’s pronunciation to conform to an assumed standard, while hyperforeignism involves overpronouncing a word borrowed from another language, assuming it should sound more 'authentic' than it actually does.

How can tone affect pronunciation in tonal languages?

In tonal languages like Mandarin or Yoruba, changing the tone of a word can completely alter its meaning. For example, in Yoruba, different tones can turn the same word into meanings like 'coconut', 'basket', or 'chin'.

What is a familect?

A familect is a unique set of mispronunciations or linguistic quirks used within a family or social group. These pronunciations may be humorous or endearing but may not be recognized outside the group.

What is an example of a word that has evolved in pronunciation over time?

The word 'often' used to be pronounced without the 'T' sound, but in modern usage, it is often pronounced with the 'T', making both versions acceptable.

How does regional influence affect word pronunciation?

Regional accents can influence how words are pronounced. For example, people in the American South might say 'Jagwire' instead of 'Jaguar' because of the regional accent, or in New England, people might add an 'R' to words like 'pasta', turning it into 'pastaR'.

Why do some mispronunciations become widely accepted over time?

Mispronunciations can become widely accepted if they are easier to say, sound better to speakers, or align more closely with how the word looks in spelling. Over time, as more people adopt these pronunciations, they can become standard.