2007-11-26 09:56:32 · 16 answers · asked by April 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I've never very fussy about the way people pronounce or mispronounce most English words. However, for some reason, the common American pronunciation of "aunt" as "ant" (or "ænt") has always annoyed me a little bit.
It is pronounced "awnt" in England and some parts of the northeastern United States and I believe that's the way it should be pronounced. An ant is an insect not a father or mother's sister.
2007-11-26 15:39:46 · answer #1 · answered by Brennus 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Infinite, in the sense of "without end". It is pronounced with three short "i"s.
There is another version of the word which has the meaning of [a verb which] "does not take an object". It is the opposite of "finite". Here the first "i" is short and the other two are long (as in the word "polite").
For some reason when people sing "infinite" -- in hymns, for example, mentioning infinite love -- they go for the wrong version, with the grammatical meaning. It renders the word meaningless in that context.
On the subject of singing, there is a song often sung in our church in which the word "sanctuary" is sung in such a way as to rhyme with "prepare me". It gets to me every time!
2007-11-26 18:11:06 · answer #2 · answered by Doethineb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Our idiot president saying NUCULAR instead of NUCLEAR. Also words like IRREGARDLESS and PERROGATIVE. I am from the Arapaho Tribe here in Wyoming and I think it's a shame that as a Native American I can speak English better than our president. He should be ashamed of himself and his wife should be ashamed for being a librarian and marrying such a stupe.
2007-11-26 18:03:22 · answer #3 · answered by ndn_ronhoward 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Regardless. Many people like to put "ir" infront of this word, making it "irregardless", which is totally NOT a word. That bugs the heck out of me!
2007-11-26 18:16:19 · answer #4 · answered by inquiring black beauty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
here's one that so many people mispronounce..pro-nun-ciation. not pronounciation! lol...also, FebRuary, not Febuary..As to ax, it doesn't bother me, as it is more of a colloquial term than a mispronounced word. oh yeah, sorry, i don't remember your moniker, but to the man who mentioned Dubya>>>i think the term bullshit should be renamed bushshit!
2007-11-26 18:09:54 · answer #5 · answered by layobro7 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
panathenaea
a summer festival held annually in ancient Athens but with an extra ceremony every fourth year.
It involved games, sacrifices, and music and poetry contests.
2007-11-26 18:07:03 · answer #6 · answered by victor m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
used to - as in 'I used to used to own a volvo.'
People in Australia sometimes say 'nused to.'
that really bugs me.
2007-11-26 18:10:06 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sink not zinc
2007-11-26 21:43:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
When people say "supposebly" instead of supposedly
2007-11-27 17:52:17 · answer #9 · answered by bugitz0223 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
asks
People sometimes say "ax"
=)
and especially the word LIBRARY... omg. lol
They say "lie-berry"
2007-11-26 17:59:39 · answer #10 · answered by ^^PaperHeart^^ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋