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Acai
Acai
Once you’re hitting up the native smoothie store, do not ask for ACK-ah-ee, ah-KAI or ah-SIGH berries. The emphasis goes on the third (and final) syllable.
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Relevant
Relevant
This adjective begins just like the apps in your cellphone, not a-PLICK-able.
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Arctic
Arctic
Remember about that first C. Some individuals skip the “arc” in favor of ART-ick, and the identical goes for Antarctic.
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Cache
Cache
No, this is not a sneaky French phrase. The tendency to say cash-AY stems from the similar-looking cachet (which means status), whereas cache refers to a storage or hiding place.
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Both
Both
You may use both AYE-thur or EEE-thur, however the latter is Merriam-Webster‘s most popular pronunciation.
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Espresso
Espresso
If your barista hasn’t corrected you already, your afternoon pick-me-up is named an espresso, not an EX-press-o.
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February
February
The month does not precisely roll off the tongue, but it surely should not sound like January. The impulse to drop the primary R is named dissimilation, based on Merriam-Webster.
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Forte
Forte
Music buffs may pronounce this one as for-TAY, and in case you’re speaking a couple of composer’s notice, that will be appropriate. Nonetheless, if studying sheet music is your sturdy level, that is additionally known as a forte — no second syllable required.
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Lobby
Lobby
The tendency so as to add a elaborate French sound strikes once more. However welcoming friends into your foy-AY does not make the perfect first impression.
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Gala
Gala
This is the place an AY sound is useful. If you happen to’re attending a elaborate ball, it is not a GAL-uh.
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GIF
GIF
Merriam-Webster pronounces this with a tough G, as a result of the phrase’s really an acronym for graphics interchange format. Nonetheless, its inventor Steve Wilhite is adamant about announcing GIF just like the peanut butter.
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Gyro
Gyro
Your yummy Greek pita should not sound like “gyroscope.” Order a YEE-roh or ZHIHR-oh as a substitute while you’ve received a longing for yogurt sauce.
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Hyperbole
Hyperbole
No exaggeration, this four-syllable phrase has nothing to do with bowls due to its Greek roots. Enjoyable truth: Hyperbole’s antonym is litotes, which means an excessive understatement and pronounced LYE-tuh-teez.
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Liable
Liable
Do not get these authorized phrases combined up. Legal responsibility (being obligated) is totally different from libel (a defamatory assertion).
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Library
Library
Identical to February, the 2 R sounds in library make correct pronunciation particularly laborious. Numerous individuals (even faculty professors and presidents!) are documented as skipping one or the opposite.
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Mauve
Mauve
Whether or not you want this purpley color or not, it is not imagined to rhyme with range.
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Meme
Meme
Years earlier than grumpy cat and success kid, a British scientist invented the phrase meme as “a unit of cultural transmission” in 1976. Whilst you learn it greater than you converse it, a viral hit is pronounced like phoneme, not mee-mee, may-may and even mem.
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Mischievous
Mischievous
This fashionable mistake pops up as a typo too. Do not add an additional I on the finish, as in mis-CHEEV-i-ous.
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Area of interest
Area of interest
Though “neesh” is more and more accepted, “nitch” is the older and extra fashionable approach to consult with a specialised place or function.
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Nuclear
Nuclear
The White Home could have the nuclear codes, however not less than 4 presidents (Bush, Clinton, Carter and Eisenhower) have tousled this adjective. Their mistake? Switching the adjoining sounds, a linguistic phenomenon known as metathesis, based on Slate.
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Prelude
Prelude
Whilst you could also be in church when listening to a prelude, the primary syllable does not sound like “pray.” This noun and verb stems from the Latin phrase praeludere, which means to play beforehand.
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Pronunciation
Pronunciation
Coincidentally, pronunciation is not at all times pronounced proper, most likely as a result of the verb type comprises the syllable “noun” whereas the noun (counterintuitively) doesn’t.
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Regardless
Regardless
Ever for the reason that Nineteen Twenties, individuals have mixed the phrases irrespective and regardless into the very nonstandard “irregardless.” Nearly a century later, it is nonetheless a giant no-no.
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Regime
Regime
Regardless of its political leanings, a regime does not sound like RUH-geem.
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Sherbet
Sherbert
Let’s settle the sherbet-sherbert debate for good. Initially from the Turkish and Persian phrases şerbet and sharbat, there’s by no means been and by no means might be a second “r” within the final syllable. And in case you are questioning, the flavored ice is named sor-BAY, not SOR-bet.
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Standing
Standing
If you happen to’ve been mispronouncing this as STAH-tus your complete life, you are not alone. However it’s by no means too late to get it proper!
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Suite
Suite
Your lodge room might be fairly candy, no matter whether or not you are sporting a go well with. (And do not even take into consideration saying sue-TAY.)
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Transient
Transient
That means fleeting or momentary, transient can consult with a temper, go to or job, to call a number of makes use of. Simply do not mistakenly say tran-ZEE-ent.
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Triathlon
Triathlon
Triathletes are a formidable bunch, however their long-distance races aren’t known as tri-ATH-a-lons. In any other case there can be a second A within the combine.
PHOTO: Betsy Farrell
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Valet
Valet
Assume again to “Downton Abbey” while you pull as much as the valet. The phrase sounds extra British than the Frenchified val-AY.
PHOTO: Betsy Farrell
