You can change the spelling of one word in the English language to match how they are pronounced. What word do you pick?

I'm picking "Colonel" needs to be respelled to match how it's pronounced.

Try to pick a word no one else has picked. What word are you respelling?

248 points · 389 comments · view on lemmy.world

389 Comments

MajorHavoc@lemmy.world · 77 pts · 2y (4 replies)

In this thread, a lot of folks who would use their one wish to make the language better.

But I would change "their" to be spelled "the're" and pronounced "all'y'all's".

I hope I do grow up to be more like the rest of you, and make better choices, in the future.

ericbomb@lemmy.world · 49 pts · 2y (3 replies)

People like you being in charge is how English got to this position in the first place!

MajorHavoc@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Your rite, and I regret my choices.

MidwayTheMagnificent@wayfarershaven.eu · 8 pts · 2y

twitch

Rozz@lemmy.sdf.org · 2 pts · 2y

I would expect nothing less, MajorHavoc 🫡

GeekFTW@kbin.social · 61 pts · 2y (15 replies)

Nesscary

...Neccisary

.......Neseccary

Fuck it, it's now "Nesisary"

fubo@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 2y (2 replies)

"Needed"

averagedrunk@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 2y

Do the needful.

Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 2 pts · 2y

Required

Pietson@kbin.social · 7 pts · 2y (2 replies)

English is a second language to me, and at this point it's probably the only commonly used word I consistently mess up. It usually ends up something like 'nessecairy'

MidwayTheMagnificent@wayfarershaven.eu · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Totally understandable, one of a handful of English words that I both know are spelled “wrongL and also have to put conscious thought into spelling before I write it.

DivergentHarmonics@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 2y

Ironicly, "conshus" one such candidate for me.

Astroturfed@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Can never remember how to spell this absolute fuckery of a word. I concur.

Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

That's so weird. I'm dyslexic and all but this word is very much common sense for me. Maybe because I'm a polyglot and in Italian it's necessario?

PopcornUnicorn@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 2y

English is my second language, but I've always remembered it by "one cardigan, two socks" necessary

magic_lobster_party@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y

That’s a bit unesesary

Carter@feddit.uk · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Necessary is literally spelt how it's pronounced though.

kennismigrant@feddit.nl · 2 pts · 2y

spelt how it’s pronounced though

I'm not sure you meant this as a joke but it is funny.

Learning yet another irregular pronunciation because some N-hundred years ago their majesty Shithead von Cunt wanted to sound fancy and everyone just played along is not funny.

cries, not knowing how to properly pronounce most English words

Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y

Necessary? I would have never thought of any of those weird spellings. It's spelled like it's said lol.

correcthorsedickbatterystaple@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y

wait was it nesisary or nesusary.

nesesary? nesasary? nesysary?

incogtino@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 2y

Nesree

guyrocket@kbin.social · 30 pts · 2y (7 replies)

English orthography is awful. Hard "c" AND soft "c"? Are you crazy? How about that "k" that is already the hard c sound? It should be "kat" and "kar". And it only goes downhill from there (or their?!?).

We should clean it up someday. But we'll probably end up with LOL-WTF-speak.

merc@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 2y (4 replies)

Some of the low hanging fruit would just be to pick one pronunciation of "oo" and stick with it:

  • book
  • blood
  • floor
  • brooch
  • boot

The problem is that English has far more vowel sounds than vowels. And that's without even having certain sounds that are common in other languages like "ü".

guyrocket@kbin.social · 10 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Linguistics would teach that it is the orthography that is flawed. The English language has many vowel sounds, more than most languages. But as you demonstrate, the orthography "lumps" many of them together. Which, again, is why I think English orthography is awful.

There's a great article at Wikipedia, scroll down to the "Vowels" section: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_phonology

There's a link the the article above to this page, which I don't suggest viewing on your phone. It has a great effort to document vowels across dialects of English, scroll down again to the huge table: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_Alphabet_chart_for_English_dialects

Be careful, the linguistics "rabbit hole" is deep (but fascinating)!

merc@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Thanks, I really like the IPA and I wish it were something that was taught in high school. It would be great if people were competent at reading it and could maybe use it to explain how something sounds. It's hard enough that English has such flawed orthography. Then you add the fact that there are dozens of English dialects and it only makes things more complicated.

Do you know about Dr. Geoff Lindsey's YouTube channel?

https://www.youtube.com/@DrGeoffLindsey

guyrocket@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

I do not know about that channel. I will check it out, thanks!

merc@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

His topics are really interesting, hope you enjoy them like I did.

room_raccoon@kbin.social · 5 pts · 2y

It's not all bad. The varied spellings of English help with visual pattern recognition and increased reading speed.

Carighan@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

That must have already happened and we got the Geordie accent from it!

whointhewhatnow@sh.itjust.works · 28 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Comfterble

wild@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y

Kumfirtubble

quortez@kbin.social · 28 pts · 2y (13 replies)

Macabre. Why do you need two silent letters?

Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de · 36 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
SulaymanF@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 2y

Blame the French.

snowyday@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Please wait in the queue with four unpronounced letters

dandroid@dandroid.app · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

I always pronounce this "quayway"

MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

What you spelled there would be pronounced key-way haha

marmarama@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y (4 replies)

British English voices those letters in most accents. I think the two silent letters is just a North American thing.

Similar to herb.

thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Not saying you're wrong at all, it's not exactly a common word to hear said out loud. But I've never heard anyone do this and the very idea of it blows my mind.

(NE England, here)

marmarama@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

The last syllable is usually pretty subtle, like the br- in bread, but very quietly voiced. I'd say I hear it maybe 75% of the time I hear the word. Currently in Yorkshire, via SW England, London and NW England. The syllable is a lot less subtle in a West Yorks accent!

Did you learn French at GCSE level? Possibly there's a relationship between that and pronouncing the re like that in French-derived words. Cadre is another example. If it is related to learning French, then it's probably on the decline as French teaching is on the decline and foreign languages are no longer compulsory at GCSE.

thegiddystitcher@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y

Clearly I need to work this word into more conversations with people and listen closely! That said I only just found out recently that most of the country pronounces the middle weekday as "Wensday" so contrary to stereotypes I think we might be the ones talking properly up here 😉

(schools around me were generally an even split between French and German for GCSE, dunno how that affects your theory, also I had no idea languages were going away from school and this makes me sad to learn)

Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

Why use a French word then?

Devi@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y

Ma-carb, much better

merc@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y

"queue", 4/5 letters are silent.

IoSapsai@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y

Wait how is that pronounced? I've always read it as Mah-Ca-Burr. It's one of these words I learned through text exposure rather than English classes...

QubaXR@lemmy.world · 26 pts · 2y (11 replies)

Arkinsaw

fubo@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 2y (6 replies)

"Arkansas" and "Kansas" are both from the Osage language, but the former passed through French on its way to English.

catharso@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 2y (1 reply)

i'm from somewhere in europe and always wondered why you guys would pronounce those two so different!

fubo@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

America has a lot of place names that come from Native American / First Nations languages; but they also come via different European languages.

And some of those names are actually words that refer to a different Native group. "Arkansas" and "Kansas" are from the Osage word for the Quapaw people. The name of the Snake River between Oregon and Idaho is a translation of the name that Plains people used to refer to the Shoshone: they were the "snake people" and that wasn't a compliment.

merc@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y

I've heard that, but "Ar Kan Saw" is nothing like how a French person would pronounce "Arkansas"

guyrocket@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

That is interesting. Do you have a source?

csolisr@communities.azkware.net · 1 pts · 2y

In Spanish they do rhyme and their endings are pronounced the exact same, as in Kansas. I was greatly puzzled when I discovered that the French managed to mangle the name Arkansas that badly back in the day

WtfEvenIsExistence@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 2y (2 replies)
[ removed ]
Nemo@midwest.social · 4 pts · 2y

It's the pirate Kansas.

kender242@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

2010 Arkansas Code Title 1 - General Provisions Chapter 4 - State Symbols, Motto, Etc § 1-4-105 - Pronunciation of state name.

Be it therefore resolved by both houses of the General Assembly, that the only true pronunciation of the name of the state, in the opinion of this body, is that received by the French from the native Indians and committed to writing in the French word representing the sound. It should be pronounced in three (3) syllables, with the final "s" silent, the "a" in each syllable with the Italian sound, and the accent on the first and last syllables. The pronunciation with the accent on the second syllable with the sound of "a" in "man" and the sounding of the terminal "s" is an innovation to be discouraged.

charlytune@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 2y

Brit here, I only realised a couple of years ago that the Arkansaw I heard mentioned in American TV and movies was actually the Arkansas I could see on maps. I think it was something said on Reddit, probably a thread similar to this, that was the revelation. And when I tell other Brits they're invariably similarly clueless, and quite gobsmacked. I'm not sure if anyone I've mentioned it too has said "oh yeah I knew that".

StorageAware@lemmings.world · 26 pts · 2y (13 replies)

Might start an argument but:
GIF -> GHIF

Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world · 58 pts · 2y (11 replies)

It’s actually pronounced “JIF”

It stands for the Jraphics Interchange Format

fubo@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 2y

Giraffics? 🦒

MrJukes@lemmy.one · 10 pts · 2y (6 replies)

JIF is peanut butter

DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y (5 replies)

Jif is a surface cleaner.

Nusm@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y (1 reply)

“It’s a floor wax.”

“It’s a dessert topping.”

“It’s a floor wax.”

“It’s a dessert topping.”

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y

Vanilla ice cream and peanut butter ❤️

fubo@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Linux is a detergent.

saba@lemmy.sdf.org · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)

so is Barf

fubo@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

I'd rather use Linux than Barf on my clothes!

StorageAware@lemmings.world · 8 pts · 2y

Jolly Image Format

AlolanYoda@mander.xyz · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)
PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks · 1 pts · 2y

Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/Nrk8sqZfsgI?si=20rIrWuZbuPPeJua

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.

joshfaulkner@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

GH as in "laugh"? People'd start flame wars over whether "FIF" is the intended pronunciation...

deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz · 24 pts · 2y

It's aluminium you stupid Americans.

Rob@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 2y (11 replies)

Since Queue has already been posted: Quay. Now spelled Kee.

EssentialCoffee@midwest.social · 21 pts · 2y (8 replies)

You and I pronounce 'quay' very differently.

khannie@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y (7 replies)

How do you pronounce it? I had some American tourists ask me for directions to the "kway" before. Only time I've ever heard a different pronunciation.

Telcontar@lemmy.today · 6 pts · 2y (6 replies)

I've always heard it pronounced kway... Is that wrong?

khannie@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2y

I can't say really. Where I live (Ireland) it's definitely pronounced "kee" but where you live "kway" might be correct. Fascinating stuff!

Nemo@midwest.social · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

That's wrong, even in the US.

electrorocket@lemmy.ml · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

It's pronounced kway in a Pavement song.

Nemo@midwest.social · 5 pts · 2y

It's pronounced "kaye" in a Pogues song, but songs aren't a good indication of pronunciation...poetic license reigns.

Hell, "reigns" is another candidate word.

WhoRoger@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

In my dictionary spelling is [ki:] so like "kee"

Pipoca@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Quay is one of those words like bowline or boatswain that's commonly mispronounced because people see it in writing without hearing it said. Bowline "properly" rhymes with pin, and boatswain sounds like bosun.

A similar thing happened to solder in Britain, where it originally had a silent l as a nod to its Latin etymology, but some people started pronouncing it.

DivergentHarmonics@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

kɛɪ 🤷

Nemo@midwest.social · 1 pts · 2y

relevant username

KrapKake@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 2y

I just wish we spelled things in a more German-'esk' fashion. They use K more appropriately. Examples such as "panik" and "akkordeon" for accordion. I find their spelling to be more straightforward and sensical.

elxeno@lemm.ee · 22 pts · 2y

Ackchyually

RyanLiu@lemmy.ml · 21 pts · 2y

Worcestershire

gasgiant@lemmy.ml · 21 pts · 2y (7 replies)

Thou shalt spell the word "Pheonix" P-H-E-O-N-I-X, not P-H-O-E-N-I-X, regardless of what the Oxford English Dictionary tells you.

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 7 pts · 2y

feenicks

fubo@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Fenix, like the dude from StarCraft?

JudahBenHur@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Oasis, just a band

Nemo@midwest.social · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

The Beach Boys? Just a band.

countflacula@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 2y

Nirvana?

fulcrummed@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Dan Le Sac - sweet reference.

DLSchichtl@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
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Fauxaly@lemmy.one · 18 pts · 2y

Wednesday to Windsday or Wensday.

son_named_bort@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y

Aisle should become something like ile.

jeremy@midwest.social · 17 pts · 2y

Though shall now be spelled: Tho.

Downcount@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 2y (4 replies)

Ressepee

ericbomb@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y (2 replies)

I like this one because I instantly knew what word it was despite it having a brand new spelling. Almost like letters should have meanings.

wmcduff@kbin.social · 5 pts · 2y

I was wondering if Reese pee was liquid peanut butter for a moment.

Downcount@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

English isn't my native language. I thought for years (and I'm talking of 10+) it would be pronounced "ree-sipe".

Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

Re-ci-pe... yeah that's just how yoy read it.

XEAL@lemm.ee · 16 pts · 2y (12 replies)

Oh boy, a word wouldn't be enough.

I would make English as consistent as Spanish is regarding phonetical consistency, or even more.

Oh, you have never seen this word ever before and you don't know how to pronounce it? No worries, these universal rules will allow you just get it right, because letters always sound the same!

snowyday@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 2y (3 replies)

“Spanish regarding phonetical consistency”

Checking in from Oaxaca

Nemo@midwest.social · 3 pts · 2y

I dunno, Oaxaca seems pretty straightforward. oa is pronounced kinda like "ua", I guess, but midword x is usually a "hh" sound anyway so that's the only slightly weird thing.

csolisr@communities.azkware.net · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Fun fact, the Spanish X used to be pronounced like the Greek χ, which is why Meχico, Teχas and Oaχaca are pronounced the way they are now in English (formerly like a "kh" and now like a "ks")

snowyday@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

To be honest, that was barely fun

Zippy@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

The only one they changed is the double l. ll to sounds like a y. But in some circles they consider that a seperate letter to the Spanish alphabet. Overall it is fairly consistent.

Even better, Spanish words are typically broken into two (or is it to or too) letter syllables.

Ataraxia@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

I mean knowing romance languages makes spelling in English easy. Also knowing something about Greek and Latin. Understanding the root of a word etc makes it a lot easier.

DivergentHarmonics@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 2y

Right about spelling. For a non-native, it becomes somewhat difficult when it is about the "right" pronunciation of the written language. There's a lot of French influence for example. Now they have a lot of French words, some feel horribly mispronounced and some aren't. And then there's a lot of dialects so that mixing pronunciations can hardly be avoided.

ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y (4 replies)

English is pretty good (generally) at doing the same thing.

Y'all are just bringing up words that English stole from other languages.

You can use phonetics to figure out how to pronounce most words in English.

ericbomb@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

We just really wish when we stole them we changed the spelling to match the pronunciation if we wanted the pronunciation to stay the same of where we stole it from.

ChrissieWF@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 2y (2 replies)

The amount of words that are not "stolen" from other languages is neglible..

Cat from German Katze, from Latin catta
Car(t) from German Karren
Kitchen grom German Küche
Bike/Bicycle from French bicycle
Leaf from German Laub
Beef, mutton, pigeon from French boeuf, mouton, pigeon
Cow, sheep, dove from German Kuh, Schaf, Taube
Computer from Latin computare
Sun and moon from German Sonne and Mond
Lunatic from Latina luna
Death from German Tod
Snug from Norse snøggr
Funny from Swedish fånig
Breeze from Spanish brisa
Ranch from Spanish rancha
Brave from Italian bravo
Arcade from Italian arcata
Dildo from Italian diletto
....

mwalimu@baraza.africa · 2 pts · 2y

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.

--James D. Nicoll

mwalimu@baraza.africa · 2 pts · 2y

You may like this essay on why English has weird spellings. Think technological timings.

https://aeon.co/essays/why-is-the-english-spelling-system-so-weird-and-inconsistent

Zippy@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 2y

All those words that are pronounce the same but have completely different meanings. Particularly the common words.

To two too

No know

Their there

By buy bye

Then there there ones spelt the same but two different meanings and silent letters to even be better.

Go right, you're right.

Didn't know how messed up English spelling/pronunciation is till I started to learn Spanish and nearly every word is pronounced exactly as spelled.

query@lemm.ee · 16 pts · 2y

I think the main issue with this is that pronunciation changes over time, in addition to varying by area. So if we keep changing the spelling, written works will became unreadable faster.

But I would suggest that any band names that use umlauts/foreign letters should be pronounced accordingly.

CleverFunnyName@lemm.ee · 15 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Jraphics

AmericanDesi@reddthat.com · 5 pts · 2y

I can't help but pronounce this like Jurassic

thelsim@sh.itjust.works · 15 pts · 2y (6 replies)

Segue
I always trip over that one and start reading it as French.

Nemo@midwest.social · 6 pts · 2y (3 replies)

I just learned last month I've been doing the same thing and mispronouncing it for over three decades. But it's Italian!

fubo@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y (1 reply)

In the uncut version of Romeo and Juliet, there was a vague segue to a Montague tongue.

Nemo@midwest.social · 2 pts · 2y

tongue, there's another fucker, I tells ya

thelsim@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 2y

Problem is that when you write it as pronounced, it becomes segway. Which just makes me think of those two-wheeled scooter thingies.

Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml · 5 pts · 2y

Seg-Yoo

That's how my coworkers were pronouncing it, til I pointed out... Who knew how long that was going for, lol

mercano@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

The now-defunct electric scooter company spelled it as it should be, Segway.

charlytune@mander.xyz · 15 pts · 2y (5 replies)

Highpurrbolley.

I pronounced it hyper-bowl in my head for a loooong time until I had to say it out loud one time and got laughed at.

StudioLE@programming.dev · 8 pts · 2y (2 replies)

As someone who read a lot as a child I still find myself saying hyperbowl. I'd certainly heard the correct pronunciation but it wasn't until very late that I made the connection to the word I'd learned by reading.

isthischris@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

I was it my 30s before I found how to say it properly. It really doesn’t help that hyperbolic is spoken properly. Hy-per-bol-ic. Damn you written words.

charlytune@mander.xyz · 1 pts · 2y

Same!

holland@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y

Aphrodite, Hyperbole.. Greek Eta sounds like ee.

Aradina@lemmy.ml · 0 pts · 2y

The fact that hyperbolic is pronounced like that makes it so much fucking worse

ChairmanMeow@programming.dev · 14 pts · 2y

Gif

LancelotGaming@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 2y

wierd.

Agent641@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y

Ghoti

Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y

February. (US pronunciation)

lordxakio@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 2y (7 replies)

Diarrhea.

Nemo@midwest.social · 12 pts · 2y (3 replies)

The pronunciation already matches the spelling!

fubo@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

Starts like "diary" the journal, ends like "rhea" the bird.

thelsim@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Then consider the British-English version of the word, diarrhoea :)
Why the extra o?

Smoke@frogdrool.net · 4 pts · 2y

@thelsim

when they were transcribing it, the man speaking gagged

Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Cha cha cha

snowyday@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

Oooohhhh that took me back

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y

Diary uh

buffalobuffalo@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 11 pts · 2y

Arkansaw.

IF KANSAS IS PRONOUNCED "KANSAS"
THEN WHY ISN'T ARKANSAS PRONOUNCED "ARKANSAS"

rufus@discuss.tchncs.de · 10 pts · 2y (3 replies)

the article 'the' - ðə

AEsheron@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Bah, I always forget eth is different in IPA than how it was used in Old English.

rufus@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Ah okay.

Þ ?

AEsheron@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

I came here to "correct" you to that, yes. But then it's not really IPA anymore, and the other character doesn't make sense now. May as well stick to the more universal system.

bernieecclestoned@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Yacht. Yot.

DivergentHarmonics@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 2y

English really lacks some throat-fricative analogue to the Greek chi (χʼ). Shoud be yaχt in the graχt. imo.

pp99@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 2y (10 replies)

queue

Nemo@midwest.social · 3 pts · 2y (7 replies)

But that's already pronounced how it's spelled...

echo64@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Ah yes good old queweyouwe

Nemo@midwest.social · 4 pts · 2y

Okay, I'll grant you, the second ue could've been trimmed in editing. I always viewed it like the ue in monologue but it's clearly of a different sort.

I'll go downvote myself now.

MrJukes@lemmy.one · 3 pts · 2y (4 replies)

No, it would just be 'q'. Right now, I would pronounce it kay-way maybe.

PeleSpirit@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)
[ removed ]
Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)
[ removed ]
PeleSpirit@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
Carighan@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

Cue-y-hue-y is what the current spelling suggests, tbh.

Blizzard@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 2y

It only gets spelled correctly when it's a pseudo queue (>!sudoku!<).

Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y

Qway-Way

DivergentHarmonics@sopuli.xyz · 9 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Oh man the various English' pronunciashuns ...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SfhKldRKmo8

ericbomb@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

I failed to read the the poem properly.

This language is just... ugh.

PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/watch?v=N5NQa10XMn0

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DivergentHarmonics@sopuli.xyz · 3 pts · 2y

Good Bod! Now see what thou doeth.

Blizzard@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 2y (1 reply)

There were so many that bothered me but now, when called out, I can only think of a few...

Lingerie

Miscellaneous

Subpoena

stealth_cookies@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 2y

Lawngeray definitely makes it less appealing.

DrSleepless@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y

Werk.

Work is not how people pronounce it.

countflacula@lemmy.ca · 9 pts · 2y

Fish as Ghoti

Pistcow@lemm.ee · 8 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Skwirl because now one knows how to spell squirrel.thank you auto-correct.

merc@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y

If you ever have an opportunity, try to get German people to say Squirrel. It's why it was used as a shibboleth in WWII.

backhdlp@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 2y

Keesh

Blackmist@feddit.uk · 8 pts · 2y

Queue.

Nioxic@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 8 pts · 2y

Worcestershire sauce

ExpensiveConstant@kbin.social · 8 pts · 2y (9 replies)

Easy: Bologna

nudnyekscentryk@szmer.info · 9 pts · 2y (8 replies)

What do you mean? It's already written the closest to pronunciation, there's no ń sound in English really, perhaps knee is the only example

yads@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 2y (6 replies)

I'm guessing they think it's pronounced balony

NotAGoodUser@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y (5 replies)

How so?

Wisely@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y (3 replies)
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khannie@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

I read it as bol-on-ya. I've heard boloney before but didn't know that was the spelling. This thread is throwing up all sorts of learning for me :)

Wisely@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)
khannie@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Well that is a fascinating read. Thanks!

ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

BECAUSE OSCAR MEYER HAS A WAY WITH B-O-L-O-G-N-A

DrSleepless@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Belownya

odunke01@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y (6 replies)

Lieutenant (leftenant)

WtfEvenIsExistence@lemmy.ca · 11 pts · 2y (3 replies)
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floppy@rabbitea.rs · 4 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Not in British English, no.

Viper_NZ@lemmy.nz · 4 pts · 2y

The English speaking world outside of the USA.. Much like ‘zed’ or putting a U in colour.

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y

Yeah but British English is dum

rikudou@lemmings.world · 3 pts · 2y

Add colonel to that. Like wtf, where are you getting the extra letters from?

kersploosh@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
reddig33@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2y (9 replies)
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WtfEvenIsExistence@lemmy.ca · 10 pts · 2y (5 replies)
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fubo@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

But "a napron" became "an apron", etc.

reddig33@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y (3 replies)
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intensely_human@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Right but alot means “to assign to a specific use”

reddig33@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)
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intensely_human@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y

Could be

merc@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y

There's another word that British people would like to add aswell.

Downcount@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)
reddig33@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
wisemanzero@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Caulk.

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 4 pts · 2y

You sick bastard I work at lowes

Boops@lemm.ee · 6 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Psoriasis. Eczema. Emphysema.

MrJukes@lemmy.one · 12 pts · 2y (1 reply)

You doing okay buddy?

Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 2y
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holland@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y

You don't like Greek words that are spelled the way they're pronounced?

TheMagicalTimonini@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y (2 replies)

I feel like I would much prefer the ability to change the way a word is pronounced to match the way it is written.

ericbomb@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Well which word would you pick for that?

guyrocket@kbin.social · 2 pts · 2y

Do I have an alphabet for you! Ever heard of the IPA No, it's not just a beer!

WhoRoger@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y

"Sure". For crying out loud. Who came up with this.

DLSchichtl@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y
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kent_eh@lemmy.ca · 6 pts · 2y (7 replies)

Lincoln

Pneumonia

ericbomb@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y (2 replies)

OOF Pneumonia.

Like, what a cursed word. How would you even spell that? Nuhmownyuh?

MrJukes@lemmy.one · 5 pts · 2y

Newmoanyuh

Nemo@midwest.social · 1 pts · 2y
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Nemo@midwest.social · 0 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Lincoln is a proper noun, but pneumonia is already pronounced how it's spelled.

MrJukes@lemmy.one · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

You pronounce the p?

agent_flounder@lemmy.one · 8 pts · 2y

Hmm..

Lincoln is a roper noun, but neumonia is already ronounced how it's spelled.

There, erfect!

Nemo@midwest.social · 3 pts · 2y

pn together act as one phoneme, like th or kn or sz

Metal_Zealot@lemmy.ml · 6 pts · 2y (4 replies)

Epitome

Scythe

Jewelry

Iron

Cologne

Receipt

CHARCUTERIE, what a fucking stupid word

Realtor. My wife still says "Real-uh-ter"

Zealot (think "Zellers 🍁") I'm tired of people pronouncing my username as "Zee-Lot"

-I know there's more that piss me off, I'll be back

Guitarist@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Charcuterie is French for charcuterie.

DrBob@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

What's the French word for "entrepreneur" then smarty pants.

fubo@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

"le bweesnesshomme"

Guitarist@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Entrepreneur obviously.

merc@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 2y

I'd spell cache as cache so Australians know it's pronounced like "cash" not like "kaysch".

hobbes@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

Subtle

KidsTryThisAtHome@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y

Rendezvous. Get the fuck outta here, you look like rendezzvuss.

PopcornPlayaa_@lemm.ee · 5 pts · 2y

I also think Colonel needs to be changed

ShaolinRaiden@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Quinoa

nadiaraven@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2y

This one has the correct pronunciation in Spanish, because quinoa is from South America. Despite having pronounced this incorrectly when I first heard about it, I'd like to keep this spelling, because Spanish spelling is so much more consistent than English.

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y

keen wa

techgearwhips@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

Salmon as Samon

sacredbirdman@kbin.social · 5 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Choir .. how would you spell it? Quier?

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 7 pts · 2y

kwire

ThatWeirdGuy1001@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Kwyre

WhoRoger@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Koar... Koir... Koair... Koayre... Egh I'm not improving it am I

Nemo@midwest.social · 5 pts · 2y (1 reply)

apparently » apparantly

and all other "parent" words, like transparent and so on

agent_flounder@lemmy.one · 3 pts · 2y

We should just omit those schwa letters like Apar'ntly.

matti@sopuli.xyz · 5 pts · 2y

I am deffinetly picking this one.

Nurloc@feddit.nu · 5 pts · 2y

Tough though thought....and knife know etc

Nurgle@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

It’s two, but I’m just gonna swap ‘sweat’ and ‘sweet’ spellings.

Dalek_Thal@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 2y

Found Rodrick Heffley

MrJukes@lemmy.one · 4 pts · 2y (4 replies)

Blood. Looks like wood but you would be wrong.

son_named_bort@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y

It's like how laughter and slaughter don't rhyme.

Nemo@midwest.social · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Might as well do food while you're at it.

marmarama@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y

In some of the accents around here, blood, wood and food do rhyme, more or less.

Interesting_Test_814@jlai.lu · 2 pts · 2y

And, in the other direction : lose.

trexd@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

garunteed

BrownianMotion@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

"next, what your gonna do is...."

NOW.

DirigibleProtein@aussie.zone · 4 pts · 2y

Cough

Bishma@discuss.tchncs.de · 4 pts · 2y (1 reply)

I'd change "I" to "pxmipexokal" just to screw over everyone's typing speed.

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y

We’d just abbreviate it like pxmilexokal

ProvokedGamer@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 2y

Lasagna, now pronounced how it looks!

Yazer@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Restaurant.

Can't spell it without spell check

Tigbitties@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)

It should be restrant

Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 2y
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londos@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Restront

wholemilk@lemm.ee · 4 pts · 2y

"separate" to "seperate"

XaeroDegreaz@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y

Fone

Lantech@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y (3 replies)

Manure

ma-newer

fubo@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

"poop"

snowyday@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
yads@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y

It's a fun word to say, say it with me

mister_newbie@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y

Lieutenant → Lefttennet

hglman@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y

Laff

fred@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y

Wouldn't fuck with it. The road to hell is paved with good intentions

Poseidon2023@artemis.camp · 3 pts · 2y

Too shall now be spelled to

MudMan@kbin.social · 3 pts · 2y (2 replies)

First of all, you want to replace the way "coronel" is pronounced to match the spelling, not the other way around.

Second, I'd do "bass" and kill two birds right there and then.

mercano@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y (1 reply)

The fish can keep the spelling, but the low pitched sound needs to change.

agent_flounder@lemmy.one · 3 pts · 2y

Drop the bayz!

AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y

Yosemite to Yos-e-mite.

aikixd@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y

Seems like that absolute lot here are just American Vs British pronunciation, and for me, who learned the British version make 0 sense.

Techranger@infosec.pub · 2 pts · 2y

Draught. Seems we've already respelt it as "draft".

vynaaa@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y (2 replies)

Vehicle

WhoRoger@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Vihikl?

matti@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 2y

Viakl

finickydesert@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 2y

Knight just got the lulz

Snapperhead@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Salmon

Viper_NZ@lemmy.nz · 2 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Lieutenant should be changed to Leftenant while we’re at it.

mercano@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y

Lewtenant if you’re American.

agitated_judge@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y

Conner (sauce: ostreliens)

BuddyTheBeefalo@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
teawrecks@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 2y
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techgearwhips@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Exercise as Exersize

hsl@wayfarershaven.eu · 1 pts · 2y (1 reply)

Accessoires

That may actually be the Dutch or maybe Swedish spelling. They're all so close but slightly different that I hope auto-correct deals with it.

roguetrick@kbin.social · 1 pts · 2y

I don't really understand the problem. You want us to go back to the Latin accessorius?

TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
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Xianshi@lemm.ee · 1 pts · 2y
[ removed ]
indigomirage@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y (2 replies)
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ericbomb@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Etobicoke

Upon googling it I found it's pronounced like this: Uh tow buh kow

So yes.

DrBob@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 2y

Not an English word so you need the ref. The place where alders grow.

Resol@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y

Indict, because it doesn't rhyme with verdict.

I'm actually changing the pronunciation, not the spelling. I like saying "in dictation" without the "-ation" part.

rufus@discuss.tchncs.de · 0 pts · 2y (1 reply)

excellent

intensely_human@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y

XLent

bruhrrito@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 2y

ask aks ax

mub@lemmy.ml · -1 pts · 2y

Recognise. There is a G in it but everyone pronounces it Reckonise. They are actually 2 totally different words so this isn't really what you meant but I hate that people don't prounce the letter G.

Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg · -3 pts · 2y

Facade -> visade