Another one - do you say "mis-CHEE-vee-us" for mischievous?

[Kathleen in VA]

I hear this all the time - mis-CHEE-vee-us, but according to my dictionary it's pronounced MIS-cha (schwa sound there) -vus. The former is 4 sylllables, the latter is 3. I am embarrassed to admit that it kind of grates to hear people say the former. Yes, I know, I need to get over it - it's just one of those little things.:D

[AuntieM]

I'm in your club. When I was in middle school I had a cousin who said it the 4-syllable way and it was very annoying to me. A small thing, but for some reason it really bothered me!

[Parrothead]

I say it with 3 syllables.

 

May I add to your list of pronunciations that bug others? Elementary with 5 syllables.

[petepie2]

I hear it the four-syllable way, and I used to say it that way until.....I read the word in a Curious George board book years ago and thought "oh my, I'm saying that word incorrectly...there's no way 'vous' is pronounced 'vee-us' "....so I fixed it. :) Now, as for 'sherbet', I haven't crossed over yet...:)

[Kathleen in VA]

I say it with 3 syllables.

 

May I add to your list of pronunciations that bug others? Elementary with 5 syllables.

 

My dictionary says 5 syllables is acceptable, but it does have the extra schwa sound in parentheses.

 

Our local weather lady always says temper-uh-ture (not cher, but ture). That grates but I think it's probably correct. I always just say temp-ruh-cher. *sigh*

 

I've always misprounced "prerogative" too. I say "per-rog-uh-tive" (per, not pre).

[Mothersweets]

I say it with 3 syllables.

 

May I add to your list of pronunciations that bug others? Elementary with 5 syllables.

 

Ok, enlighten me. Why wouldn't I say elementary with five syllables?

[Just Robyn]

I say mischievous in 3 syllables and elementary in 4.

 

I'm with you in that I prerogative as 'per'-rogative, and

does too.

[Just Robyn]

Ok, enlighten me. Why wouldn't I say elementary with five syllables?

 

e-luh-men-tree

[Heather in Neverland]

I do say it with a long e.

 

Ok mine is when people say "kinny garden" instead of kin-der-gar-ten

[Margo out of lurking]

:lol:

 

My kids and I go around with this. I can't stand when they say mis-chee-vee-ous. There's no VEE in there!!!!!

 

It also drives me nuts when people say "pitcher" when they are talking about a photograph. It's pic-ture, people, pic-ture!!!

[petepie2]

The dictionary has both pronunciations of elementary.

 

Another word in which I drop a syllable is "restaurant". The dictionary shows that both 2 and 3 syllables can be correct in this word. Language can be a funny thing! I like that it is so diverse!

[ereks mom]

It also drives me nuts when people say "pitcher" when they are talking about a photograph. It's pic-ture, people, pic-ture!!!

 

YES!!! :iagree:

 

And for the record, "mischievous" has 3 syllables. The only thing after the "v" is "ous".

[Kathleen in VA]

I do say it with a long e.

 

Ok mine is when people say "kinny garden" instead of kin-der-gar-ten

 

 

When I worked at a private school, one of the parents wrote on the application that they were enrolling their daughter in kidney-garden. :svengo:

[Parrothead]

Ok, enlighten me. Why wouldn't I say elementary with five syllables?

 

e-luh-men-tree

:iagree: Hearing "e-luh-men-tare-y" makes me bonkers. I've only ever heard two people say it with 5 syllables so it is something foreign to me.

[petepie2]

:iagree: Hearing "e-luh-men-tare-y" makes me bonkers. I've only ever heard two people say it with 5 syllables so it is something foreign to me.

 

That pronunciation would probably catch my ear, too...especially, the "tare" part....the five-syllable version I usually hear is "el-uh-men-tuh-ree" with the schwa sound and the 'men' syllable stressed....

[Carpe]

:lol:

 

My kids and I go around with this. I can't stand when they say mis-chee-vee-ous. There's no VEE in there!!!!!

 

It also drives me nuts when people say "pitcher" when they are talking about a photograph. It's pic-ture, people, pic-ture!!!

 

I do the opposite, I call pitchers pictures. I have no idea why. I notice the difference when other people say them, my siblings all say it correctly (and my father did when he was alive), but my mom and I don't. It annoys DH to no end, so I call them jugs now. :D

[Mothersweets]

e-luh-men-tree

 

Well, I've been saying it wrong all these years! It's that darned "a" - why is it there anyway?

[Janie Grace]

I pronounce it the way you do... don't like the extra "vee" either. I also say sher-bet. I used to say "sherbert" but realized at some point that I was pronouncing it wrong, so I switched.

 

My pet peeve is "real-a-tor." REAL-tor, people. REAL-tor.

 

My dh also says "jew-la-rey" for jewelry but that just makes me laugh. Because he's so darn cute.

[Teachin'Mine]

I say mis-chee-vee-us while I'm eating my sherbert. :D

 

I think I can hear Anglea Landsbury saying it the other way in Murder She Wrote, but I'm not sure. :)

[Teachin'Mine]

My dictionary says 5 syllables is acceptable, but it does have the extra schwa sound in parentheses.

 

Our local weather lady always says temper-uh-ture (not cher, but ture). That grates but I think it's probably correct. I always just say temp-ruh-cher. *sigh*

 

I've always misprounced "prerogative" too. I say "per-rog-uh-tive" (per, not pre).

 

Oh no - I prounounce this incorrectly too.

 

How about library? Anyone say lie-berry?

[newlifemom]

Thank you ladies! Now I can tell my dh that these boards have a purpose other than to waste my time. You all are teaching me the proper way to pronounce words. We have had conversations about all of these words and I say them all wrong. :rolleyes:

[silliness7]

I went back and forth between the two until a couple of years ago. I guess it was a book on tape that set me straight. And it does make sense that vous would NOT say vi-us. But I recently learned that victuals is pronounced vittles. So really, anything is possible. :001_smile: Now if I could figure out how to say ROUTE - root or rowt? I can't decide and I waffle depending on my mood.

 

ETA: The one that grates on my nerves is Valentime with an m.

Edited July 22, 2011 by silliness7

[Ester Maria]

Mischievous is with 3 syllabes.

Elementary with 5 (eh leh MEN tuh ree).

 

What irks ME is dilemma or dioxide pronounced with long I. I do not know what on Earth makes you guys think it is nicer to pronounce those words with Greek iota with a long I. Included the name itself, when you pronounce eye-ota. Makes my skin crawl.

Or when you do the same thing with bi-: bilingual, bipolar, bi-whatever. WHAT ON EARTH are you thinking by pronouncing that I as eye rather than ee?! Yeah, I know it is technically correct in English, but seriously, why cannot you just assimilate a normal pronunciation from Romance languages?!

 

You successfully ruined Latin AND Greek that you managed to assimilate into your language. :glare:

[Pretty in Pink]

I pronounce the word miss-cha-vus.

[Night Elf]

You successfully ruined Latin AND Greek that you managed to assimilate into your language. :glare:

 

But language changes within a population over time. That is the study of linguistics. It happens in every language all over the world. In some places it takes a very long time, but changes actually do happen. I believe English has been the most rapidly changing language. I think it makes perfect sense that distortions occurred during development.

 

I believe I read that Shakespeare created words for his own use. (ooh, I found a cool website that talks about that: Shakespeare Resource Center.) I looked online to find a modern day conversation translated into Shakespearean (am I using that word correctly?). This is really funny.

 

Modern day: Tim: Hey Ryan. What's going on?

 

 

 

Translated into Shakespearean: All hail, Good Ryan! Our parting hast been not long, yet thy face seems doubly so. Prithee, answer, my friend., what news have ye to tell, …or, far better for thee, NOT to tell?

 

 

Modern day: Ryan: Not Much

 

 

 

Translated into Shakespearean: ‘Tis only the measure of thy good sense …or wit. Thou, tailor, makest for thyself the fitting garb

.

 

 

I found it at: Yahoo Answers Obviously this isn't serious. It's quite funny actually. Conversations look like they would take much longer. :tongue_smilie:

 

What country do people pronounce bi as bee: beepedal, beepolar, beecycle? I have never heard of such a pronunciation.

[silliness7]

Mischievous is with 3 syllabes.

Elementary with 5 (eh leh MEN tuh ree).

 

What irks ME is dilemma or dioxide pronounced with long I. I do not know what on Earth makes you guys think it is nicer to pronounce those words with Greek iota with a long I. Included the name itself, when you pronounce eye-ota. Makes my skin crawl.

Or when you do the same thing with bi-: bilingual, bipolar, bi-whatever. WHAT ON EARTH are you thinking by pronouncing that I as eye rather than ee?! Yeah, I know it is technically correct in English, but seriously, why cannot you just assimilate a normal pronunciation from Romance languages?!

 

You successfully ruined Latin AND Greek that you managed to assimilate into your language. :glare:

 

Are you hot and grumpy today too? ;)

[Ester Maria]

What country do people pronounce bi as bee: beepedal, beepolar, beecycle? I have never heard of such a pronunciation.

Italy. :001_smile:

 

Bipolare, bilingue are pronounced with bee.

 

Sorry, I just hijacked a thread to rant a little. :D I know that English is very logical in its own way, I just have this particular pet peeve.

 

I pronounce it bye too, though, in English. I just dislike it.

[Ester Maria]

Are you hot and grumpy today too? ;)

:blush:

 

Sorry. Could not resist.

I am off for a vacation soon though. :tongue_smilie:

 

ETA: I really have nothing against the English language, I swear. I love Milton. And Melville. English good.

Now, if you only pronounced that bi- and di- the way I want it... Just that one small thing...

ETA2: Okay, I will shut up.

Edited July 22, 2011 by Ester Maria

[stripe]

Only if I'm making a pun about rodents.

[AHASRADA]

I say "MIS-chif-us". I have heard the other pronunciation, and it doesn't sound wrong, just more formal, perhaps British.

[stripe]

[

Or when you do the same thing with bi-: bilingual, bipolar, bi-whatever. WHAT ON EARTH are you thinking by pronouncing that I as eye rather than ee?!

Did you know that bees are beesexual?

 

Just let me be, while I ride my beecycle.

 

...Makes me feel like I'm being followed by a swarm of hornets!

[Excelsior! Academy]

I'm from the south and ya'll don' wanna know all the stuff we pernounce wrong. :D

 

 

It is sher-bet with no 2nd r. I have noticed it misspelled on a sherbet carton, though. I wondered if it was a new product.

[kiana]

I'm from the south and ya'll don' wanna know all the stuff we pernounce wrong. :D

 

 

I bet you write with a pin!

 

(good-humored teasing intended) :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I say "mischievous" twice - once with a vee and then again after I correct myself. I'm a work in progress. . .

[Debbi in Texas]

I work in Dairy and Frozen at a grocery store and we sell more orange SherbeRt than any other flavor.

 

Dh says birFday-drives me crazy. He learned libRary from me. I am still working on birthday.

 

What up with all the "anyways" that I am hearing?

[3peasinapod]

:leaving:

 

I do say it the wrong way! I have never looked at it that closely before, and I can see that it should be 3 syllables without a dictionary. Okay, I am definitely saying it correctly from now on! :lol:

[3peasinapod]

I'm from the south and ya'll don' wanna know all the stuff we pernounce wrong. :D

 

 

It is sher-bet with no 2nd r. I have noticed it misspelled on a sherbet carton, though. I wondered if it was a new product.

 

All of the cartons I see are sherbet, not sherbert. Do they spell it different in other regions? DH says sherbert, and I always point out to him that there is no r in the 2nd syllable. I think I know everything. :glare:

[Abigail4476]

I pronounce it as "mis-chev-ee-us" even though I know how to pronounce it correctly. It's really hard to break the habit. Also, when I do remember to pronounce it correctly, other people (such as my husband, mother or friends) correct me and say, "miss-CHEEEEEEEE-vee-us." :glare: Or they might say, "What did you just say? Misscheeveeus?"

 

Sherbet...*sigh* My mother always said "sherbert" and I try to lose the "r" but it rarely comes out right. Shur-Burt. LOL!

 

I did NOT know that "vittles" and "victuals" were the same word. :001_huh: I learn new things on this forum every time I log on. :001_smile:

[Kathleen in VA]

I went back and forth between the two until a couple of years ago. I guess it was a book on tape that set me straight. And it does make sense that vous would NOT say vi-us. But I recently learned that victuals is pronounced vittles. So really, anything is possible. :001_smile: Now if I could figure out how to say ROUTE - root or rowt? I can't decide and I waffle depending on my mood.

 

ETA: The one that grates on my nerves is Valentime with an m.

 

I learned victuals was pronounced vittles a few years ago and it really surprised me. Or should I say I learned "vittles" was spelled victuals - because I don't remember ever seeing it, only hearing it. That's a particularly weird one for me.

 

On the same order of Valentime, how about "medium strip" for the cement down the center of the road. AACCKK!!

 

Mischievous is with 3 syllabes.

Elementary with 5 (eh leh MEN tuh ree).

 

What irks ME is dilemma or dioxide pronounced with long I. I do not know what on Earth makes you guys think it is nicer to pronounce those words with Greek iota with a long I. Included the name itself, when you pronounce eye-ota. Makes my skin crawl.

Or when you do the same thing with bi-: bilingual, bipolar, bi-whatever. WHAT ON EARTH are you thinking by pronouncing that I as eye rather than ee?! Yeah, I know it is technically correct in English, but seriously, why cannot you just assimilate a normal pronunciation from Romance languages?!

 

You successfully ruined Latin AND Greek that you managed to assimilate into your language. :glare:

 

While watching British movies (All Creatures Great and Small for instance) I've heard vitamins and privacy pronounced with a short i - it sounds humorous to my ear. I think maybe British English and American English differ a lot when it comes to the letter i.

 

I say "mischievous" twice - once with a vee and then again after I correct myself. I'm a work in progress. . .

 

:) I say lots of words twice for the same reason. Just keep learning, just keep learning....

[stripe]

While watching British movies (All Creatures Great and Small for instance) I've heard vitamins and privacy pronounced with a short i - it sounds humorous to my ear. I think maybe British English and American English differ a lot when it comes to the letter i.

 

You could not pay me to say " shedule " or "ma-toor" (mature) . Blech.

 

Victuals being "vittles" disturbs me. Vittles sounds like cat food.

 

I am beeside myself that no one cared for my puns. Ester Maria, I am counting on you.

[EmilyinND]

I pronounce it the way you do... don't like the extra "vee" either. I also say sher-bet. I used to say "sherbert" but realized at some point that I was pronouncing it wrong, so I switched.

 

My pet peeve is "real-a-tor." REAL-tor, people. REAL-tor.

 

My dh also says "jew-la-rey" for jewelry but that just makes me laugh. Because he's so darn cute.

 

:iagree:Yes! "Pitcher" also bothers me (for picture) My in-laws call the middle bin in their cars a "council" It's a console! Biggest pet peeve, though is orientating or orientated.

[stripe]

:iagree:Yes! "Pitcher" also bothers me (for picture) My in-laws call the middle bin in their cars a "council" It's a console! Biggest pet peeve, though is orientating or orientated.

 

For me, it's 'to gift' and 'to service' ( a customer ) instead of give a gift and serve.

[EmilyinND]

How 'bout "warsh" & "gahr-un-tee":001_smile:

[LizzyBee]

I say it with 3 syllables.

 

May I add to your list of pronunciations that bug others? Elementary with 5 syllables.

 

Hmm, http://www.dictionary.com and http://www.merriam-webster.com both have the 5-syllable pronunciation first, which means it's the preferred definition. I say it with 5, but just barely; the last two are kind of but not completely squished together.

 

I say mischievous both ways. I guess it just depends on my mood.

 

My pet peeve is ideal for idea. They are two entirely different concepts!

Edited July 22, 2011 by LizzyBee

[Night Elf]

Italy. :001_smile:

 

Bipolare, bilingue are pronounced with bee.

 

Sorry, I just hijacked a thread to rant a little. :D I know that English is very logical in its own way, I just have this particular pet peeve.

 

I pronounce it bye too, though, in English. I just dislike it.

 

Wow, that's cool. I had no idea! I would be embarrassed to come across an Italian person and tell them they are pronouncing the words wrong. :tongue_smilie:

[mommymilkies]

I say it both ways. It depends on what I am talking about and to whom I am speaking.

[GailV]

How 'bout "warsh" & "gahr-un-tee":001_smile:

 

Since we moved to St. Louis we've said "warsh" so many times (in a fit of native-speak) it's starting to come naturally. :tongue_smilie: Pronouncing 40 as "farty" still takes some effort, though.

 

My pet peeves revolve around people using the incorrect names for plants, particularly impatiens and peonies. But I realize I'm in my own little world with that.

[Mrs Twain]

My husband says, "mischeeeeeevious," especially emphasizing saying it incorrectly on purpose. I think that was how they said it on the old Batman t.v. shows.

 

He also likes to say, "Zebbra" with a short e for zebra, vitamins with a short i, and other British pronunciations just to be silly. I think that comes from his dad.

 

My mom grew up in Ohio and always says "warsh" instead of wash. I can take the mischeeeeevious, zebbra, vittamins, and most else like that, but warsh and Warshington, D.C. just get me like somebody scraping the blackboard with his fingernails.

[Bassoonaroo]

Yea, the victuals/vittles thing is weird, but I guess we're used to Wednesday being "winsday" and colonel being "kernel."

 

I work in an old-timey shop and we sell sarsaparilla soda. You never say the r (actually if you look it up, saying the /r/ is part of the second pronunciation). We just say "Sas puh rill uh." That works.

 

And it tastes good too.

[Cinder]

Mischievous with 3 syllables. Elementary with 4, though dh says it with 5. Sherbet with one R, not two. But we never eat the stuff so we rarely ever have to bother. One ds gets completely annoyed hearing ar-tic for arctic. I just looked it up on Merriam-Webster and it's a second pronunciation, but I'm sure he'll never accept that. ;)