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news
'The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations'

Pronunciation guide offers reference for verbally-challenged

By Jamie Allen
CNN Interactive Senior Writer

Web posted on: Monday, February 22, 1999 5:29:14 PM

(CNN) -- You say "either" (EE-thur), and I say "either" (EYE-thur). I say "tomato" (to-MAY-to), and you say "tomato" (to-MAH-to).

Who is right? We need to know, because minor mispronunciations can lead to major gaffes in the English language.

Just ask Charles Harrington Elster, a self-described logophile who has contributed his expert opinion to media outlets like National Public Radio and the "New York Times", and is the author of several books on words, words, words. His most recent work is "The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations," a collection of over 1,000 words that are often uttered in a way they were not meant to be uttered.

SAY WHAT?

Listen to how some words should be pronounced:

ACADEMIA
[260k MP3] or [330k WAV]

AGUE
[210k MP3] or [260k WAV]

BOCA RATON
[160k MP3] or [190k WAV]

SOCIAL SECURITY
[120k MP3] or [135k WAV]

FORTE
[150k MP3] or [180k WAV]

CONTROVERSIAL
[135k MP3] or [160k WAV]

KIMONO
[180k MP3] or [220k WAV]

Building a forte

Let's start with the word "forte." You pronounce it "FOR-tay," right? You've probably even seen it spelled with an accent on the "e," making it "for-TAY." Well, Elster says if you pronounce it either way, you're wrong. And the accent that you've seen is the result of you, and people like you, mispronouncing it.

So how is it pronounced? Leave the "e" off -- "FORT." One syllable.

Elster, whose obvious forte is his pronunciation of the English language, says in his book that the word comes from the French language, but was never pronounced in France with the added syllable. The French said "FORT."

According to Elster, the word entered the English language in 1648 as a fencing term meaning "the strongest part of a sword blade." Americans, perhaps trying to be French, pronounced it "FOR-tay," and because so many people now say it wrong, dictionaries even tell us that "FOR-tay" is accepted.

"There is nothing to justify that pronunciation," Elster says, but, "If enough people say it that way, it's going to go in the dictionary."

That's where Elster's book comes in. He bills "The Big Book" as a reference tool that goes beyond dictionary coverage. Each entry is accompanied by the correct pronunciation, common mispronunciations, and brief stories on Elster's research describing why he has found that certain words are pronounced certain ways. Some scholars might debate his choices, but he stands by them.

"If I'm going to subject you to my opinion, then I think you have the right to know all the pertinent facts from which I derive them," he says.

Clinton accused!

Elster, in short, is on a mission to clear up the confusion surrounding the English language. And there is plenty of confusion, involving people from you and me all the way up to the president, who is now accused of butchering the word "social."

"President Clinton can't get his mouth around the word 'social' in the phrase 'social security,' Elster says, claiming Clinton says "SO-suh" rather than the correct "SO-shul." "Now we're hearing more and more people on the (radio and TV) say 'sosuh security.' I think it's fair to say he's leading the charge ... I think we need to save social security for the next generation."

And don't get Elster started on the people who talk to us on radio and TV. Through his research (he is a true wordsmith, penning the book "There's a Word For It" as well writing and narrating "Verbal Advantage," a top-selling vocabulary building audio cassette), Elster makes a habit of noting the verbal errors made by people who talk us through each day.

"Some of the most prominent radio talk show hosts are terrible mispronouncers," Elster says. "Dr. Laura is not someone I would hold up as a role model for speech. Howard Stern is not a radio celebrity because of his superlative pronunciation.

"There are so many sloppy speakers, you can't spit without finding one," Elster says.

'I say 'women's underwear'

You're included in that mix, even though you might not know it. You mispronounce to your boss, your co-workers, and your friends.

Need more proof? Let's discuss another word with French roots. This past Valentine's Day, you might have used the word "lingerie," and you pronounced it the way you knew you were supposed to: "lahn-zhe-RAY." Oui?

No.

It's supposed to be pronounced "lan-zhe-REE," with the first syllable like "land," and the last syllable like "free."

But Elster realizes it's futile to demand correct pronunciation for words like this. Too many people say it the wrong way -- even the folks in Victoria's Secret. Elster is outnumbered.

"I say 'women's underwear,'" he jokes. "That's the solution."

Either, either

It's important to note that even Elster changes his mind on the way certain words are pronounced. He realizes that language is a nebulous beast, constantly altering in form and function.

This "Big Book" is just the latest version of language, filtered through Elster's research. But Elster cautions that we shouldn't accept changes in the way we pronounce words without first asking questions.

"Does this make any sense? Is this something I ought to adopt or resist? How would embracing this reflect upon me? Is this an intelligent thing to do? There are all sorts of questions to ask before jumping aboard linguistic change," Elster says.

So, you say "EE-thur," and I say "EYE-thur." I say "to-MAY-to," and you say "to-MAH-to."

Which one of us is wrong? Neither. Or either. For each word, one is the accepted British pronunciation, the other American.

And not many people know the difference.



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