PRONUNCIATION PUZZLES

From Nike to Plato: 11 Commonly Mispronounced Words and Names

Credit: Joao Tzanno

You are very likely to be unknowingly mispronouncing some words in your vocabulary. But that’s true for most people, and it is perfectly fine! English is a language characterized by its phonetic inconsistencies, and having a ton of loanwords that often retain their original pronunciations also doesn’t help. So, there is really no other way to learn than to look for the correct pronunciation somewhere else.

Check out our list of 11 commonly mispronounced words, names, and brands; you might find a few surprises!

Credit: redcharlie

Don't say:porsh

Say:por-shuh

Porsche, the epitome of luxury automobiles, is sort of a tongue twister for many. Pronouncing it porsh' may be a common pitfall, but the correct rendition of the brand is por-shuh. The name pays homage to its founder, Ferdinand Porsche, and mastering this pronunciation is your ticket to sounding like a true automotive aficionado.

Credit: Paul Steuber

Don't say:nyke

Say:nai-kee

You might think that after years of intense advertising campaigns, this would be a no-brainer, but many people still have problems with this one. The swoosh that adorns athletic apparel worldwide belongs to Nai-kee, not Nyke. Pronounce it correctly and honor the Greek goddess of victory, after whom the brand is named.

Credit: Dyana Wing So

Don't say:loo-is vee-ton

Say:loo-ee vuh-taan

The luxury brand demands an elegant pronunciation, mirroring the sophistication of its iconic handbags and accessories. However, being a foreign name, it is quite understandable to not get this one right at first. It's not Loo-is Vee-ton, but rather Loo-ee Vuh-taan. Unless you are a French speaker, knowing which vowels and consonants are silent and which are pronounced can be quite confusing.

Credit: Jametlene Reskp

Don't say:tenant

Say:teh-nuht

It is surprisingly common to confuse tenant (meaning occupant) with tenet (principle). Countless examples of this mistake can be found in literature, official documents, and on national television. Even former president Barack Obama mispronounced the word during one of his public speeches. To avoid this confusion, remember that tenet only has one n, don’t throw any more in!

Credit: Tommy Lisbin

Don’t say:granite

Say:gran-tuhd

Definitely, don’t take this word for granted! Unless you are making a geological pun, the correct pronunciation will always be gran-tuhd. Although it seems easy to realize that these are completely different words, in normal speech we tend to leave some consonants out, leading to many confusing mix-ups. Both in granted and granite, the final d and t sounds are - more often than not - not fully pronounced, resulting in very similar pronunciations.

Credit: Dagmara Dombrovska

Don’t say:kway

Say:kee

A quay (also called a wharf) is a structure built next to water with the purpose of loading or unloading cargo or passengers from ships. If you happen to work in a harbor or are planning to take a cruise soon, remember to say kee instead of kway. While it might feel counterintuitive, this has to do with the French origin of the word.

Credit: Kelsey Todd

Don’t say:war-chester-shire

Say:wu-stuh-shr

The savory sauce in your pantry need not cause pronunciation strife. It's not war-chester-shire nor war-sester-shire, but rather the succinct wu-stuh-shr. Named after a county in England, it might help to remember that "Worcester" actually sounds like wooster, and the shire suffix is just sher. Nail this culinary tongue-twister to impress your next dinner guests!

Credit: Brooke Cagle

Don’t say: eh-nee-wayz

Say: eh-nee-way

Easy word, eh? Well, not so much. In everyday speech, many people tend to add a gratuitous s at the end of the word. And there is certainly no s in anyway, so don’t even try to argue this one. That being said, it is somewhat accepted in informal settings, and some linguists think that it might be a heritage from Old and Middle English, where it was common to end adverbs with an -s, like in always.

Credit: Victor Freitas

Don’t say: for-tay

Say:fort

Meaning a person’s strong suit or most developed skill, forte (pronounced fort) is often confused with the musical term forte (pronounced for-tay), a dynamics marking found in sheet music that means that a certain passage should be played loudly. Unless you are a student at Juilliard, you are not likely to be using the latter meaning very often. This word is also derived from the French word fort, literally meaning "strong."

Credit: Johnny Cohen

Don’t say:seen

Say:shawn

Whether it's Sean Connery or Sean Bean, the name is pronounced shawn. It does not follow the rules of English pronunciation, though, so if you happen to live under a rock and never heard the name before you would be excused for not getting it right the first time. This is because Sean is an Irish adaptation of the French name Jean, also rendered as John in English. Knowing that these three are all essentially the same name can be quite helpful in remembering how to pronounce them correctly.

Credit: Raphael, Public domain

Don’t say:play-toe

Say:plat-own (maybe)

Technically, the correct pronunciation of the great philosopher’s name would be something like plat-own, as it is closer to how it was pronounced in Ancient Greece. But Americans have grown to prefer play-toe (like playdough), and most would probably try to correct you if you said it any other way. So, you are on your own with this one, depending on how pedantic you want to sound.