Words you didn’t realize your family mispronounced

[TippyThomas]

Growing up in a family that mixed Pennsylvania Dutch and English, I would say we mispronounced more words than most. It took me a long time to relearn many English words so that I could say them correctly. I still live in the general area so I don't get as many strange looks as I would if I was more removed so I guess that's a good thing.

 

[RedAngie]

Growing up we had steam heating and my parents called it the radiator (rah-Dee-ay-tor), but then I learned it’s supposed to be pronounced ray-Dee-ay-tor.

Yes, the rah-dee-ay-tor ray-dee-ates heat.

I grew up pronouncing the first syllable the same as in radical.

 

[MamaMermaid]

My mom is from WV and her mom is from PA so we've got a lot...

Creek (we say "crick") and divorce (I have no idea what is wrong with my pronunciation but everyone says I say it wrong, lol) are probably the most glaringly obvious ones.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Growing up we had steam heating and my parents called it the radiator (rah-Dee-ay-tor), but then I learned it’s supposed to be pronounced ray-Dee-ay-tor.

I believe that’s regional. Are you from the outer boroughs of NYC or Long Island? My parents also always said radiator with the first syllable as rad, to rhyme with gladiator. (not ray like radio). I now say it both ways interchangeably. And I’ve heard some people distinguish the pronunciations between a radiator in a home vs. a radiator in a car.

 

[DeeBee3]

I have issues with the word "palm." I am told you are supposed to really include the L sound, but it is so hard for me to do. I usually say more like "pom." For instance, Palm Beach = Pom Beach. My mouth just cannot make this sound.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Another one common in the NYC region is pronouncing pecan as PEE-can. Apparently most everywhere else, it is puh-CAHN.

 

[maxaroni]

I had a relative that said PITza for pEEza. (From Hazelton, PA) A former boss said ZIT ti for ZEE ti. (From New Orleans)

A name that is not mispronounced but it is to me, lol. I knew several Marcia’s, as in Marcia Brady, and pronounced Marsha. One person I met pronounces her name, Marcia as Mar see a.

 

[JFDIS]

Across. Apparently everyone in my immediate family says ‘acrost’. I had no idea until my husband pointed it out. He still reminds me there is no T.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

Caramel - I say "car-mul" instead of "care-ah-mel".

Our - I've recently noticed that I say the word "our" as "are" - I don't emphasize that last "r".

Rural - I can't seem to say it properly - it comes out "rule" every time.

 

[Moliphino]

I have issues with the word "palm." I am told you are supposed to really include the L sound, but it is so hard for me to do. I usually say more like "pom." For instance, Palm Beach = Pom Beach. My mouth just cannot make this sound.

Nah, it's pom. Palmer is Pommer.

 

[Christine]

I am a DC native and that includes my parents and aunts/uncles. Grandparents are from New England.

I grew up with my mother and aunts and uncles saying "Warshington DC." They also don't "wrestle" they "rassle." I do not say the words the same (I do say Washington and wrestle). My mom also says "TUES-DEE" "WEDSDEE" instead of TuesDAY or WednesDAY.

 

[JimMIA]

I met a Chinese-American legislator once who used to say: "You are surprised I speak your Rangredge. But you see, I was educated at UCRA!"

 

[Skippy918]

I believe that’s regional. Are you from the outer boroughs of NYC or Long Island? My parents also always said radiator with the first syllable as rad, to rhyme with gladiator. (not ray like radio). I now say it both ways interchangeably. And I’ve heard some people distinguish the pronunciations between a radiator in a home vs. a radiator in a car.

Yup! Brooklyn.

Another one I have heard that’s regional are:
Marry
Merry
Mary

In the northeast, each of these are pronounced differently and the rest of the country pronounces them the same.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Yup! Brooklyn.

Another one I have heard that’s regional are:
Marry
Merry
Mary

In the northeast, each of these are pronounced differently and the rest of the country pronounces them the same.

I pronounce those the same, and live not too far south of Boston - but I grew up in western NY.

 

[mumto3girls]

My parents grew up in Pittsburgh and I started out until 8 in Pittsburgh. Good grief, everything my mother says is pronounced wrong.

She still warshes her clothes.

Yep. Both sides of my family have been in Western PA for generations—most in Pittsburgh. My children still think it’s hilarious that my mom one time told one of them not to worry about a spill on a tablecloth because it was “worshable”.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Another one I have heard that’s regional are:
Marry
Merry
Mary

In the northeast, each of these are pronounced differently and the rest of the country pronounces them the same

LOL, that could be a whole other thread! (Has been discussed here many times.) Definitely regional, though not really the northeast as a whole, mostly only the NYC and Boston metro areas.

To me, marry/merry/Mary are three distinct vowel sounds: short A, short E, and long A, respectively. The trouble is that it’s nearly impossible, especially in writing, to explain this to someone who hears them the same. I’ve tried.

 

[Moliphino]

LOL, that could be a whole other thread! (Has been discussed here many times.) Definitely regional, though not really the northeast as a whole, mostly only the NYC and Boston metro areas.

To me, marry/merry/Mary are three distinct vowel sounds: short A, short E, and long A, respectively. The trouble is that it’s nearly impossible, especially in writing, to explain this to someone who hears them the same. I’ve tried.

I can sometimes hear a difference when other people speak, but it takes a lot of effort to pronounce them differently, so it sounds very forced if I try.

 

[bethbuchall]

LOL, that could be a whole other thread! (Has been discussed here many times.) Definitely regional, though not really the northeast as a whole, mostly only the NYC and Boston metro areas.

To me, marry/merry/Mary are three distinct vowel sounds: short A, short E, and long A, respectively. The trouble is that it’s nearly impossible, especially in writing, to explain this to someone who hears them the same. I’ve tried.

I can hear the difference, but I didn’t know that people pronounced them differently until I was in college. I pronounce them all the same (long A as your Mary), though, I can pronounce them the way that you wrote. It doesn’t sound right to my ears when I pronounce them differently.

 

[chickapin parterre]

Kenny rogers song....Lucille "crops in the fields" my siblings and I always said "Kroffts" in the field....our last name....because we got in trouble playing in the wheat fields.

 

[BayouQueen]

Caramel - I say "car-mul" instead of "care-ah-mel".

Our - I've recently noticed that I say the word "our" as "are" - I don't emphasize that last "r".

Rural - I can't seem to say it properly - it comes out "rule" every time.

I still wonder about caramel. Everybody says "car-mul" corn. But then when talking about a sauce or something they might say care-ah-mel. That's a weird one.