PRO-NUN-CI-A-TIONWhat are the correct pronunciations for the words below? The answers might surprise you. If you pronounce them differently, don't worry-many people do. But here is how they were orginally meant to be pronounced 50, 100, or 200 years ago - and, according to the dictionary, still should be.
- STATUS: "stay-tus"
- TRANSIENT: It has two syllables not thress, so it's "tran-shent," not "tran-zee-ent."
- APPLICABLE: The first syllable is the one that should be emphasized, as in app-lic-able, rather than app-lic-able.
- Valet: It's not a French word, so pronouncing the last syllable as "ay" is incorrect. It should be sounded as "val-it" (Another fake French word: foyer, which is pronounced "Foy-ur," not "Foy-ay")
- SPHERICAL: "sferr-i-kal," not "sfeer-i-kal."
- EITHER: "Eee-thur" or "aye-thur?"? "Eee-thur" is the preferred way. (And so is "nee-thur.")
- PRELUDE: "pray-lood" is the incorrect; the proper pronunciation is "prel-yood."
- FORTE: If you're discussing someone's "forte," as in a strength, the "e" is silent. "For-tay" is correct only if you're using it as a musical term.
- DECREASE: If you;re using it as a noun, it's de-creased. If you're using it as averb, it's de-creased.
- ERR: Rhymes with "hair?" No, it rhymes with "her."
- CARAMEL: "Kah-ruh-mull" is the original way and still the preferred way, although "Kar-mull," which was once Midwestern regional pronunciation, is also acceptable.
- GALA: "gay-luh"
- MAUVE: It once rhymed with "stove," but now the "au" is sounded as "aw."
- REGIME: The first syllable is sounded as "ray."
- JOUST: In the 13th century, it was pronounced (and spelled) like the "just."
- LONG-LIVED: Today we say the "lived" as "livd," but until the 20th century, it was pronounced "lyved."
- QUASI: Today it's often pronounced "kwah-zee," but it's more correct to say "Kway-zi."
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