Mispronunciations That Drive You Nuts

BrandonLPN, LPN · Feb 22, 2015

I ABSOLUTELY agree with this post. I live in a city that is a cultural melting pot. I work with people from Russia, different parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, South America, people from various parts of the USA south, and many people pronounce words differently. I've heard vitals pronounced V-it-als, but does that make it incorrect? Absolutely not! That is how the word is pronounced in her home country.

Well, that IS incorrect pronunciation according to the rules of the English language, but I agree people need to be more forgiving to those trying their best to learn English as a second language.

Learning a second language is difficult for anyone. Don't knock immigrants' accents until you've tried to learn a second language as an adult yourself!

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Feb 22, 2015

Honestly, grammar and spelling bug me more. I'll never understand why some find using "there", "their" and "they're" so difficult. It's really not that hard.
Mispronunciations don't bother me so much. The day I pronounce "metoprolol" correctly will be a happy one.
I'm also guilty of adding that extra u to "nuclear" and of sometimes saying "axe" in place of "ask".
And it was on this very website that I was surprised to be told that one does not pronounce the 't' in "often".

Yes, metotoprolol (for metoprolol) and orinetate for orient are the ones that always clang like an off kilter bell to me...I know, too picky...

guest2314 · Feb 22, 2015

Well, that IS incorrect pronunciation according to the rules of the English language, but I agree people need to be more forgiving to those trying their best to learn English as a second language.
Learning a second language is difficult for anyone. Don't knock immigrants' accents until you've tried to learn a second language as an adult yourself!

Believe me BrandonLPN, I've never tried to correct my coworkers pronunciations who were from Canada, Ireland, and British commonwealth countries such as Australia and South Africa. They have impeccable grammar and they pronounce many words differently.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Feb 22, 2015

Believe me BrandonLPN, I've never tried to correct my coworkers pronunciations who were from Canada, Ireland, and British commonwealth countries such as Australia and South Africa. They have impeccable grammar and they pronounce many words differently.

I agree. But the way British people pronounce the word "privacy" still makes me giggle.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2015

Another one...I was taught that "angina" is pronounced
ann-gin-uh (similar sounding to Angela). Often hear it pronounced as ann-gi-nah (similar to lady parts).

That's regional Latin. I worked west coast and east coast, and I learned to say, "An-JYE-na or ANN-jih-nuh, depending on whether your cardiologist went to Stanford or Harvard."

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2015

Quote

I am interested if people pronounce it LEE vo phed or LEH vo phed

It's leevo-- because it's from the Latin for "left," the opposite of "dextro," "right." (refers to the isomer)(remember when you took Chemistry?)

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2015

cniles said:

Regime. I'm a medical transcriptionist and I hear regime in place of regimen ALL the time. So often that when I hear the word regime used correctly I have to stop and think.

I saw a slide in a writing for publication presentation that showed pictures of regime (a system of government), regimen (a plan of care), and regiment (a large group of soldiers). I hear all three used for the care thing all the time.

Another thing that bugs the crap out of me is the noun "enormity" used for the adjective "enormous." NOT the same thing at ALL. An elephant is enormous, a hernia can be called enormous (it's all in the scale). Guernica was an enormity; Auschwitz was an enormity; the genocide in Rwanda was an enormity.

amoLucia · Feb 22, 2015

Anyone who makes an 'SH' out of an 'S'.......like shtrict instead of strict or shtreet, instead of street. Drives. me. bonkers. What's worse is there is a radio DJ on the local station that talks like this with every 's' word. ugh. It's the little things that will get me in the end.[/quote']This may be an unintentional speech impediment for those with a lisp. My sister had a lisp pronouncing her Ls very funny. She outgrew it.
I'm the only person I know who uses "INs and OUTs' for I & O. People just look at me funny.

morte, LPN, LVN · Feb 22, 2015

OK, how DO you pronounce Atenolol, and Lisinopril?

Tubular litigation, for tubal ligation. I always picture a brass-playing attorney.
For some strange reason, no one can pronounce Lisinopril. Can't even remember how it's mangled.
Attenol for atenolol.
Hyena hernia for hiatal hernia. (Picture laughing hyenas)
"I had my bladder removed" = gall bladder
Colonostomy = colonoscopy
Motrel, moprol = metoprolol
Arthro-scopey for arthROScopy
Linguini hernia for inguinal hernia
(Can you tell that I spend my days on the phone with mis-pronouncing patients?!)

morte, LPN, LVN · Feb 22, 2015

Alls timers for Alzheimer's
I have a family member that pronounces color as keller. We always tease her about it :)
Also have heard idear for idea, warsh for wash, torlet for toilet.....
I'm sure there's more, I'll have to think about it.

most of those are dialectic rather than mispronunciations.

morte, LPN, LVN · Feb 22, 2015

me' to pro lol

Someone mentioned metoprolol....I've always wondered how it's supposed to be pronounced as I hear it both ways all the time.
So is it:
met-oh-pro-lol
OR
meh-tope-pro-lol

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2015

Quote

Someone mentioned metoprolol....I've always wondered how it's supposed to be pronounced as I hear it both ways all the time.
So is it:

met-oh-pro-LOL

OR

meh-tope-pro-LOL

These are identical. Accent is properly on the second syllable, as the "olol" indicating a class of drugs (in this case, beta blockers) is not divisible.