• Doubletwist@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I’m almost 50 and recently learned I’ve been pronouncing two words wrong.

    • “Template” as ‘tem’ + ‘plate’ (like a dish) instead of ‘tem’ + ‘plet’ (like ‘let’)

    • “Opacity” saying the middle ‘a’ like ‘hay’ instead of like ‘math’.

    That one I was SURE I was right when my wife told me, so I asked my Google home mini: “Hey Google, how do you pronounce the word ‘opacity’?” (Pronouncing it my way), and to prove that Google has a mean sense of humor, (and I swear this is true) responded with “Guacamole”. My wife has not let me live that down.

      • Hadriscus
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        8 months ago

        Siri, set guacamole to 50%. Hmmm, that’s better. Now zoom in on that reflection. Enhance. Add some oignons. Theeeere we are. Our murderer, ladies and gentlemen

    • DrMango@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Wait until you find out that primer, as in a small tutorial or short teaching material, is pronounced with a short i sound like is found in “fin,” “mix,” and “fringe.”

      Primmer.

      That one really boiled my noodle recently.

      • force@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        that’s an american thing, i don’t think it’s standard in UK english to pronounce “primer” as in an introductory text differently from “primer” as in a substance used to prime explosives or prime materials for painting

        • evranch@lemmy.ca
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          8 months ago

          Same here in Canada, I’ve never heard “primmer” in my life, they are all pry-mer.

          The fun one here on the Prairies is the name for the black and white sheepdog. Some say call-ie and some say coal-ie. I code switch them depending who I’m talking to, and though I grew up with call-ies I now live in a coal-ie area and that’s become my main pronunciation.

          It applies to many similar words, however I will never strain my pasta with a coal-ander as that just sounds ridiculous to me.

          • Hadriscus
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            8 months ago

            in french we usually say “border” for collies. It’s possible because “border” doesn’t mean anything else

    • Pandawhiskers@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      That’s okay. I know how to pronounce famine yet whenever i want to pronounce it it comes out as fa-Mayn. It really adds to my illusion of intelligence 🙄