U

upmost

utmost

While this word does indicate that efforts are up, the word is "utmost," a(!) historical variation of "outmost."

V

verbage

verbiage

Here is another word that loses its in speech. Pronouncing it correctly will help you spell it correctly.

tack

If things are not going your way, do not lose your tact梩hat would be tactless梑ut take a different tack.

take for granite

take for granted

We do tend to take granite for granted, it is so ubiquitous. But that, of course, is not the point.

tenant

tenet

A tenant is a renter who may not hold a tenet (a doctrine or dogma).

tenderhooks

tenterhooks

Tenters are frames for stretching cloth while it dries. Hanging on tenterhooks might leave you tender but that doesn't change the pronunciation of the word.

Tiajuana

Tijuana

Why make Spanish words more difficult than they already are? Just three syllables here, thank you.

triathalon

triathlon

sherbet

Some of the same people who do not like two [r]s in their words can't help repeating the one in this word.

silicone

silicon

Silicon is the material they make computer chips from but implants are made of silicone.

snuck

sneaked

I doubt we will get "snuck" out of the language any time soon but here is a reminder that it really isn't a word.

sose

so

The phrase "so as" has been reduced to a single word "sose" even when it is not called for. "Sose I can go" should be simply "so I can go." By the way, the same applies to alls, as in "Alls I want is to never hear 'alls' again."

spade

spay

You can have your dog spayed but so long as she is a good dog, please don't spade her.

spitting image

spit and image

The very spit of someone is an exact likeness. "The spit and image" or "spit image" emphasizes the exactness.

stob

stub

In some areas the vowel in this word has slid a bit too far back in the mouth. Don't choke on it.

stomp

stamp

Stamps are so called because they were originally stamped (not stomped) on a letter. You stamp your feet, too.

suit

suite

If you don't wear it (a suit [sut]), then it is a suite [sweet], as in a living room suite or a suite of rooms.

supposably

supposedly

Adding 杔y to participles is rarely possible, so some people try to avoid it altogether. You can't avoid it here.

supremist

supremacist

realtor

As you avoid the extra vowel in "masonry," remember to do the same for "realtor," the guy who sells what the mason creates.

revelant

relevant

Here is another word that seems to invite metathesis.

reoccur

recur

You don't have to invent a new word from "occur." We already have a verb "recur" that does the trick.

respite

respite

parliament

Although some dictionaries have given up on it, there should be a [y] after [l]: [pahr-lyê-mênt]

perculate

percolate

Pronouncing this word as "perculate" is quite peculiar. (Also, remember that it means ''drip down'' not ''up.'')

pottable

potable

The adjective meaning "drinkable" rhymes with "floatable" and is not to be confused with the one that means "capable of being potted."

perogative

prerogative

Even in dialects where [r] does not always trade places with the preceding vowel (as the Texan pronunciations "differnce," "vetern," etc.), the [r] in this prefix often gets switched.

perscription

prescription

Same as above. It is possible that we simply confuse "pre-" and "per-" since both are legitimate prefixes.

persnickety

pernickety

You may think us too pernickety to even mention this one. It is a Scottish nonce word to which U.S. speakers have added a spurious [s].

preemptory

peremptory

The old pre-/per- problem. Do not confuse this word with "preemptive;" the prefix here is per-.

prespire

perspire

"Per-" has become such a regular mispronunciation of "pre-," many people now correct themselves where they don't need to.

plute

pollute

This one, like "plice" [police], spose [suppose], and others, commonly result from rapid speech syncope, the loss of unaccented vowels. Just be sure you pronounce the vowel when you are speaking slowly. Read here for more on the problem.

(probly, prolly)

probably

Haplology is the dropping of one of two identical syllables such as the [ob] and [ab] in this word, usually the result of fast speech. Slow down and pronounce the whole word for maximum clarity and to reduce your chances of misspelling the word.

pronounciation

pronunciation

Just as "misspelling" is among the most commonly misspelled words, "pronunciation" is among the most commonly mispronounced words. Fitting, no?

prostrate

prostate

ofen

We have mastered the spelling of this word so well, its spelling influences the pronunciation: DON'T pronounce the [t]! This is an exception to the rule that spelling helps pronunciation.

ordinance

ordnance

You may have to use ordnance to enforce an ordinance but you should not pronounce the words the same.

orientate

orient

Another pointless back-formation. We don't need this mispronunciation from "orientation" when we already have "orient." (See also "interpretate")

ostensively

ostensibly

Be sure to keep your suffixes straight on this one.

Ostraya

Australia

other

Misanalysis is a common type of speech error based on the misperception of where to draw the line between components of a word of phrase. "A whole nother" comes from misanalyzing "an other" as "a nother." Not good. Not good.

nucular

nuclear

The British and Australians find the American repetition of the between the [k] and [l] quaintly amusing. Good reason to get it right.

masonry

We have been told that masons are most likely to insert a spare vowel into this word describing their occupation but we know others do, too. Don't you.

mawv

mauve

This word has not moved far enough away from French to assume an English pronunciation, [mawv], and should still be pronounced [mowv].

mannaise

mayonnaise

Ever wonder why the short form of a word pronounced "mannaise" is "mayo"? Well, it is because the original should be pronounced "mayo-nnaise." Just remember: what would mayonnaise be without "mayo"?

miniture

miniature

Here is another word frequently syncopated. Don't leave out the third syllable, [a].

mute

moot

The definition of "moot" is moot (open to debate) but not the pronunciation: [mut] and not [myut].

mis'chievous

'mischievous

lambaste

Better to lambaste the lamb than to baste him梤emember, the words rhyme. "Bast" has nothing to do with it.

larnyx

larynx

More metathesis. Here the [n] and [y] switch places. Mind your [n]s and [y]s as you mind your [p]s and [q]s.

Laura Norder

law and order

The sound [aw] picks up an [r] in some dialects (also "sawr" and "gnawr"). Avoid it and keep Laura Norder in her place.

leash

lease

Southern Americans are particularly liable to confuse these two distinct words but the confusion occurs elsewhere. Look out for it.

libel

liable

You are liable for the damages if you are successfully sued for libel. But don't confuse these discrete words.

libary

library

As mentioned before, English speakers dislike two [r]s in the same word. However, we have to buck up and pronounce them all.

long-lived

long-lived

jewlery

jewelry

The root of this word is "jewel" and that doesn't change for either "jeweler" or "jewelry." The British add a syllable: "jewellery" (See also its spelling.)

jist nor dis

just

As opposed to the adjective "just," this word is always unaccented, which encourages vowel reduction. However, it sounds better to reduce the [ê] rather than replace it with .

in parentheses

No one can enclose an expression in one parenthesis; at least two parentheses are required.

interpretate

interpret

This error results from the back-formation of "interpretate" from "interpretation." But back formation isn't needed; we already have "interpret." (See also 'orientate')

irregardless

regardless

"-Less" already says ''without'' so there is no need to repeat the same sentiment with "ir-."

idn't

isn't

Heimlich maneuver (or manoeuvre, Br.)

This term is mispronounced many different ways. This is just the funniest one we have heard. This maneuver (manoeuvre) was named for US surgeon Henry Jay Heimlich (1920- ).

heighth

height

The analogy with "width" misleads many of us in the pronunciation of this word.

'erb

herb

Does, ''My friend Herb grows 'erbs,'' sound right to you? This is a US oddity generated by the melting pot (mixed dialects). Initial [h] is always pronounced outside America and should be in all dialects of English.

hi-archy

hierarchy

February

We don't like two syllables in succession with an [r] so some of us dump the first one in this word. Most dictionaries now accept the single [r] pronunciation but, if you have an agile tongue, you may want to shoot for the original.

fedral

federal

Syncopation of an unaccented vowel is fairly common in rapid speech but in careful speech it should be avoided. See also "plute" and read more about the problem here.

fillum

film

We also do not like the combination [l] + [m]. One solution is to pronounce the [l] as [w] ("film" [fiwm}, "palm" [pawm]) but some prefer adding a vowel in this word.

fisical

fiscal

In fact, we don't seem to like any consonants together. Here is another word, like athlete and film that is often forced to swallow an unwanted vowel.

flounder

founder

Since it is unlikely that a boat would founder on a flounder, we should distinguish the verb from the fish as spelling suggests.

foilage

foliage

Here is another case of metathesis, place-switching of sounds. Remember, the comes after the [l], as in related "folio."

e'lectoral

The accent is on the second, not the third, syllable and there is no in it?B>not "electorial." (By the way, the same applies to "mayoral" and "pastoral.")

dilate

The in this word is so long there is time for another vowel but don't succumb to the temptation.

cavalry

It isn't clear why we say, ''Mind your Ps and Qs'' when we have more difficulty keeping up with our Ls and Rs. Had there been a cavalry in Jesus' time, perhaps Calvary would not have been so tragic.

cannidate

candidate

You aren't being canny to drop the [d] in this word. Remember, it is the same as "candy date." (This should help guys remember how to prepare for dates, too.)

card shark

cardsharp

Cardsharps probably won't eat you alive, though they are adept at cutting your purse strings.

Carpool tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome

This one is mispronounced (and misspelled) several different ways; we just picked the funniest. Carpal means ''pertaining to the wrist.''

caucaphony

cacophony

There is no greater cacophony [k?kaf阯i] to the ears than to hear the vowels switched in the pronunciation of this word.

The Caucases

The Caucasus

Although there are more than one mountain in this chain, their name is not a plural noun.

chester drawers

chest of drawers

The drawers of Chester is a typical way of looking at these chests down South but it misses the point.

chomp at the bit

champ at the bit

"Chomp" has probably replaced "champ" in the U.S. but we thought you might like to be reminded that the vowel should be [æ] not [o].

close

clothes

The [th] is a very soft sound likely to be overlooked. Show your linguistic sensitivity and always pronounce it.

coronet

cornet

barbituate

barbiturate

Don't forget this word contains three others: bar+bit+u+rate

bob wire

barbed wire

No, this word wasn't named for anyone named ''Bob;'' it should be "barbed wire," although the suffix 杄d, meaning ''having,'' is fading away in the U.S.

bidness

business

The change of [s] to [d] before [n] is spreading throughout the US and when the unaccented [I] drops from this word the [s] finds itself in the same environment as in "isn't" and "wasn't."

a blessing in the skies

a blessing in disguise

across

It is easy to confuse "across" with "crossed" but better to keep them separate.

affidavid

affidavit

Even if your lawyer's name is ''David,'' he issues affidavits.

Old-timer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

While it is a disease of old-timers, it is named for the German neurologist, Dr. Alois Alzheimer.

Antartic

Antarctic

Just think of an arc of ants (an ant arc) and that should help you keep the [c] in the pronunciation of this word.

Artic

Arctic

Another hard-to-see [c]梑ut it is there.

aks

ask

This mispronunciation has been around for so long (over 1,000 years) that linguist Mark Aronoff thinks we should cherish it as a part of our linguistic heritage. Most of us would give the axe to "aks."

athelete, atheletic

athlete, athletic

Two syllables are enough for "athlete."