Do You Correct People Who Mispronounce or Use a Word Incorrectly?

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by aKula

Marcus Aurelius mentions this in his Meditations. He writes that the best way of making the other person aware of their mistake subtly is using the word correctly yourself.

+1. Emphasis on subtly.

 

[Agnacious]

I would welcome someone correcting me, I wouldn't think they thought much of me if they didn't. Of course there are polite ways of doing so for those you don't know well... if I like them that is.

You people getting your knickers in a bunch sound like a bunch of pissy 18 year old know-it-all's who view the correction as a personal attack. Just because you managed to muddle your way though a sentence and I was able to glean some meaning, doesn't mean I want it as a recurring event.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by randallr

Not you, Rach. Sorry for the confusion.

You were so cute in your lil glasses and pajamas. So cute I almost forgot how douchey you are IRL.

 

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by willpower

The conditions of the pay raise - is that going to be...radioactive?

I'm six feet in heith

I always used to chastise my mom for this, but then I found out that both "height" and "heighth" are acceptable pronounciations.

"For all intensive purposes" seems to be a pretty common malapropism.

 

[forsbergacct2000]

Originally Posted by Egdon Heath

I don't believe that is a complete sentence. It's lacking a subject, as well as ending in a preposition.

Actually "that" is not a complete sentence. It is just a single word.

 

[MsMcGillicuddy]

I'll correct a close friend if what they're saying is something that, if they use it improperly around coworkers / potential employers, will make them look bad. Anything else, whatever.

Except when people misuse the phrase "begs the question." That's a concept from logic; it really doesn't have a place in most regular conversation.

When someone on TV, or in a news article says something like " ... which begs the question: who made the phone call to the police?" I get really annoyed.

 

[JetBlast]

No one can ever pronounce my last name correctly so I correct them there, but otherwise no.

 

[forsbergacct2000]

"Blast" does not seem to allow much room for pronunciation interpretation.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by forsbergacct2000

"Blast" does not seem to allow much room for pronunciation interpretation.

That's because those racist bastards at Ellis Island shortened it when the Blastenowiczichowski's came through.

 

[Egdon Heath]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

That's because those racist bastards at Ellis Island shortened it when the Blastenowiczichowski's came through.

Blastenowiczichowskis does not require an apostrophe.

 

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by Egdon Heath

Blastenowiczichowskis does not require an apostrophe.

Uh oh... it's the grammar pedant showdown!

 

[Egdon Heath]

Originally Posted by forsbergacct2000

Actually "that" is not a complete sentence. It is just a single word.
Actually, in that instance, requires a comma to follow...to indicate both a pause and that it is not modifying that.

 

[Gus]

As someone who mispronounces words, I'm actually glad if someone corrects me so that I get it right next time. Just don't be an ass about it.

 

[dl20]

Never but I hate when people say "irregardless" when they mean "regardless"

dl

 

[Egdon Heath]

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

As someone who mispronounces words, I'm actually glad if someone corrects me so that I get it right next time. Just don't be an ass about it.
You don't mean if, you mean when; and ass, in your context, requires the suffix hole.