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

[tagutcow]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

I sometimes use it, especially when speaking; I guess I think of it as an emphatic, though apparently it's not really a word.
I also constantly rearrange letters in the words "marriage" and "emperor;" I have no idea why, but it just happens.

Well, "words we have trouble spelling" could be a whole other thread. "Restaurant" give me a great deal of trouble, as does "necessary" (and I've found out I'm not the only one.)

The study of grammatical or lexical errors is actually pretty interesting; there are identifiable reasons for why certain errors occur or why people use words (incorrectly) in certain ways. It rarely has anything to do with intelligence.

There are commonly occuring typographical errors as well;-- "you" for "your" and "hte" for "the".

Of course, it doesn't hurt that "you" and "the" are two of the most common words in English. I've found that once something goes from being a conscious task to an unconscious task, I can get very sloppy. I had a job working at a phone bank, and I had adopted a nom de guerre (as they had advised us to do.) I found after the third or fourth call, reading from the script, I couldn't say this made-up name without extreme slurring. It was like the words were turning to mush in my mouth. Has anyone ever had an experience like this?

 

[binge]

Originally Posted by tagutcow

I've found that once something goes from being a conscious task to an unconscious task, I can get very sloppy.

I've had BJs like that.

 

[Britalian]

An English teacher says 'pronounciation'. Grrrrrrr.

 

[tiecollector]

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.

I'll do this for egregious errors. Otherwise, I don't correct them if I know what they mean.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by remarques

actually I do...and a lot of people hate me for that or do think I am kind of arrogant though I am definitely not! I just pay a lot of attention when it comes to languages and pronounciations because to me it has a high importance and an even higher significance. What is really wrong about that? Absolutely nothing in my point of view.
Why is that, out of curiosity? I find that exactness or correctness often has no real significance whatsoever and changes drastically depending on location (even within a single language). As well, "appropriateness" to situation sometimes contradicts standard grammar or correctness.

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.
I've always heard this called "recasting" in the context of language teaching. I knew it was popular since the 80's in the push for content-based teaching methods, but had no idea Aurelius was practicing it, too.

In any case, it's a good way to give feedback to students in a teaching context, though I don't know if it works as well IRL or with native speakers.

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by forsbergacct2000

Sounds like a good way to piss someone off.

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.

The word off in this instance is not a preposition. It's a verb particle, part of the phrasal verb to piss (someone) off. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Teacher

The word off in this instance is not a preposition. It's a verb particle, part of the phrasal verb to piss (someone) off. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

My only complaint with this, Teacher, is that you didn't add this obligatory smiley:

 

[Teacher]

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

Finally, of those I know who are the most grammatically correct and nitpicky, they also tend to be the least creative and most out-of-touch with reality.

John, did you and I attend the same junior high school?

 

[forsbergacct2000]

Originally Posted by Teacher

The word off in this instance is not a preposition. It's a verb particle, part of the phrasal verb to piss (someone) off. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.


My grammatical reputation has been restored!!!!

A thousand thanks!

 

[rach2jlc]

Originally Posted by Teacher

John, did you and I attend the same junior high school?

Were we on the wrestling team together?

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by willpower

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

If a person says radioactive instead of retroactive, they are, well pretty moronic.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by wahwho11

correct people, best way to make/keep friends.

are you kidding me? I purposely say things incorrectly at times to be 'one of the guys'.

"One of the guys" >>> "that grammar nazi"

 

[videogeek]

I'll pretty much only correct people when they're friends or relatives, or when the misuse occurs in a work setting (like a joint project) where it would reflect poorly on me as well.

 

[Douglas]

My father has gotten to a point in his life where he has begun mispronouncing words he used to pronounce correctly all his life. It drives me nuts, so much to the point that I even went online to see if it was a sign of some neurological disorder or something. I can't think of a good example right now but I will remember and edit my post.

One word I can never get much consensus on is "flaccid." Everything seems to suggest it should be pronounced with a "k" sound in it (think of every other cc word you know) and there's a book of "Beastly Mispronunciations" that mentions it as well, but say flaksid in conversation and everyone will think you are a moron. It doesn't help that this word tends only to come up in loaded situations anyways...

 

[Douglas]

Oh, I remember now - the worst one is that he says "Viagra" like vee-AHH-grah. Which, like flaccid, falls into the awkward category, and is further compounded by the fact that it's my FATHER talking about a drug for ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION.