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Public Speakers! Check Out These Most-Mispronounced Words and Avoid Pronunciation Gaffes.
Author : Carole McMichaels
Public Speakers! Check Out These Most-Mispronounced Words. Yes, it's a living language--English is--but there still remain words whose correct pronunciation is less common than their mis-pronunciation! In addition to giving you the right pronunciation, I'll throw in a simple rule or two so you can figure out others on your own and not be afraid of embarrassing yourself with Pronunciation Gaffes. (As a therapist for thirty-some years, I hate to do this to you--use the "should" word, but I gotta do it here.) A Rule: When you have two "c's" together, the first C is pronounced like a K, the second like an S.
ACCEDE should be ak-SEED
ACCELERATE should be ak-SELL-uhr-ate
ACCESSIBLE should be ak-SESS-i-buhl
ACCESSORY should be ak-SESS-or-ee
ECCENTRIC should be ek-SEN-trik
FLACCID should be FLAK-sid Only when there are double S's are they pronounced with only the S sound. i.e. as-SESS. Middle Eastern countries are very much in the news these days. It's nice to pronounce a person's country correctly. In the case of IRAQ and IRAN the I's are not pronounced "eye", but a short i, as in BIT. If you want to get fancy, it sounds both pretty and authentic if you can flip the R. The A's are broad: Iraq is not "eye rack" It is "i-ROCK"; Iran is not "eye ran". It is "i-RON". Here are a few of the words I'm hearing commonly mispronounced:
CANDIDATE is CAN-di-date (Pronounce both D's)
ECHELON is ESH-e-lon
ETC. (etcetera) is eht-SEH-ter-a (No K sound)
NUCLEAR is NOO-klee-uhr (Think of new and clear.)
PATHOS is PAY-thohs (Not thahs.)
PLETHORA is PLETH-or-a
VULNERABLE is VUL-ner-a-buhl (Sound the first L.)
SCHISM is SIZ-em I hope this little foray to the dictionary will give you the confidence to use these very nice words with the certainty that you're pronouncing them correctly.  http://ezinearticles.com/members/mem_pics/Carole-McMichaels_24571.jpg" border="0" alt="Carole McMichaels - EzineArticles Expert Author"> Carole McMichaels, Speaker, Coach, Author: "Fearless Public Speaking: How to Get Rid of Your Stage Fright and Prepare and Deliver a Winning Presentation", invites you to join her free newsletter on speaking in public. You may also get your free report, "7 Valuable Tips on Writing a Mind-Gripping Speech". http://www.getridofpublicspeakingfears.com Related articles
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