You're Saying It Wrong

Product Description

For word nerds and grammar geeks, a witty guide to the most commonly mispronounced words, along with their correct pronunciations and pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and histories of use and misuse.

With wit and good humor, this handy little book not only saves us from sticky linguistic situations but also provides fascinating cocktail-party-ready anecdotes. Entries reveal how to pronounce boatswain like an old salt on the deck of a ship, trompe l'oeil like a bona fide art expert, and haricot vert like a foodie, while arming us with the knowledge of why certain words are correctly pronounced the "slangy" way (they came about before dictionaries), what stalks of grain have to do with pronunciation, and more. With bonus sidebars like "How to Sound like a Seasoned Traveler" and "How to Sound Cultured," readers will be able to speak about foreign foods and places, fashion, philosophy, and literature with authority.

Top Reviews

Lagniappe for word nerds - faux pas protection for others!
by BAM, MD (4 out of 5 stars)
March 27, 2017

For word nerds (like me), this short book is a tasty lagniappe. For normal folks, it is an entertaining little book that tells you how to pronounce words that are often mispronounced. Think of it as preventive medicine -- something that keeps you from a linguistic faux pas when you want to sound erudite, or at least educated.

For word nerds, you probably will find about 25% of the book revealing, as you undoubtedly know the pronunciation of many of the entries. But there is value in knowing you've been right all along. And, most of the entries have interesting historical or etymologic notes that make them entertaining and educational, even if you already know how to pronounce the word. You may already know that geoduck is pronounced GOO-ee-duhk, but the salacious origin of the word may have escaped you.

For normal folks, are you tired of not knowing if the file extension .GIF is spoken GIFF or JIFF? Problem solved. Want to avoid embarrassment on a trip to NY City? Learn why "Houston" is not pronounced as in Texas (HEWS-tun) but HOUSE-ten. Bump up your vocabulary from "lazy" to "lackadaisical" and say it correctly (in other words, do NOT say LAX-uh-day-zi-cal). Some words you will rarely encounter; others you will encounter all the time. All share the connection that they are commonly mispronounced. Some examples are: asterisk, boatswain, bruschetta, claddagh, crudites, Dr. Seuss (not Dr. SOOSE after all), draught, haute couture, poinsettia, prerogative, Thames, Tolkien, Wednesday, and yarmulke. You'll learn how to say gyro correctly when you order one. And for those with a supernatural bent, there is an entry on the pronunciation of H.P. Lovecraft's lovechild, Cthulhu.

The book goes beyond individual words and includes some commonly misspoken phrases such as "I could care less" and "daylight saving time" (often misstated as "daylight savings time"). There are sidebars such as "How to sound like you're from across the pond" (British English pronunciations) and "How to sound like a gourmet" that are fun to read.

In sum, a nice little book that will help those who wish to make proper pronunciation their forte. (Which, by the way, is pronounced FORT, not for-TAY. Who knew???)
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A great reference book
by Jean (4 out of 5 stars)
October 11, 2016

The book is written by a brother sister combo Ross and Kathryn Petras, who say they are word nuts. I have been fascinated with words for a long time but I have a problem with pronunciation so thought this book might help me. I purchased it as an e-book as no audiobook was available. This book would be great as an audiobook so we could hear the correct pronunciations.

The author uses humor, puns and word play along with a broad knowledge of language history to make the book fascinating. The words are in alphabetical order. The word that surprised me the most as being mispronounced frequently was "anyway"; according to the authors many people say "anyways". The book will make a good addition to my reference library.

The book is 172 pages and was published on September 13, 2016. I read this using my Kindle app on my iPad.
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ShnarzGrable.
by Happy Camper (5 out of 5 stars)
November 22, 2016

This awesome tome has replaced my Bathroom Reader. I also bring it into bars and laugh hysterically when Bubba flubs the pronunciation of Shakespearean words. I am so popular now, they've asked me to read the selections outside. It's cold tho and no one else is out here so I'm not sure why.
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Funny. An entertaining book filled with fun facts.
by Edna Crabappel (5 out of 5 stars)
December 16, 2016

The book is interesting and funny. I never realized how many words are pronounced incorrectly because our brain switches some letters around, or even inserts letters that were never there. The most interesting are the nautical words and how they are spelled. Completely different. I recommend for trivia buffs and people who like fun facts and historical information around words.
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You're Saying It Wrong
by Deborah A. (4 out of 5 stars)
November 1, 2016

lots of interesting corrections in the book. Very helpful. Just wish there were more
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It's also fun to use in a doctor's waiting room
by M. B Hazen (5 out of 5 stars)
November 18, 2016

What a very interesting book!. I was a broadcaster for many years where some of these mistakes are never corrected. This book should be used as a text book for broadcasters and news writers. It's also fun to use in a doctor's waiting room. No plot but delightful Enjoy!
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So much fun
by JRDallas (5 out of 5 stars)
November 26, 2018

OK, I really giggled over the puns. It was so much fun to find out the words I have been mispronouncing in my zeal to be correct. Certainly not of interest to the masses (too bad), but I certainly enjoyed the book. I'll be referring back to it many times, I'm sure. I can't wait to tease my sister about her mistakes...word nerds run in the family.
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I do - thanks to this great book by the incredibly talented brother/sister writing team of ...
by Kitty (5 out of 5 stars)
October 6, 2016

Humbling and delightful! I've been saying more than a few things wrongs - all of these years - who knew? Well, now, I do - thanks to this great book by the incredibly talented brother/sister writing team of Kathryn and Ross Petras. I'm a big fan of their work but I think this one is m favorite! Especially like the "How to Sound" breaks in the book - particularly the "How to Sound Like an Oenophile - The Seventeen Wines (and One Wine Steward) Most Commonly Mispronounced". Kudos!
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A fun, fun ... And informative book
by Marilyn JL (4 out of 5 stars)
June 20, 2019

I had most of the pronunciations correct--I'm a word nut, too. But some I had no clue & others were a real surprise--they required notation. But the best part of this book is the research into the origins and evolution of the spellings, meanings, and pronunciations of the words.
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For the logophile in your life
by Viewtopia (5 out of 5 stars)
January 22, 2018

Every entry in this wonderful volume is entertaining, informative, and often lyrical. Even experts in the English language will be surprised by some of the pronunciations (and reasons why certain words are pronounced as they are). The researchers themselves sometimes disagree-or yield to popular opinion-as they give readers an education in elocution. Here's to 150 more entries!

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