I Now Pronounce You "Man" and "Wyfe"

You say, "tuh-MAY-toh," and your husband says, "tuh-MAH-toh." Don't call the whole thing off! Even respected authorities disagree over the pronunciation of many words.

Can you select the pronunciations preferred by most (but not all) pronunciation experts?:

1. demur (to object, take exception to) — a. di-MYOOR; b. di-MUR

2. forte (a person's strength) — a. FOR-tay; b. FORT

3. grievous (causing grief, dire) — a. GREE-vus; b. GREE-vee-us

4. Realtor (a member of the National Association of Realtors) — a. REEL-tur; b. REE-luh-tur

5. niche (a cranny; a suitable area of talent or comfort, or a segment of a market) — a. NITCH; b. NEESH

6. conch (a marine gastropod mollusk or its shell) — a. KAHNCH; b. CONK

7. pastoral (of or relating to rural life, or being a church pastor) — a. pa-STOR-ul; b. PAS-tur-ul

8. sorbet (frozen dessert) — a. SOR-bit; b. sor-BAY

Answers and explanations:

1. b. di-MUR. Here "mur" is pronounced as in "murky," not as in "mural." The adjective "demure" (shy, reserved) is pronounced "di-MYOOR."

2. b. FORT. The musical direction "forte," an Italian word meaning "loudly," is pronounced "FOR-tay," but "forte," meaning "strength," is derived from the French word "fort," meaning "strong."

3. a. GREE-vus. "Grievous" has two syllables, not three.

4. a. REEL-tur. I mispronounced this word for many years.

5. a. NITCH. While both pronunciations are common and acceptable, most authorities prefer "NITCH." Because "niche" entered English from French during the 1600s, they say, its pronunciation has been fully Anglicized.

6. b. CONK. Purists want to conk people over the head for saying "KAHNCH."

7. b. PAS-tur-ul. "Do pastures have stores in them?" the purists angrily ask. "Then don't put a 'store' in 'pastoral'"?

8. a. SOR-bit. The fact that "sorbet" shares the same Turkish root as "sherbet" provides a clue to its historically accurate pronunciation. But because "sorbet" entered English through French, it acquired the fancified "ay" pronunciation that has been adopted by just about everyone. Just as sorbet cleanses the palate, pronunciation experts have tried for decades to cleanse "sor-BAY" from English-speaking palates. Nice try.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to [e-mail] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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