mispronounce
Butcher a word
To mispronounce a word is to say it incorrectly, either by stressing the wrong syllable, using the wrong vowel or consonant sounds, or otherwise deviating from accepted pronunciation.
What counts as mispronunciation depends on context—regional accents aren't mispronunciations, but saying "nuclear" as "nucular" is widely considered one.
I always mispronounce her last name.
People often mispronounce unfamiliar words they've only encountered in writing.
Severely damage or distort
- butcherOne who sells cuts
- garbleDistort into confusion
- flubClumsy error
- stumbleLose footing momentarily
blunder · mistake · slip · gaffe · blooper · fumble · misspeak · malapropism
Regional language variety
- foreignFrom another nation
- accentRegional speech pattern
- twangSharp vibrating sound
- regionalismLocal area favoritism
vernacular · non-native · anglicize · stress · inflection · intonation · cadence · lilt
Formal speaking skill
- dictionChoice of words
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
- articulationClear vocal expression
- phonicsSound-based reading instruction
phonetics · drill · practice · coaching · clarity · accuracy · remediation · repetition
Hereditary family identifier
- ethnicOf a cultural group
- place-nameGeographic location's title
- unfamiliarNot previously known
- exoticStrikingly unusual, foreign-seeming
spelling · respelling · asking · apologize · correct · identity · respect · offense
mangle
Severely damage or distort
stumble · blunder · mistake · slip · gaffe · blooper · fumble · misspeak · malapropism · tongue-twister
dialect
Regional language variety
regionalism · vernacular · non-native · anglicize · stress · inflection · intonation · cadence · lilt · brogue
elocution
Formal speaking skill
- dictionChoice of words
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
- articulationClear vocal expression
phonics · phonetics · drill · practice · coaching · clarity · accuracy · remediation · repetition · modeling
surname
Hereditary family identifier
- ethnicOf a cultural group
- place-nameGeographic location's title
- unfamiliarNot previously known
exotic · spelling · respelling · asking · apologize · correct · identity · respect · offense