|
| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
| A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996. |
| Page 215 |
asterisk | |
This word is properly pronounced ( s’t -r sk´´). The pronunciation (s’t-rks´´), which is frowned on in educated speech, illustrates a linguistic process known as metathesis, which refers to a transposition of sounds, syllables, or words in a particular sequence. | 1 |
| More at metathesis. | 2 |
athlete | |
The pronunciation (th’-l t´´) is an example of intrusion, a phonological process that involves the addition or insertion of an extra sound within a word or between words in speech. Most people pronounce athlete (th’lt´´), with just two syllables. | 3 |
| More at intrusion. | 4 |
auxiliary | |
| The pronunciations (ôg-zl’y-r) and (ôg-zl’-r) are probably the most common. Other acceptable pronunciations are (ôg-zl’-r´´), (ôg-zl’--r), and (ôg-zl’r). | 5 |
banal | |
Here’s a word whose pronunciation vexes just about everyone, including our Usage Panel. In a recent ballot, 46 percent of the panelists preferred the pronunciation (b-nl’), rhyming with canal; 38 percent said they used (b ’nl), rhyming with anal; 14 percent said (b-näl’), second syllable rhyming with doll; and 2 percent used (bn’l), rhyming with panel. In this situation, there really is no right or wrong choice. Use any of the first three and you will have lots of company. | 6 |
barbiturate | |
Originally this word had its main stress on the third syllable (bär´´b-t r’t, -t´´, -tyr’-), a pronunciation that is still used sometimes in medicine. As the word passed into the general vocabulary the stress shifted to the second syllable (bär-bch’r-t, --rt´´), bringing the stress pattern more in line with words like acculturate and saturate. Either way is considered correct now. Since at least the early 1960s the pronunciation (bär-bch’-wt), without the second r, has been considered nonstandard despite the fact that many people pronounce the word that way. | 7 |
blackguard | |
| This rather old-fashioned and now chiefly literary word dates back to the 16th century when it was spelled and most likely pronounced as two distinct words and probably referred literally to a guard of soldiers or perhaps some kind of attendants. By the 18th century the two words had become a hyphenated or a solid compound with the meaning “scoundrel.” As the two parts of the compound lost their separate meanings, so they eventually lost their separate pronunciations. Blackguard is pronounced (blg’d) in British English and (blg’rd) or (blg’ärd´´) in American English. | 8 |
boatswain | |
Usually pronounced (b ’sn), this word, like blackguard, has a pronunciation that is not easily predictable from the spelling. But whereas blackguard is never pronounced as two words, boatswain is often pronounced (bt’swn´´)—by landlubbers, of course—and that is not considered incorrect. | 9 |
| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
| CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD · WORD INDEX · SUBJECT INDEX | ||||
 | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| Click here to shop the Bartleby Bookstore. | ||||
| ||||
| Welcome · Press · Advertising · Linking · Terms of Use · © 2008 Bartleby.com | ||||
