Today, I have learned a lot of "big" words from reading so much, but can actually only pronounce about half of them correctly. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, I found out that I have Dysarthria, a condition where you can't pronounce certain words. I can't even pronounce the condition. FML
Today, while reading out loud in front of my entire class and teacher, I learned that I can't pronounce the word 'success'. It came out as 'sex', and when I tried to correct myself more slowly (multiple times), it came out 'sexsex'. FML
Today, I was reading a picture storybook to a kindergarten kid. She could pronounce more words than me, and corrected me. I'm about triple her age. FML
Today, I learned that I've been saying a word wrong my whole life and all my friends have been too polite to correct me, when I found out that "Segue" and "Segway" are pronounced the same. FML
Today, I went to a fancy restaurant and couldn't pronounce any of the menu items. FML
Today, I found out that I've been pronouncing "quinoa" wrong for years. FML
Today, I have laryngitis and can’t speak at all. I went to make myself some breakfast and my mom kept asking me questions, to which I replied with nods and head shakes. She said, in a condescending voice, that I need to use my “big girl words” and will keep using her “baby voice” until I do so. FML
Today, I've gotten so used to people mispronouncing my last name, even after I correct them a gazillion times, I've lost the motivation to correct anyone on it anymore. At this point I'd probably faint from shock if someone who isn't related to me successfully pronounced it correctly. FML
Today, while not feeling well at work, I had to finish up some papers. I was so out of it, I couldn't remember how to spell my name. I had to improvise by pronouncing each syllable of my name out loud. My boss now thinks I'm a dumbass. FML
Today, I found out the German I've been learning for nearly a month is a dialect only spoken by people in a small area of the country. This means I'll need to re-learn most of what I thought I knew. FML
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Top comments
ActionFearo 39
I wish there was some device to pronounce words for us, maybe an online source of some mysterious origin, Idk. Guess we're out of luck for now.
christiee 10
I think anyone who teaches themselves new words by reading shouldn't be embarrassed by other people's reactions because they can't pronounce them correctly. At least those people are going out there and teaching themselves something new, and heightening your knowledge isn't something anyone should be making fun of.
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Comments (92)
ActionFearo 39
I wish there was some device to pronounce words for us, maybe an online source of some mysterious origin, Idk. Guess we're out of luck for now.
AKGirlinSD 20
I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not. My sarcasm meter has been off lately. Anyhow, the Dictionary app pronounces the words. I will gladly admit I use it to make sure new words (new to me, at least) are pronounced correctly.
beybmoo 15
Dictionary.com actually does pronounce the words for you online. Try it.
ActionFearo 39
Is that on the internets? Y'all be gettin fancy on me now.
Fuaaad1994 31
There's an app for everything!
AriettaX 15
use the voice option on google translate
tj4234 36
You know, with regional differences those apps aren't necessarily reliable. For example, look at the difference between the American and UK pronunciations of the word dynasty.
Meettitan 14
Maybe OP should take up phonetics.
JJ_86 22
Great, now you made OP more frustrated on how to pronounce phonetics.
skittyskatbrat 19
Which is handy IF you are reading online or near a computer, and aren't trying to remember the word hours or days later to look it up. Not always convenient. And there's always the words that LOOK easy to pronounce, like facade, but are freakin' weird due to a foreign origin!
GamerG0DDESS 29
22, except a brain!
RandomMishaps 14
Better than not learning "Big" words.
sayyestothedress 24
Someone has a mouthful!
Rayth 19
Don't most online dictionaries nowadays have a voice over to show how its pronounced?
Bibliovore 26
They do -- but most people don't bother to look up a word if its meaning is clear from context, especially if they first encounter the word as a kid while reading an interesting book that they don't want to leave to go look something up. (I've been in the same boat as OP.)
dustin007 15
Well at least you're not dyslexic
ActionFearo 39
Well at least she doesn't have gangrene
laden_swallow09 35
At least she doesn't have any children locked in a cage in the basement.
sweetnsourrr 11
Wait..you're not suppose to lock your children in a cage in the basement?
acedriver98 8
I didn't know that either I guess they re free now
gracehi 33
Just tell people you're foreign. You'll be smart AND exotic. What a sexy combination!
MisterEx 28
As a foreigner myself, I'll share a personal dirty secret of mine with you. I had troubles pronouncing the word foreign itself, so I used "mi no sbeak veri englizia" instead. Needless to say, it did add a lot to my charm and exoticness. Yes.
MisterEx 28
Actually, now that I think about it, I still do! Fo-ren? Fo-rin? Fo-reen? Fo-rain? Fo-re-jin? Fo-ri-gan? Fus-ro-dah? Potato? The possibilities are endless! Curse you Internet for teaching us non englizians to write English like Shakespeare and speak it like a boiled egg!
gracehi 33
I pronounce it "FAR-in" but that's just me being all north American. Btw, you're funny. :P
kingdomgirl94 29
I say it like Four-In
Soulsbane96_fml 11
I pronounce it almost exactly like the word foreign
False_Stupidity 42
I say it like fo-ren. It just goes to show that there really isn't a right way.
Nyx7 24
I think I prefer the fus ro dah
mathsgeek69 8
Maybe you should try reading Dr. Seuss? I'm sure it will make you will feel a lot smarter
christiee 10
I think anyone who teaches themselves new words by reading shouldn't be embarrassed by other people's reactions because they can't pronounce them correctly. At least those people are going out there and teaching themselves something new, and heightening your knowledge isn't something anyone should be making fun of.
Brandi_Faith 34
I agree. When I read on my iPhone or Kobo I am always looking up words. I find there are a lot of words I know, but I don't really know the definition of and couldn't explain it well if I were asked about it. I think it's good to gain more knowledge and understanding of things. Op, when I highlight the word and the dictionary tell me what it means I usually try and read the pronunciation (which is usually right beside the word full of dashes and letters) and I can usually get the gist of the pronunciation from that. When in doubt, ask someone.
JMichael 26
welcome to the club!
Raptorix2012 17
You're not alone, OP. I have the same problems like you do. At least you know some big words.
onlychildFTW 34
Same here. If it wasn't for special Ed in school Id still be in grade 5. lol. Don't worry OP. I was in grade 8/9 and reading at a kindergarten level. You can get better with practice. It just takes effort and sounding it out. :)
jackycat 17
I don't think you understand the problem. OP understands the words because they figured them out from context clues in the books. They don't know how to pronounce the words in conversation.
Alikgentry 8
agreed
tony1891 22
supercalifragisticexpealidoucious.
akorpija 12
Jesus! That's a long word!
Bibliovore 26
Even though the sound of it is really quite atrocious, if you say it loud enough you're apt to sound precocious...
starcaller17 16
Unless you hate musicals, #29
Alikgentry 8
missed some letters in there. ;)
GamerG0DDESS 29
What's "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis" in German? (pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest English word and it is joked that all English words are elongated when translated into German).
blackonblight 33
It's supercalifragilisticexpalidocious, if I can remember back to 2nd grade properly. More than 15 years ago.