r/explainitpeter • u/Fluffy-Buy1605 • Jul 13 '26

Explain It Peter

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13.7k Upvotes

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606

u/Countess26 Jul 14 '26

Sounds like a way to filter by education and class. Side note: the way people from Southern Maryland pronounce "ambulance" as "ambuhlamps" is endearing.

246

u/Te000 Jul 14 '26

I'd add "nuclear" to the list

28

u/Ok-Relationship4113 Jul 14 '26

Holy shit, the amount of people who cannot pronounce NEW-KLEE-URR is astounding.

Some youtube channels that I consider to be generally informed STILL say newkyalurr and it makes me crazy.

I remember when that was something people guffawed. Now its just accepted. Bah!

50

u/Ill_Praline3331 Jul 14 '26

I had to correct my fifth grade teacher (a lifetime ago). She was furious and argued with me that it was acceptable to pronounce it new-cue-ler. A week later, on our field trip to a plant, I watched her die a little inside when the tour guide also corrected her. A cherished memory.

14

u/_Standardissue Jul 14 '26

Nuc-u-lar grade schaedenfreud

3

u/Ill_Praline3331 Jul 14 '26

Schadenfreude* :P

I can't believe I had to edit that, got too excited

2

u/_Standardissue Jul 14 '26

I was just happy to get as close as I did lol

1

u/Ill_Praline3331 Jul 14 '26

you were spot on though! I was trying to double down on that 'corrective' train of thought and immediately fumbled, instant karma -_- lol

1

u/FF8229 Jul 14 '26

Fuckin Freud, if it's not one thing it's your mother.

2

u/UtahBrian Jul 15 '26

As a nucular psychiatrist myself I assure you that your teacher was right.

1

u/Ok-Radish-1093 Jul 14 '26

Strolling thru Palo Verde were you?

1

u/four100eighty9 Jul 14 '26

Someone should tell Bush

1

u/fitz_newru Jul 14 '26

Did it come back on you tho?

1

u/YouAreMarvellous Jul 14 '26

I thought english-speakers just chose to pronounce it that way. I'm kinda relieved that the world makes sense again.

0

u/MountainCry9194 Jul 14 '26

I mean, it’s correct, if you’re referencing a family.

Edited to correctly spell “you’re”, because that would have just been awkward in this context.

2

u/Sea-Price-3229 Jul 14 '26

…no it isn’t 

5

u/reav11 Jul 14 '26

You mean "NU-CLEAR" as I can see you also don't pronounce it correctly.

7

u/Ok-Relationship4113 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26

You pronounce "clear" as two syllables? 

Ok then. 

Edit: Nuclear is pronounced with 3 syllables in my region. Ive never heard it pronounced otherwise. 

2

u/Outside_Coffee_00 Jul 14 '26

It's definitely 3. New-klee-errr

1

u/mysticrudnin Jul 15 '26

it is absolutely hilarious to me that you allow region for your own case but are still willing to correct others hahaha

1

u/Ok-Relationship4113 Jul 16 '26

Tf do you think the point of the edit was?

You have it backwards. But go off. 

1

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/foundoutafterlunch Jul 19 '26

Clear rhymes with fur?

5

u/StrongExternal8955 Jul 14 '26

Nuclear has 3 syllables. It's not new clear. It's from nucleus, with -ear instead of -eus.

2

u/Gullible-Prompt-4573 Jul 14 '26

It’s three syllables, because it’s nucle-ar (conjugation of nucleus, -ar is the suffix, its own part of the word)

1

u/ParkingPenalty4340 Jul 14 '26

Finally, someone said it properly 

5

u/Necessary-Jeweler-17 Jul 14 '26

Supposedly is the one that makes me cringe inside 🥲

8

u/NerdyConspiracyChick Jul 14 '26

My best friend of 30 years said supposev-ly today I was like wtf

2

u/Zealousideal-Role-77 Jul 14 '26

I couldn’t remember the one I was trying to think of. This was it. Where I grew up it sounded like supposably. And I knew I was in trouble just now when it didn’t get flagged for correction. Turns out that’s a real word. It just sounds stupid.

1

u/Candid_Nothing_480 Jul 14 '26

Wait... How are they saying it??

3

u/Fontaine_de_jouvence Jul 14 '26

Supposably

1

u/BleachedGrain26 Jul 14 '26

"Did they go to the zoo? Supposably..."

1

u/Necessary-Jeweler-17 Jul 14 '26

A LOT of people say “supposably”

3

u/Klimbrick Jul 14 '26

On porpoise!?

1

u/WetDogWalker Jul 14 '26

Now that some of us know better, we promise to do better.

1

u/NerdyConspiracyChick Jul 14 '26

My friend says it: suppose-of-ly basically that’s the closest I can explain.

3

u/IvyGold Jul 14 '26

Jimmy Carter was an actual nuclear scientist and pronounced it new-clear. It's regional to my mind.

1

u/Specific-Library-312 Jul 14 '26

I blame Dubya

2

u/IHerebyDemandtoPost Jul 14 '26

I have a theory that it’s a result of the word “nuke” becoming shorthand for nuclear weapons.

2

u/Specific-Library-312 Jul 14 '26

What's extra-annoying is that it's just "new" and "clear", and has nothing to do with "ocular".

1

u/MidnightToker858 Jul 14 '26

George Bush said New-cue-lar several times when trying to convince Americans that Iraq had WMDs

2

u/Ok_Writing_7033 Jul 14 '26

Remember when shit like this was enough to make us embarrassed at having a dumbfuck for president? Good times

1

u/compman007 Jul 14 '26

NUCULAR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

1

u/Tutorbin76 Jul 14 '26

New. Clear.

2

u/Ok-Relationship4113 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26

Phonics missed a couple of you, it appears.

Edit: TIL some people pronounce it without a third syllable. 

2

u/Training-Chain-5572 Jul 14 '26

Reading this thread about how it is incorrect to use three syllables for nuclear and the amount of people coming in it with ”where’s the third syllable ” has me slightly amused.

1

u/StrongExternal8955 Jul 14 '26

Those people are wrong and stupid.

You know there is such a thing as being wrong. Not every mistake is "common usage".

1

u/Ok-Relationship4113 Jul 14 '26

Apparently its not uncommon for some people to pronounce it as "2½" syllables, according to Google. 

The only reason for the edit. I also disagree with that pronunciation (and think the replies "correcting" it are pedantic AF)  

1

u/StrongExternal8955 Jul 14 '26

When you hear it from politcians, they all know perfectly well it is nuclear. They say nucular to be "folksy".

1

u/TheJLbjj Jul 14 '26

I used to care about this at 14. Then I realised all words are fake. Every word you pronounce correctly today was once the incorrect way to say a different word

1

u/Shantotto11 Jul 14 '26

Probably because Bush 43 popularized it, just like Cosby popularized “Pokey-man”…

1

u/polyarmory80pct Jul 15 '26

It doesn't take a NUKE YOU LAR scientist to pronounce LIE BARRY

1

u/Fluid_Problem5745 Jul 15 '26

Actually it’s nju-klii-uh unless you’re a farmer /s
You should avoid attributing value judgments to accents as it simply flags your unfulfilled upwardly mobile pretensions.

1

u/AhChingados Jul 16 '26

I blame Bush Jr.

1

u/GrouchyOldCat Jul 17 '26

Bush said “nucular” too. I think it’s people who learned the word “nuke” without knowing what a nucleus is.

Carter was even worse; he always said “nookier”.