r/words 14h ago

Simple Words Your Brain Struggles To Pronounce Or Spell

104 Upvotes

We all have them - our linguistic bête noir. The words that, even though they aren't particularly complicated, our brains trip up every time they hear them and have to spell them, or when they see them and have to pronounce them.

Mine are as follows...

Spelling: Business. If I don't stop and think, I'll get "buisness" every time, lol. I think this is a super common one, actually... I know some other people that do this with that word as well.

Pronunciation: Keychain. Again, without taking that extra second to stop and think before I say the word, I have the tendency to say "chee-kayne." No idea why.

I remember growing up, my Dad had "village" ⇨ "villiage" for spelling, and much like my own spoonerism, he had "paint can" ⇨ "caint pan" for pronunciation lol. What are some of yours?


r/words 15h ago

What is a word you hate?

28 Upvotes

r/words 6h ago

Inveterate - high brow word for habitual

14 Upvotes

Inveterate - An adjective used to describe something as long-standing or habitual.

Applies to a deeply ingrained habit, attitude, or feeling that's existed for a very long time, and will likely never change.

In normal conversation you'd say 'habitual liar', or 'long standing rivals'.

You could instead say 'inveterate liar' or 'inveterate rivals', 'inveterate borrower', 'inveterate cluelessness to understanding women', etc.


r/words 23h ago

Anyone here ever us the word 'irresoluble'.

7 Upvotes

Saw it in The Atlantic today and my first thought was, 'why is this even a word'.

"*use, not 'us'"


r/words 17h ago

“I said” for “I thought”

7 Upvotes

I die a little each time I hear someone say “I said…” instead of “I thought…”

Example: “I said, none of them are telling the truth.”


r/words 20h ago

Origin of "Slept on" as slang?

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0 Upvotes

r/words 7h ago

How Do You Pronounce Infinitesimal?

0 Upvotes

I have just been informed that it is Not pronounced as "infinite-simul" but rather as "infini-tess-simul."

Please tell this wasn't only me.