pronunciation - What words are commonly mispronounced by literate people who read them before they heard them?



Quite a few words are mispronounced by under-educated people, or people learning English as a second language. Some words are often mispronounced by quite educated people who read, and began reading high-level literature before they heard the vocabulary spoken.


This can lead to a vocabulary dissonance, occasionally leading to the belief that there are two words (the known spelling of one, and the verbal hearing of the same) where only one exists. Epitome is a common example that springs to mind.


Answer with a word and its proper pronunciation (and potentially, the commonly mistaken punctuation).




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