nouns - What is the correct pronunciation and spelling of "asterisk"?


Every now and then I get caught out by a spellchecker around the word asterisk.


I can accept that this is the correct spelling, however I hear a lot of people pronouncing it as asterix also.


Is it just me and this is a gradual changing of the word and most people are doing it or am I hearing things because I make the mistake myself?


Is the popularity of Asterix the Gaul responsible for this mispronunciation and spelling or is it due to natural changes that happen in any language?



Answer



It is not just you, and it is a fairly common error in pronunciation in many parts of the English-speaking world.


Here is an interesting usage note on asterisk from the New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd Edition on my computer):



Avoid pronouncing this word |ˈastəˌriks| or |ˈastəˌrik|, as many regard such pronunciations as uneducated.



and a related one from the Oxford Dictionaries Online:



Even though asterisk does not look like a tricky word to pronounce, it can be problematic. In both its singular and plural forms , it is often mispronounced as if it ends with -rix. Pronounced correctly, it ends with a -risk sound when singular and -risks when plural



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