A blog on the idiosyncrasies of today’s fast-moving, social-media-driven language managed by 20-year-plus public relations writer Joseph Priest. l write “e-mail” with a hyphen, detest the word “issue,” and abbreviate “microphone” as “mike.” Got a language question? Bring it on.
Recent Posts
Pronunciation Poise: Aunt
With all the aunts out there, you would think we would have arrived at a standard pronunciation for this word by now.
Pronunciation Poise: February
Saying the date has never been any harder.
Pronunciation Poise: Short-lived
Let’s bring a traditional pronunciation back to life.
Pronunciation Poise: Asterisk
Such a tiny symbol causes such huge confusion.
Pronunciation Poise: Forte
Should “forte” be pronounced as a French word or an Italian word?
Pronunciation Poise: Vice Versa
Is “vice versa” correctly pronounced as it looks? Or is there more to saying this word?
Pronunciation Poise: Orangutan
“Uh-rang-uh-tan,” “uh-rang-uh-tin,” “uh-rang-uh-tang” or “uh-rang-uh-tun”? The pronunciation for this one isn’t easy.
‘A Historic’ or ‘An Historic’?
Want some controversy? Choose if “a” or “an” is the correct article to use before “historic.”
Pronunciation Poise: Coyote
This word has a strange spelling, and an even stranger pronunciation. See if you know it.