Is It Ever OK to Correct Someone’s Pronunciation?

If you said pronounced the words supra arsenic duh-trai-tus, ti-nuh-tuhs, and chaach-kee, good done. You nailed it. If not, you’re not alone. A caller study conducted by Preply recovered that 44% of radical person mispronounced oregon misused a operation for much than a twelvemonth earlier uncovering out. The aforesaid survey recovered that 8 successful 10 “get annoyed erstwhile they perceive a connection oregon operation utilized incorrectly.” That you? Because it’s me.

However, bash I spell astir correcting the mispronunciations? Unless it’s my hubby oregon kids, no. I take life. And to beryllium a polite, non-pedantic person, generally.

But successful Preply’s survey, 66% of respondents said it was OK to close idiosyncratic (even if they weren’t asked to bash so) and 87% person corrected someone’s pronunciation, with 1 successful 5 having corrected a stranger. There was immoderate discrepancy betwixt generations with 69% of millennials believing that correcting idiosyncratic is acceptable, portion lone 56% of babe boomers felt the same. (Which begs the question: What astir Gen X? But we digress.)

Why you shouldn’t close someone’s English

Don’t you conscionable emotion erstwhile you’re doing thing to the champion of your quality and someone—who you whitethorn not adjacent know—unsolicited, tells you the “right” mode to bash it? Even amended erstwhile this is successful beforehand of other people, oregon during an argument. Which brings maine to the archetypal crushed not to close others’ pronunciation: It’s rude.

There are galore reasons idiosyncratic mightiness beryllium pronouncing a connection otherwise than prescribed by the dictionary. There are determination and acquisition differences, dialect variations, and the information they whitethorn beryllium a non-native speaker. We recognize the impulse to close truthful they won’t marque the aforesaid mistake again, but earlier you do, consider: How volition you consciousness if you embarrass that person, oregon if it damages your relationship? Are you dying to close them to beryllium helpful, oregon to show immoderate benignant of linguistic superiority? (Be honest.)

Is it ever good to close someone’s English?

Of course, determination are exceptions. If you’re a teacher, it’s wrong your purview to close pupil mistakes; you wouldn’t beryllium doing your occupation if you didn’t. Similarly, parents are expected to close their kids’ mispronunciations truthful their offspring tin spell retired into the satellite without dropping F bombs erstwhile they mean to accidental “fork.” (Here we indispensable adhd a enactment of nostalgia-based caution: Little ones volition lone accidental things similar “blankely” for broad and “Huncheys of Oats” alternatively of Honey Bunches of Oats for truthful long. For maximum cuteness, close these sparingly, if ever.) Also, beryllium mindful of over-correcting your children to the constituent of it eroding their confidence.

In the workplace, determination are times pronunciation warrants correction; for example, erstwhile proprietary bundle is being mispronounced, oregon if your co-worker keeps saying “escape goat” successful lawsuit presentations. When a malapropism reflects poorly connected the radical arsenic a full (or you’re that person’s manager), close privately and without condescension.

Sometimes, radical mightiness beryllium looking to larn and volition really inquire for the feedback. In which case, you tin surely supply it. But unless you hear, “How bash you accidental that again?” deliberation doubly earlier saying, “Actually, it’s...”

And lastly, if you haven’t corrected a subordinate of your birth, adopted, oregon chosen family, are you adjacent truly family? When you unrecorded with people, there’s an implicit level of familiarity and honesty that trumps politesse. I volition admit I sometimes I close my hubby simply due to the fact that he’s truthful well-versed successful subject and history, I indispensable flex my chokehold connected connection being my thing. But also? I can’t person him retired successful the satellite saying “Kye-osk” alternatively of “kee-osk.” We person a household sanction to protect.