100 Words Almost Everyone Mispronounces »

The Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries and of other reference titles published by Houghton Mifflin Company are trained lexicographers with a varied array of interests and expertise. Most of the editors hold graduate degrees and have studied at least one foreign language. Several have degrees in linguistics or in the history of the English language. Others have degrees in science or sometimes other disciplines. All the editors familiarize themselves with the vocabulary in specific subject areas, collect materials on new developments and usage, and work in association with consultants to ensure that the content of our publications is as accurate and as up-to-date as possible.

New to the best-selling 100 Words series: 100 pronunciation pitfalls and how to talk right through them

Have you ever been told that a certain word you have been using is correctly pronounced in a different way? And what about those words with more than one pronunciation—does it matter which one you use? Will your pronunciation sound silly?

This latest installment in the best-selling 100 Words series, 100 Words Almost Everyone Mispronounces, settles the score on 100 controversies and misconceptions about words with difficult or slippery pronunciations.

Selected by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, these words are tongue twisters of a different kind. Each word is presented in dictionary format, with a note explaining the pronunciation problem, how it arose, and why it is controversial.

Here are but a few of the questions this book answers: Does the word dour rhyme with sour or tour? Which syllable is properly stressed in harass and desultory? Is there a final ay sound in cadre, forte, and lingerie?
Why do people put an extra syllable in words like mischiev(i)ous and triath(a)lon? Should it bother us when presidents and generals say nucular?

Fun to read and informative as well, 100 Words Almost Everyone Mispronounces is bound to appeal to anyone who doesn’t want to be the center of attention for the wrong reason.