Susie Dent asked people about the excruciating times they mispronounced a word in public – 17 of the funniest and most unfortunate
10.
As I kid I pronounced ‘Penelope’ as I would ‘envelope’ and ‘antelope’. Did so for years, until I finally met a real-life ‘Penelope’!
— Gigs (@AndrewGigacz) December 9, 2025
11.
There’s a company and product called Xpelair. Ventilation. Always thought it was pronounced ‘zeppelair’, didn’t twig the ‘expel’ meaning.
— London Historians (@LondonHistorian) December 9, 2025
12.
Municipal- as a child, I saw this word and thought it said monkeypunctual – henceforth became a family word so there were monkeypunctual car parks, monkeypunctual courts etc.
— sara h (@lifeatthenest) December 9, 2025
13.
‘Jodhpurs’, when I was a little girl reading stories about ponies and gymkhanas. I thought it was pronounced ‘jod-hoppers’, which made perfect sense to me as they were worn for hopping over fences.
— Elaine McColl (@EMMMcColl) December 9, 2025
14.
Paradigm: until I heard it, I thought it was paradiggum… pic.twitter.com/X4dKS71Lm9
— Michael O’Sullivan (@michaelwriter1) December 9, 2025
15.
It’s an oldie but a goodie: hyperbole. I still read it as hyper-bowl.
— Mind your language (@KnottyProblemEn) December 9, 2025
16.
Persephone, which I pronounce Percy-Phone, to gales of laughter from the teacher. I was probably eight at the time. Never forgotten
— Dutch Uncle (@BslMartyn) December 9, 2025
17.
I’ve just remembered that the first time I saw the word ‘miniseries’, I didn’t read it as ‘mini-series’, I read it to the rhythm of ‘deliveries’ – ‘min-ISS-eriz’.
— Michael Rosen NICE 爷爷 (@MichaelRosenYes) December 10, 2025
Last word to @susie_dent.
I am loving the replies to this. Thanks to everyone for sharing their own epi-fannies. https://t.co/zcoM4Bcur1
— Susie Dent (@susie_dent) December 9, 2025
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Source @susie_dent