Mary Scanlon wants to know! If one friend says Ne-veah-dah and the other “Ne-vah-dah” (Duo’s a toe-mah-toe guy), when is it okay to correct the other person?
Our editorial board seemed to agree that the intent provides an important piece of the puzzle.
What do you think – when is it okay to correct a friend?
Alix says
It’s really never OK to correct a friend, adult or child. When someone mispronounces a word, like the word “jicama,” which is correctly pronounced “hick a ma” you just use the word correctly yourself, and they will pick up on it.
No one likes to be corrected, it’s embarrassing!
Harlan Brothers says
Yes, intent is a huge piece of the equation.
Certainly, “correcting” someone is substantially different from sharing knowledge or a different perspective. The other considerations are “delivery” and what is meant by the term “friend.” To begin by saying “The correct pronunciation is…” is quite different from “I’ve often heard it pronounced…” or “I never know whether to say…”
As for the subject of friends, within my own circle of true friends, we never have reason to hold back when it comes to getting a finer or more complete appreciation of language (or anything else!). An acquaintance, however, requires greater circumspection.