I can write quite fluidly…words can just flow….but when it comes to actually speaking, sometimes I can get rather tongue tied.
There are some words that for whatever reason, my brain will not process and I just can’t seem to say them!
Yet English is my first…and only…language!
So for My Friday Five this week, I have put together a list of words that cause problems for me and my brain…
Aptitude (ap-ti-tood)
What it means : capability; ability; innate or acquired capacity for something; talent
No idea why this one causes me trouble, but it does…I get stuck in the middle for some reason and then try to add another syllable!
Defibrillator (dee-fahy-bruh-ley-ter)
What it means: a device for arresting fibrillation of the atrial or ventricular muscles of the heart.
I don’t think I am the only one who has trouble with this word…there was an ad on a local radio station about defibrillators, and the guy speaking never quite said it correctly…which means I have no hope.
I have to resort to the good old Aussie way of shortening the word…”defib” I can handle!
And thankfully, I have never had to use one!
Caricature (kar-i-kuh-cher)
What it means: a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things
I had forgotten about this one, until I had to attempt to say it the other day…I gave up…
Phenomenon (fi-nom–uh-non, -nuh n)
What it means : a fact, occurrence, or circumstance observed or observable
I have trouble spelling this one, let alone saying it.
When the movie “Phenomenon” starring John Travolta in 1996, I was totally unable to pronounce it!
And I still can’t all these years later!
Encephalopathy (en-sef-uh–lop–uh-thee)
What it means : any degenerative disease of the brain, often associated with toxic conditions
This is a horrible condition, often associated with liver disease, but thankfully my husband never experienced it, even when he was at his sickest before transplant.
Which meant I never had to actually say it…which was good…because I can’t!
You try…I dare you!
Are there any words you struggle with? Please share in the comments below!