If you read a lot, you probably have an excellent vocabulary. But it also means that you may know a lot of words that you’ve only seen in writing and never heard spoken aloud. Sometimes even common words are easy to misread. Language enthusiasts have coined the term “misle” for a word that leads you to incorrect assumptions about its pronunciation. It comes from the word misled (as in, the past tense of mislead), which many language lovers admit to misreading at one time or another as the past tense of some imaginary verb along the lines of “to misle.”
Some common misles include:
Victuals: VITT-ulz (rhymes with “whittles”) n. Food; specifically, food fit for humans to eat
Biopic: BI-o-pik (portmanteau of “biography” and “picture”; does not rhyme with “myopic”) n. A movie about a person’s life
Ennui: on-WEE n. A pervasive feeling of boredom and dissatisfaction
Quay: KEE n. A structure at the edge of a body of water where boats load or unload passengers and freight
Chaise longue: SHAYZ LONG (not “chase lounge”) n. A type of long, low chair
Debacle: de-BOCK-ul (not DEB-uh-kul) n. A disaster
Desultory: DES-ul-tor-ee adj. Aimless, disappointing, or lacking serious effort
Spurious: SPYUR-ee-us (rhymes with “curious,” not “furriest” ) adj. Inauthentic, untrue, or deceitful
Caramel: KAR-mell, KAR-uh-mell, KEHR-uh-mell (They’re all correct! Just pick your favorite.) n. Candy made from butter, sugar, and milk; a light brown color
What misles have tripped you up? Let us know in the comment section below or via our Facebook or Twitter feeds.
