Every-Day Errors of Speech Part 13

nor sot'to vo'se.

=Souse=--souss, not sowze. To plunge into water.

=Spasmodic=, not _spasmotic_.

=Spectacles=--spek'ta-kls, not spek'tik'els.

=Spermaceti=--sperm-a-se'ti, not sperm-a-cit'y.

=Spider=, not _spiter_.

=Splenetic=--splen'e-tic, not sple-net'ic. Fretful; peevish.

=Spoliation=--spo-li-a'tion, not spoil-a'tion.

=Spurious=--spu'ri-ous, not spur'i-ous. =Spuriously= (spu'ri-ous-ly), etc.

=Statical=--stat'i-cal, not sta'ti-cal. Pertaining to bodies at rest.

=Stationery=, not _stationary_, when paper, envelopes, ink, etc., are meant.

=Statue=, not _statute_, when a carved image is meant.

=Statute=, not _statue_, when a law or decree is meant.

=Stearine=--ste'a-rin, not ster'in.

=Stereoscope= (ste're-o-scope), =Stereotype= (ste're-o-type), etc., according to Webster; and ster'e-o-scope, ster'-e-o-type, etc., according to Worcester.

=Stolid=--stol'id, not sto'lid. Stupid; dull.

=Stratum=--stra'tum, not strat'um. =Strata= (stra'ta), the Latin plural is used much more than the English =stratums=.

Errors like "a _strata_ of gravel," are also not infrequently heard.

=Strategic=--stra-te'jik, not strat'e-jik. =Strategical= (stra-te'ji-cal) and =strategist= (strat'e-jist).

Worcester gives stra-tej'ic and stra-tej'i-cal.

=Strum= or =Thrum= should be used, and not _drum_, when the noisy and unskillful fingering of a musical instrument is meant.

=Stupendous=--stu-pen'dus, not stu-pen'jus nor stu-pen'de-us.

=Suavity=--swav'i-ty, not swav'i-ty nor suav'i-ty.

=Subtraction=, not _substraction_, when the act of deducting is meant. =Substraction= is a law term meaning the withholding of some right, for which, however, the word _subtraction_ is also used. =Subtract=, not _substract_.

=Subtile=--sub'til, not sut'tle.

=Subtle=--sut'tle, not sub'tle.

=Suffice=--suf-fiz', not suf-fis'.

=Suicidal=--su-i-si'dal, not su-is'i-dal. Worcester placed the princ.i.p.al accent on the first syllable.

=Suite=--sweet, not sute. When the word =suit= is used, however, the latter p.r.o.nunciation is correct.

=Sulphurous=--sul'phur-us, not sul-phu'rus nor sul-phu're-us. =Sulphureous= is another word.

=Summoned=, not _summonsed_.

=Supersede=, =superseded=, =superseding=. Observe the s in the penultimate. It is a common error to write _supercede_, etc.

=Supposit.i.tious=--sup-pos-i-ti'shus, not sup-po-si'shus.

Put by a trick in the place of another, as, a _supposit.i.tious_ child, a _supposit.i.tious_ record.

=Surtout=--sur-toot', not sur-towt' nor sur'toot.

=Swath=--swawth, not swawthe. Worcester gives swoth. The sweep of the scythe in mowing.

T.

=Tabernacle=--tab'er-na-cle, not tab'er-nak'cle.

=Tapestry=--tap'es-try, not ta'pes-try.

=Tarlatan=--tar'la-tan, not tarl'tun. =Tartan= is a different material.

=Tarpaulin=--tar-paw'lin, not tar-po'lin. Written also =tarpauling= and =tarpawling=.

=Tartaric=--tar-tar'ic, not tar-tar'ic. Pertaining to or obtained from tartar, as _tartaric_ acid.

=Ta.s.sel=--tas'sel, not taw'sel. Worcester gives tos'sl also.

=Tatterdemalion=--tat-ter-de-mal'ion, not tat-ter-de-mal'ion.

=Telegraphy=--te-leg'ra-phy, not tel'e-graph-y.

=Telegraphist=--te-leg'ra-phist, not tel'e-graph-ist. A telegraphic operator. No such word as _telegrapher_ is given.

=Terpsich.o.r.ean=--terp-sik-o-re'an, not terp-si-ko're-an.

Relating to =Terpsich.o.r.e= (terp-sik'o-re), the muse who presided over dancing.

=Tete-a-tete=--tat-a-tat', not teet-a-teet.

=Theatre= or =theater=--the'a-ter, not the-a'ter.

=Threshold=--thresh'old, not threz'old nor threz'hold. Worcester gives thresh'hold.

=Thyme=--tim, not as spelled.