10 Words You See But Don't Hear
Language lovers are precocious readers and there are certain words we encounter in books before hearing them spoken out loud. Many words in English surprise us with unpredictable syllable stress and vowel sounds; at least today the online dictionary gives us audio pronunciations to help us hear how they sound. Here's a sampling of this bookish vocabulary that is seen more than heard, even by word nerds:
Desultory DESS-ul-tor-ee
"not having a plan or purpose"
Inchoate in-KOH-ut
"not completely formed or developed yet"
Omnipotent ahm-NIP-uh-tunt
"having complete or unlimited power"
Albeit awl-BEE-ut
"even though"
Preternatural pree-ter-NATCH-uh-rul
"very unusual in a way that does not seem natural"
Imprimatur im-pruh-MAH-toor
"a mark of approval or distinction"
Debacle dih-BAH-kul
"a great disaster or complete failure"
Diaspora dye-ASP-uh-ruh
"people settled far from their ancestral homelands"
Mischievous MISS-chuh-vus
"showing a playful desire to cause trouble"
Mores MORE-ayz
"moral attitudes"
Still not sure? Click on each of the words to hear the audio pronunciation right on the definition page.
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