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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