Do say: dilate (dye-late)| Don't say: dialate (dye-ah-late)
The [i] in this word is so long there is time for another vowel, but don't succumb to the temptation. Do say: diphtheria | Don't say: diptheria The ''ph'' in this word is pronounced [f], not [p]. Do say: dog-eat-dog world | Don't say: doggy dog world The world is even worse than you think if you believe it merely a "doggy-dog world." Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. Do say: drown | Don't say: drownd You add the [d] only to the past tense (drowned) and past participle. Do say: Decrepit| Don't say: Decrepid Even if the final T in this word is not our cup of tea, we must pronounce it. Do say: The Double U | Don't say: Dubya The name for this letter (W) comes from the days when Us were written like Vs, so the original Ws were VVs. Even presidents should say "double U". Do say: Definitely “Def-in-it-lee” | Don't say: Definitely or defiantly It kind of sounds how it is spelled, but we just cannot get “Definitely” right! We might spell it “definately” or “defiantly” for years, even after being corrected. It is a cursed word. Do say: Disastrous | Don't say: Disastraus This is a three syllable word, not four. The proper way to say this word is “di-zas-tres”, rather than “di-zas-TER-es.” Do say: Dorsal | Don't say: Dorzal For king salmon, a notch is made in their adipose fin, the small fin on their backs between their large, dorsal fin and their tail.
