Do You Correct People Who Mispronounce or Use a Word Incorrectly?

People actually do this to my wife who is a non-native English speaker. Naturally, since English is not her native language some words are mispronounced, but overall she speaks extremely well. It irritates the hell out of me when people actually cut into her conversation just to make a correction, and I don`t understand why people do this. Maybe it makes them feel smart?

I'll admit that I'm almost always uncertain whether to use "who" or "that" as a pronominal term. I'm sure I have any number of other habitual grammatical flubs I'm unaware of.

Originally Posted by Dragon

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People actually do this to my wife, who is a non-native English speaker.

Need a comma before that modifying clause!

Naturally, since English is not her native language some words are mispronounced by her,

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You forgot your sentence subject there, Tex!

but overall she speaks extremely well. It irritates the hell out of me when people actually cut into her conversation just to make a correction, and I don`t understand why people do this. Maybe it makes them feel smart?

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Perhaps it's the only joy some of us get.

Originally Posted by dl20

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Never but I hate when people say "irregardless" when they mean "regardless"

dl

+1 - whenever i hear someone use that term, I automatically downgrade them a few notches in my mind.

Originally Posted by Egdon Heath

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Blastenowiczichowskis does not require an apostrophe.

woops.

I prefer to be corrected myself but only do it to others when I know they would also prefer it.

Originally Posted by dl20

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Never but I hate when people say "irregardless" when they mean "regardless"

dl

This is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Originally Posted by taxgenius69

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+1 - whenever i hear someone use that term, I automatically downgrade them a few notches in my mind.

I do the same thing. I worked as a TA for a professor who actually said "irregardless." He was very, very intelligent, but I had to tune out the fact that he used that "word."

Originally Posted by tagutcow

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Uh oh... it's the grammar pedant showdown!
In my defense, I think the only time I've corrected for grammar is when I was doing it intentionally for humor's sake (i.e. west24 or Cunny) or when it was a troll or douchebag involved. I've never done it in earnest in a real discussion, because I make plenty myself.

Originally Posted by dl20

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Never but I hate when people say "irregardless" when they mean "regardless" dl

Originally Posted by MrG

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I do the same thing. I worked as a TA for a professor who actually said "irregardless." He was very, very intelligent, but I had to tune out the fact that he used that "word."
I sometimes use it, especially when speaking; I guess I think of it as an emphatic, though apparently it's not really a word. I also constantly rearrange letters in the words "marriage" and "emperor;" I have no idea why, but it just happens. The study of grammatical or lexical errors is actually pretty interesting; there are identifiable reasons for why certain errors occur or why people use words (incorrectly) in certain ways. It rarely has anything to do with intelligence.

Originally Posted by tagutcow

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You need a comma before that modifying clause!

You forgot your sentence subject there, Tex!

Perhaps it's the only joy some of us get.

I am sure you can imagine how annoying it is when people actually correct my wife in real life, and actually make mistakes themselves during the correction

Originally Posted by Dragon

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I am sure you can imagine how annoying it is when people actually correct my wife in real life, and actually make mistakes themselves during the correction

As somebody who works with lots of non-native students/speakers, I know how irritating it can be. Most of the time, though, I don't think people are correcting her to make her feel bad or to make themselves look smart, but (for some strange reason) they actually think they are being helpful. These are generally the same people, though, who think that slowing down and speaking REALLY LOUDLY to non-native speakers (as though they are deaf) is also helpful. Both are aggravating, though neither one is done with malice. Actually, quite the opposite. You want the rudest thing? When it's obvious that you're a non-native speaker and the person mumbles at a really fast pace using lots of slang/weird words that even other native speakers may not catch entirely.

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

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I sometimes use it, especially when speaking; I guess I think of it as an emphatic, though apparently it's not really a word.
I also constantly rearrange letters in the words "marriage" and "emperor;" I have no idea why, but it just happens.

The study of grammatical or lexical errors is actually pretty interesting; there are identifiable reasons for why certain errors occur or why people use words (incorrectly) in certain ways. It rarely has anything to do with intelligence.

Linguistics in general is very interesting to me. My next few book purchases will be books recommended to me by a friend who studied linguistics in college.

I'm particularly fascinated by intelligent people for whom language is a challenge. One of the smartest people I've ever met has a severe learning disability that makes it very hard for him to spell. He's brilliant, but if you read his writing it looks like it was written by an eighth grader. On the bright side, he was my roommate for three years, and he'd randomly shout a request for spelling help from other rooms. This became a common thing, and it kept my spelling ability very sharp.

Deep down I know errors such as "irregardless" aren't generally attached to intelligence; it's just so grating to me that I have to force myself to actively tune it out when intelligent people make such mistakes.

Originally Posted by MrG

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Linguistics in general is very interesting to me. My next few book purchases will be book recommended to me by a friend who studies linguistics in college. I'm particularly fascinated by intelligent people for whom language is a challenge. One of the smartest people I've ever met has a severe learning disability that makes it very hard for him to spell. He's brilliant, but if you read his writing it looks like it was written by an eighth grader. On the bright side, he was my roommate for three years, and he'd randomly shout a request for spelling help from other rooms. This became a common thing, and it kept my spelling ability very sharp. Deep down I know errors such as "irregardless" aren't generally attached to intelligence; it's just so grating to me that I have to actively tune it out when intelligent people make such mistakes.
A lot of linguistics reading is as interesting as watching moss grow/paint dry/whatever, but I really like Halliday and Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and recommend it. They published a compilation a year or so ago called "The Essential Halliday" that is a nice read. As for the other (language challenges), it is interesting; I know of one Dean of a College of Ed w/ over 100 scholarly publications and $100 million + in grants who has that problem; he's been very open (and has published a LOT!) about it and how he's used strategies to overcome/work with it in academic settings. Anyway, I tend to think we all have certain "challenges" when it comes to language, not because of any intelligence factor or lack of training, but because of a fundamental social misunderstanding of how language/grammar works. I think we guilt ourselves and others into thinking grammar has only one "use" and that a "standard" grammar actually makes sense. Language is both social and functional and "appropriateness" or use in context sometimes goes against grammatical or lexical accuracy. Finally, of those I know who are the most grammatically correct and nitpicky, they also tend to be the least creative and most out-of-touch with reality.

I enjoy reading Language Log.

The book that sparked my interest in Linguistics was "Um..." although it is less about misuse as much as verbal blunders.

correct people, best way to make/keep friends.