The pronunciation of "pseudo"?

Brian G Turner

Brian G Turner

Fantasist & Futurist
Staff member
Supporter
Joined
Nov 23, 2002
Messages
26,711
Location
UK
I always thought it was pronounced like "sue-doe".

However, my daughter says her biology teacher pronounces it as "sway-doe".

Have I had it wrong all these years?
 
Surely not?:confused:

Then we'd have sway-doe-pods (made of suede?), sway-doe-science, and sway-doe-nyms (e.g. "my suede name is Dave Leather").

I'm pretty sure you're pronouncing it correctly but I checked online (Definition of “pseudo” | Collins English Dictionary) just to be sure and there's a helpful chap who pronounces the word without a hint of suede. I wonder if the teacher is pronouncing the word that way because that's how the greek root it originates from would be pronounced?
 
I've always said "sue-doe", too, whether it's on its own or the beginning of a longer word, and a pretentious person (who might or might be a biology teacher) is a "sued", not a "swayed".
 
Sue-doe, thats the way I pronounce it. :unsure:
 
I've never heard anyone say sway-doe-nimus (pseudonymous), sway-doe-nim (pseudonym), sway-doe-pod (pseudopod), or swayed (pseud), so I think the odds are that you (and I, and everyone I've ever heard) is pronouncing pseudo- correctly and your daughter's teacher isn't.
 
It does look as if she's put her foot in it.

(One wonders what she'd do if someone... er... blew away her misconceptions.)
 
Thanks, all. :) I thought her teacher might have been having a Bill and Ted moment, like their "So-crates". I remember once having a history teacher who pronounced Hippocrates as "Hippo-crates".
 
Your way is correct, Brian.

I had a Geography teacher who pronounced the T in tsunami. That was a bit odd. Of course, the class gently corrected her on this.
 
My dictionary has:: pseu·do \ˈsü-(ˌ)dō\

google::ˈso͞odō/
//ssl.gstatic.com/dictionary/static/sounds/de/0/pseudo.mp3

Now how do you tell your daughter that her teacher is not right?
psuedo-english perhaps.
 
Last edited:
Sounds a bit dyslexic to me. I mean, it's not "psuedo", which, while it looks more like it ought to be "su-do", also looks more like "suede".

It's hard to believe that this might be an example of having read a word but never heard it pronounced, though. It's really everywhere.
 
My personal favorite is et cetera. I'm a high school drop out and I know how to pronounce it. The number of highly educated people who say ex cetra is staggering. Well, I guess there's book smarts and nook smarts.
 
Brian Turner said:
I always thought it was pronounced like "sue-doe".

However, my daughter says her biology teacher pronounces it as "sway-doe".

Have I had it wrong all these years?
Click to expand...

I'm a marine biologist as well as an artist and writer. I have never heard it pronounced that way. So as someone who has lectured and been on the talk circuit before and I have heard many other scientists and professional speakers over the years, no one (and I do mean NO ONE) from Toast Masters (a professional speaking organization worldwide) to the semi professional speakers have ever pronounced it that way. I say "sue-doe" phonetically speaking is the correct pronunciation.

This is why your daughter's teacher is not teaching public speaking or English. LOL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
Brian G Turner Pronunciation question Writing Discussion 27
Margaret Note Spelling Pronunciation of "Ava" Grammar & Spelling 12
Extollager "Ralph" Pronunciation Question (Well at the World's End) Book Discussion 9
Extollager Pronunciation question: "Higham" in The Well at the World's End Book Discussion 16
LittleStar Irish Pronunciation Writing Discussion 8

Similar threads


Back
Top