Do you correct people?
 

In real life, that is. Everybody does it online, so that doesn't count.

I don't do it, personally, but boy am I tempted sometimes. There are certain words I hear regularly that irritate me to no end (specifically "real-i-ty", "real-a-tor", and "jew-ler-y") and I really have to bite my tongue, but I still don't do it.

Also, do you want others to correct your grammar/pronunciation or does it piss you off? In my opinion, there's a big difference between someone politely pointing out to me that I've mispronounced something and someone pointing and laughing their head off in front of everyone. Honestly, I'd prefer that people nicely point out to me when I've pronounced something incorrectly or used incorrect grammar, because I'll remember it and never do it again, but I realize that some people can't stand to be corrected.

So, the two questions are:

1. Do you correct others, and if so, how do you go about it?

2. Do you appreciate being corrected or do you get embarrassed and angry?

I do correct people, but I'm all bashful about it when I do. Say someone uses the wrong word/pronunciation, I'll go something like "I think you mean [corrected word]". I'll correct them in such away as to sound like I'm not even sure myself, always slipping in "I think". Because hey it's a really tough word and I completely sympathise with you in terms of it's usage not being clear cut right or wrong.

It's ridiculous, but perhaps better than

"You're stupid, you're ugly, and you're Wrong. Thanks".

I find that having my monocle slip from its place and gasping is enough to stop whatever conversation is going on. After that, I twirl my top hat and cane while I recite errors and and their respective corrections. If the occasion warrants, I also break into a song and dance number.

Living in my particular area of the world one would clearly think that when the brains were handed out at birthtime the lord just wasn't concentrating on the job. Having said that, I find myself correcting pretty much everyone I have conversations with on a daily basis. I'm not too blunt about it, but I will just stop conversation to correct pronunciation at any point and move on.

However, you have to be real careful when this is done. With your friends it's OK to do this. You do it in a party where everyone is drunk and belligerent and all of a sudden it's like you're some kind of language Nazi who's sole purpose is to kill a buzz.

Fuck off. Perhaps if you'd paid attention in English instead of getting knocked up for the third time in the backseat of your man's lowrider I wouldn't be blowing your buzz.

I tend to correct others' pronunciation, but I only correct grammar if it's especially horrendous. I'd like for others to do the same favor for me, but politely. It sucks when someone uses your innocent mistake as an opportunity to ridicule you mercilessly. :(

People don't like being corrected, and they don't take the correction on board. It's a fool's errand, that won't yield any positive results, so I don't bother. You can keep correcting people until you're blue in the face, but most of the people you will be correcting just don't care.

I don't know about that. I can think of times when someone has corrected me or brought something to my attention and I was glad they did. Of course it's a little embarrassing, but they really just saving you from looking like a complete moron in the future. I guess it's all in the way it's done.

I was just thinking about my dad, though. He mispronounces SO MANY WORDS and my mom always corrects him as nicely as she can, but he still gets so mad. Also, he keeps mispronouncing the same words even after she has corrected him, so it's a total waste of time on her part. It's kind of funny.

I don't correct people much in real life, but they are allowed to correct me as I am insecure about my grammar at times. I only get mad if arrogant people correct you constantly but have nothing else to say.

You mean like what I do?

*I mean in real life, arrogant people that correct you personally. It's fine with me if you correct people in Mexico or wherever you live. =0

I don't directly correct others and not too frequently since they tend to say most things right. If I feel I have to correct someone, I'll try using said word in a sentence of my own which will be a follow or response to their sentence, and they always catch on. It's not a big deal though when pronunciation is ambiguous for certain words that aren't in the dictionary.

No one is straight up with me if I have anything to be corrected. They won't say "That's wrong, it's <X>!" I only remember being corrected once on the pronunciation of "Garou".

I live in California. :(

It has been my own experience that some people don't care about looking like a moron, whether it be now or in the future, and will invariably be displeased to be corrected, because a correction is of no value to them.

Your father sounds exactly like the kind of person who has discouraged me from ever offering corrections. I think it would be nice if we lived in a world where people generally were well-disposed to being corrected, and in which everyone strove to improve their grammar, but that's certainly not been the case in the majority of my experience.

Personally, I would prefer to be corrected when I make a mistake, especially if it is a factual error rather than a grammatical or syntactic mis-step. It's embarrassing, but it can add to my knowledge, or save me from future embarrassment, as you said. I just happen to find that I'm in a minority.

I don't correct people for grammar, but I like correcting them for spelling. Sure, people may hate being corrected, but if someone doesn't tell them they're spelling all these words wrong, they'll never learn. It sure helps them in the long run, as spelling is very important.

If someone corrects -me-, I'm cool with it, although I generally look up the word or, if I'm lazy, just add in a (sp?) after words I'm not too sure of. It keeps me covered.

I constantly correct people for spelling, grammar and misconceptions. The ones that piss me off the most are "would of", "could of", "should of", "definately" and "Slipknot are a great death metal band".

Although, I am constantly reprimanded for pronounciation due to the fact that so many of the words I use are words I've never heard used and only seen on paper/online.

I usually don't have to, but sometimes I'll hear a word mispronounced, and it will grate on my nerves a bit. Usually I'm worse at trying to supply someone with words when they're talking to me. If they pause as if they're searching for the right word, I'll start tossing out words to help them finish. I'm sure that must be kinda annoying sometimes.

I'm not making this up. On my way to the bank just a minute ago I was listening to the radio and the D.J. said "jew-le-ry." That has to be my all-time most hated mispronunciation. I had my cell phone in my hand getting ready to call the station and correct her, and then decided against it.

That's what I always do, because I'm afraid of pissing people off. =/

I can't stand when people mispronounce "nuclear" by saying "New-kew-lur" instead of "New-klee-ur"!!! (You've all heard this...) That's the only thing I'll correct... and EVERYBODY does that! Our own president, even... but then again, he isn't exactly the epitome of intelligence, anyway... I might say another word back in a sentence, or repeat it with the correct pronunciation in response, but I won't directly correct someone unless it's that word...

I try to avoid correcting people. It's rare you'll find someone who appreciates it, and if you don't know the person well, it pretty much guarantees the end of a conversation. But good lord, how I've been tempted. I used to somewhat know a person who would say things like "tooken," but I knew he'd flip out if I tried to tell him it was "took/taken." "Whom" is another I hear often, but it's so common that there's no point in bothering. Plus, I confuse its usage from time to time. I guess it's not just worth it. Even if the person does appreciate it, there's a high chance they'll continue making the mistake.

Being corrected pisses me off because in my own little world, I'm ALWAYS right. Immature, I know, but ususally the people correcting me just want to be better than me, which is something I will NOT let them do.

I correct people that I don't like. If I do like them I just think to myself, "IT'S [correct word]! YOU ASSHOLE!!!!"
If I don't like them at all, I just go ahead and say it.

My mother has recently started saying "anedocal" for "anecdotal." It makes me crazy, but...I have yet to summon up the nerve to correct my parents. I'm a good boy.

I am likely the opposite of what a normal, courteous person should be.

I will point out an error. Or more likely, I will dote on the error. "And I punched that number into the cackulator-"
"The what."
"The cackulator."
"I think the word is calculator."

I am usually appreciative of someone correcting me. One of my biggest fuck-ups is the word "pensive." Apparently, I say it wrong sometimes. I like constructive criticism. So long as it's not wicked mean.

When I correct people it's completely random and immediate. So, if somebody said (and this is a weak example because I can't think of anything else at the moment), "It ain't my fault," I would simply throw in, "It's not," correcting "It ain't." "How many times have you falled down?" "Fell."

Just like that. Half the time they don't catch it anyway, it seems.

Sometimes I'm very tempted to correct certain things, like saying 'Woof' for 'Wolf.' Also, my mother irritates the crap out of me when she mispronounces every Spanish word possible. I've finally trained her to not say 'Hal-a-PEE-no' for jalapeño, but she still has issues with the Spanish language. She embarasses herself at the grocery store where she works...there's a lot of Spanish speakers and products, so she has plenty of opportunity.

Not that I'm faultless in my Spanish, but aside from a basic inability to properly roll my 'rr's, I have the prounounciation correct.

I tend not to correct pronunciation. Mostly because I don't pick up on it fast enough - and it'd seem a little pedantic to say, after the current speaker has finished speaking, "oh, by the way..." (which might be met with an enthusiastic "Yes?") "you mis-pronounced 'schedule' by giving it a hard 'c'".

However, reading (be it reading over someone else's essay, in which case I'm sure corrective comments are welcomed; or on MSN, in which case...probably not xD) stuff, I generally correct glaring mistakes.

The things I hate the most are confusion with "their", "they're" and "there", because those are easily differentiable (not like a continuous simple function, but you know what I mean); "its" and "it's", because it's easy to work it out by considering "it is" or "it has" in place of the ambiguous word, and "you're" and "your", because...well...the most moronic of people should be able to grasp the difference.

Having said this, I'm much more likely to correct the spelling or grammar of someone I know quite closely. Perhaps I really am afraid and embarrassed to correct people.

On the other hand, in class, if someone explains to me their solution of a problem in mathematics (I'm sort of like...a student-mentor kinda person to most of the Further Maths set xP), and it's evident that they have made an error and are therefore talking crap in subsequent lines of logic, I'll often let them continue - I don't feel I have the right to interject.
Y'know when someone has an understanding of a topic and knows how to apply logic...their eyes light up, and you can tell they really enjoy the sense of academic achievement - I prefer not to ruin that immediately, for often the mistake is only a simple omission of a minus sign or something of the like, which does not necessarily render the remainder of the solution worthless; I don't feel spoiling their fun is justified.

I do believe, however, It is everyone's duty, to correct someone when they have made a mistake; perhaps the proposed correction may indeed be wrong, but nonetheless it will help better both people involved.
As such, I don't feel too embarrassed when corrected (especially if it's done in a constructive manner). I'm generally appreciative when someone points out that I'm talking rubbish.

And I'll bet every one of you a tenner that I've made a a gazillion spelling and grammar mistakes in this post. xD

Unless they want me to read over a paper and give them grammatical advice, I do not want to correct people over such small things as grammatical errors. I try not to correct people on pronounciation since different areas have different pronounciations, but I will ask a question about a word. For example, one of my Asian friends kept saying, "Damage!" whenever something went wrong, so in order to understand what she really meant I said, "Do you mean, damn it?" and that's how I correct people.

I will sometimes correct people on something big such as if a Doctorate says, "Pocahontas married John Smith" then I will raise my hand and ask, "Didn't she married John Rolfe?" However, it seems to be that the more intelligent a person thinks they are, the harder it is to correct them.

I don't mind being corrected on major things, but little things like grammar and punctuation just seem like nonsense. If a word is grossly mispronounced or if I'm doing a paper, then I don't mind being corrected, but I don't feel as though it is worth arguing whether someone should use a dash or a comma in a sentence. There are more important things in the world.

I came so close to doing horrible things to my roommate because of it. I'm sorry, but there are better ways to show that you are intelligent than to constantly tell people that they are wrong even though they are right.

I don't typically correct people I don't really know that well, but I do so if an error may impact him or her. During one group project a few semesters ago, I managed to be the person typing the essay while the group discussed what topics to cover, and I occasionally pointed out an error as we went through the paper together. Otherwise, I may only correct a person if the information must be presented later.

You.... need help.

And so do I, apparently. :/

I remember playing this game where we think of something beginning with each letter of the alphabet. The subject was fruit and vegetables and this guy was desperate to begin because he had in mind something beginning with A, so he said, "Asparangus" (Asparagus). Me and the other guy looked at him and then each other and we both couldn't stop laughing, and I thought my use of language was poor.

I can't imagine too many people around me who pronounce something wrong. It is usually me who language is poor which is why I am the one who talks a lot. I wouldn't think I'd be in a position to correct them and then I doubt myself. I remember someone picking on me because of the way I pronouced one word, and I get embarassed about it.

I don't normally correct people unless I'm critiquing a work or some other. One of my pet peeves are (you're, your). Is it that hard to un-conjugate a word if you're unsure? As for others catching my errors, I thank them. I try hard not to use incorrect grammar. That is unless they mock me; that just gets mean.

As for speaking, I would correct people if they're practicing on their language. Although I have seen people laugh and correct them in a sort of mocking manner, which always pisses me off since they're trying to practice another language. The last thing they need is embarrassment to hinder them to speak more.

I correct my fiancee a lot, and that's the last person you'd want to correct, next to Freddy Krueger or someone.

Darn those 'rr's.

I don't correct anybody except for my family members. And the only thing that get's me is the word, good. and that's only because my of friend always telling me, when I said, "I'm feeling good," that it's "supposed to be well."

I wouldn't mind if someone corrected me though. I correct people in languages other than english though...

What a great question. I know I correct my friends, usually I use the phrase "actually it's blah blah blah" None of them seem to really mind. I when I get corrected I usually feel embarassed and stay quiet for a long time after the correction.

I don't tend to correct people's grammatical errors. However I have been known to correct spelling errors on essay extracts and stuff like that. Also, I don't mind being corrected, I guess it serves me right for correcting people's (written) mistakes in the first place, so if you can't take it, don't give it, I suppose.

Back in college I tended to make a production about it. You know something like "wait, wait, hold on. How is it that you are able to BREATHE!? I mean, bleeding christ, how the fuck did you get here? Why am I friends with you? I am drowning in a deluge of HICK SPEAK. ;____;" I think it was for failing to use the subjunctive. As in, I think he said "If I was gay..." Everyone would laugh. And then EVERYONE would refuse to use the subjunctive. =(

Actually this particular incident likely didn't happen, however it still serves as a model for the type of thing which did happen. I just can't remember; it's been so long. =(

I will only correct someone if I am alone with them. If there are other people present, or even someone within earshot, I refrain from making a comment. People can get embarrassed if the are shown to be wrong, so I avoid embarrassment. I know this because one of my friends had a habit of correcting people when there were large groups, and it was always embarrassing.

I do make mistakes of my own sometimes, though. Some words, I've never heard someone speak, but I've read them in books, or I may come across a word I've never seen before, and read it out loud phonetically. I don't see how a person can speak perfectly all the time without being corrected, so I don't think it's wrong to correct someone, just some wrong instances.

I usually only correct those who make corrections. When I talk to people familiar with Des Moines, Iowa, I used to pronounce the silent "S". When you say Des Moines, you say "De Moine". Of course, the tables turn when you talk about Des Plaines, Illinois. "What? Did you just say 'De Plaine'? Do you think you're Tattoo or something? 'De Plaine! De Plaine!' It's DES PLAINES joker."

It urks a lot of Chi-town natives when you pronounce the 'S' in 'Illinois'. It is pronounced 'elle-noy', not 'elle-noise'. It doesn't bother me too much, but it is a nice distinction to tell who really is an Illinois native.

I haven't met many people who don't know that you don't pronounce the 's' in Illinois, and I'm not from there.

Don't suppose anyone's heard of a little book called, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves"?
http://www.profilebooks.co.uk/images/titles/t325.jpg

Lynne Truss was inspired to write a book about the "inner stickler" in people (the urge to correct spelling and grammar - particularly in terms of punctuation and stuff) also doubling up as a brief history of punctuation, because she read in some leaflet, "The panda eats, shoots and leaves":

"A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air.

Why? asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes towards the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and tosses it over his shoulder.

I’m a panda, he says, at the door. Look it up."

I find that more amusing than I probably should.
Anyway - the book came with a bunch of stickers. These stickers were mostly punctuation marks, but some were blank. The idea was to use these to rectify punctuation omissions/mistakes in posters - like on a shop that sells "Video's" or something similar.

Ha! Do you happen to go to college in Texas? ;_; Not that I'm 'drowning in a deluge of hick speak' there, but I've heard plenty of errors and such. If I make one little grammatical error in my speaking, my grandma or my viola teacher are allllll over my ass about it. Sometimes I try to correct myself, before they do. I know when I'm using bad grammar, and frankly, I don't give a damn.

Hell yes, that's what this makes me think of! I love books that poke fun at language; there's another book, Ella Minnow Pea and while it's not about punctuation and usage of language, it's still amusing.

I'm not really fussed about people's mistakes any more unless their grammar is so bad that I can't understand what they're trying to say. It's always fun when someone complains about others' "spelling and grammer" though.

That would be too good to be true.
It doesn't actually happen...does it?

A lady at my church always says Tusami instead of (t)sunami. She also says Science-tology instead of Scientology. Drives my up the wall.

tusami!! haha!! that would erk the hell outta me!! today a friend of mine kept saying facsilime instead of facsimile!! i corrected her like 3 times & she still couldn't get it right!! it's prolly a bad habit of mine - but i look at it this way - i'm just trying to help them to keep from looking dufus-y in front of someone who might really matter!
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Listen to Bunny Gamer by Xiu Xiu : napster.com

"me". Drives me up the wall.

I almost forgot...my grandpa was just as bad as my mom with spanish (maybe that's where she gets it from). He would always say Ree-LEN-o for relleno [reh-YEH-no] and occasionally say tor-TILL-uhs for tortillas. Gah, I could never get past that. I mean, come on. It's not like we haven't been eating mexican food our whole lives >_<. The 'll' makes a 'y' sound!!!

Except for that it's "Hal-a-pen-yo."

The one that pisses me off the most is the word "both." I run into a ton of people that pronouce it "bowLth." There is no L in both.

My mom has a tendency to say "acrosst" instead of "across." I have no idea why she's adding the t at the end.

I try my best not to correct people in person at all unless we are very close friends. Most of my friends would appreciate me saving them the embarassment (as would I). I usually approach is with something like, "I could be wrong, but I think it's pronoucned..." Or I'll just end up working the same word into the conversation and pronounce it correctly myself. For the most part I figure, "who am I to correct anybody?"

It only bothers me if somebody corrects me when they're acutally wrong, or if they do it in a condescening manner.

I know. That's why I said I got her to not say it with the 'PEE' in it.
:p

(My bad; I totally read what you wrote wrong... Open mouth - insert foot!)

Haha! awesome. Where is your mom from? Mine has trouble pronoucing Spanish too. Every time she tries she ends up speaking sort of a pigeon english that she picked up in Nigeria as a kid. Totally crazy.

Shit... You guys think you have it bad with parents having trouble speaking Spanish...

I have uncles who have trouble pronouncing Spanish words.... And they're MEXICAN! :tpg:

I only really correct people when it comes to gaming topics, ie. its Wii now, not Revolution. Other than that, I've grown accustomed to people misusing words/pronounciations. Usually when I go to correct them, I just straight up tell them, its 'this' not 'that'. No harm, no foul.

I only correct my sister. It annoys the hell outta her, and I enjoy doing it. :D
Well, I also correct other people, but only if they get something completely wrong, otherwise i just ignore the mistake/incorect information. Sometimes it can be too much hassle to correct the mistakes of people who think that they are right.

I usually don't correct people, but when someone's making the same errors over and over, I'll probably say something, although I try not to offend that person in the process. As for being corrected--I actully like it, as long as the person who corrects me isn't all obnoxious about it. After all, this prevents me from making the same mistakes in the future.

I don't correct people, unless they just like make a huge glaring mistake. I may cringe on the inside, but I usually won't say anything aobut it.