Is it sher-bet or sher-bert? Or is it both?
Once you've said a word a certain way for a long time, you just assume it's correct, but if the Buzzfeed video above proves anything, it's that we may want to give our pronunciation a second look. The site looks at seven everyday words — and not just words that are incredibly difficult to spell or pronounce to begin with — and shows us the correct way to say them without sounding pretentious.
Last year, a study in the U.K. released a list of commonly mispronounced words, and found 82 per cent of people had difficulty saying them. Words on the list included everything from prostrate to silicon to place names.
Now, we're firm believers in a judgement-free zone, and we know the pronunciation of words can be influenced by many things. However, it is always fun to see what the experts think. After all, we know all too well how easy it is to mispronounce unfamiliar words on menus. Are you pronouncing the names of frozen desserts like sherbet wrong? Watch the video above to find out.
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Slang Words 2014
Basic(01 of62)
What it means: A boring, typical or dull person/thing. The phrase "basic bitch" was also popular this year. How to use it: PERSON A: I just got my pumpkin spice latte — I hope I don't spill it on my Uggs!PERSON B: Ugh, you're so basic.
Bae(02 of62)
What it means: Bae stands for "before anyone else" or another sweet way to say babe or baby How to use it: "I love my bae! He got me that Taylor Swift album I wanted for Christmas."
Fleek(03 of62)
What it means: Fleek means on pointHow to use it: In a photo caption where everything is pulled together: "Outfit on fleek"
Bye Felicia(04 of62)
What it means: We've seen a lot of this phrase on Vine in 2014. "Bye Felicia" can be used if someone is leaving the party and you don't really care about them. You replace their name with a "basic" name to show that nobody cares if they leave. How to use it: PERSON A: Hey, I have to make it home before curfew PERSON B: Really? It's only 9 p.m. Bye Felicia.
Ship(05 of62)
What it means: Short word for relationship, but it can also means two people should be in a relationship (verb)How to use it: "I ship Danny and Mindy from the "Mindy Project," they make such a cute couple."
Thirsty(06 of62)
What it means: When you really want something or someone, often used to describe a horny personHow to use it: PERSON A: This guy in my English class is so damn hot, I'm going to ask him out this weekend. PERSON B: You're so thirsty! In this example, Person B could have also said, "the thirst is real."
MCM/WCW(07 of62)
What it means: MCM stands for Man Crush Monday and WCW stands for Woman Crush Wednesday. You will often see these hashtags on Instagram.How to use it: In a photo caption: "Here is my #MCM Terry Crews giving a speech about feminism."
Slaying(08 of62)
What it means: Hooking up or having sex with someone you may not necessarily be in a relationship with.How to use it: As hooking up: "My mom caught me slaying my neighbour after school. Now I have to worry about his mom finding out!"
Doe(09 of62)
What it means: The shorter (and cooler) way to say though.How to use it: "Did you catch that game last night? That three pointer, doe!"
Ghost(10 of62)
What it means: When someone has disappeared or they don't seem to be around anymore. (Note: this is different than "ghosting," which is when one person in a dating relationship suddenly disappears without any warning.)How to use it: "Have you seen Kelly lately? I swear, she is a ghost, she never hangs out anymore."
I Can't Even(11 of62)
What it means: When you have so many emotions you are left speechless. Often followed by the word deal. How to use it: "I can't even deal. I just saw this video of these panda triplets rolling around in the snow."
TBT(12 of62)
What it means: TBT stands for Throwback Thursdays. Again, you will see this on Instagram or Facebook with a hashtag. How to use it: In a photo caption: "#TBT to my summer 2010 trip to Mexico"
Throwing Shade(13 of62)
What it means: When you give someone attitude How to use it: "I really can't stand my boss lately. I just went to the office yesterday throwing shade."
Bare(14 of62)
What it means: A lot How to use it: "This guy at the gym has bare tattoos."
The Feels(15 of62)
What it means: When something makes you so emotional that it makes you want to cry and question life at the same timeHow to use it: "I just saw this sweet photo of a girl donating her hair to help kids with cancer. The feels doe."
Turnt(16 of62)
What it means: Excited or hyped up for the party or night How to use it: "I'm celebrating my birthday next weekend at the club, time to get turnt."
YASSS(17 of62)
What it means: When you want to say "yes," but you mean more than just a simple "yes"How to use it: "I'm leaving for my trip tomorrow, YASSSSS!"
Yeet(18 of62)
What it means: When you are excited about the situation How to use it: "I just hit 1,000 followers on Instagram, yeet!"
Bible(19 of62)
What it means: When you want someone to be honest with you. Bible as slang, however, was popularized by the Kardashian family, and as they define it: "Bible is a word that you can't go back on."How to use it: PERSON A: It only took me 20 minutes to finish this assignment PERSON B: No way, Bible!
Squad(20 of62)
What it means: Another word for your crew or group of friends How to use it: "The squad is showing up to the party tonight wearing all black."
MRW(21 of62)
What it means: This stands for "my reaction when" How to use it: Often paired with a GIF: MRW when bae is late for dinner
Damp(22 of62)
What it means: When something is awesome How to use it: "I just binge-watched all of Orange Is The New Black on Netflix last night, so damp."
Soof(23 of62)
DEFINE IT: Simply, "swear on our friendship" or the new "say word" of the year SAY IT: Person A: "Holy crap, my phone bill for the month is over $200..."Person B: "I don't believe you."Person B: "Soof!"
Cray Cray(24 of62)
DEFINE IT: Someone or something that is really crazy SAY IT: "You're planning on shovelling that snow after midnight? You're cray cray."
Salty(25 of62)
DEFINE IT: Someone or something who is overly pissed off, angry or annoyingSAY IT: "I can't stand his attitude sometimes, he's so salty."
Turn Up(26 of62)
DEFINE IT: Getting loose, getting wild and getting the party started SAY IT: "What? Beyonce is performing at Brian's party tonight? Brian's place is about to turn up!"
Swerve(27 of62)
DEFINE IT: Swerve has several meanings, according to Canadian teenagers. It can mean telling someone to go away, a replacement for the word "swag," or if you're using game to win someone over.SAY IT: Person A: "Seriously, did you get my text last night?"Person B: "Yeah, I didn't reply."Person A: "Ugh, swerve. You aren't worth my time."
Dead(28 of62)
DEFINE IT: When a situation is so incredibly funny, hard to believe or you have no other words to express yourself, you say dead. Usually, preceded by a hashtag if you're using it on Instagram or Twitter: #dead.SAY IT:What we saw on Twitter: "He only sold 2,000 records off his new album... that stuff went negative platinum...that stuff went aluminum foil #DEAD."
Hashtag(29 of62)
DEFINE IT: Yes, this comes directly from using the "#" symbol on Twitter or Facebook. In everyday conversations, you can express your emotions or attitude towards something or someone by saying hashtag followed by the feeling. SAY IT: "I can't even believe how long I had to wait in the Tim Hortons' line this morning. Hashtag not impressed."
Down(30 of62)
DEFINE IT: To do something with someone or agree to doing it.SAY IT: Person A: "'Girls' marathon tonight?"Person B: "Down."
Wheeling And Dealing(31 of62)
DEFINE IT: Yes, this term has been around for years and it can mean a variety of things. These days, wheeling and dealing means you're in an relationship with someone, but you're not boyfriend/girlfriend. However, just to make things a little more complicated, you're still considered in a relationship — just without that specific label. Wheeling usually happens in the flirting stage and dealing is your non-defined relationship. SAY IT: "I've been trying to wheel this girl for weeks now, but I can't see myself dealing with her."
Beauty/Beaut(32 of62)
DEFINE IT: Yes, this means beautiful, but it is often used by bros to compliment each other. It can also refer to someone who is cool.SAY IT: "Your new car? Beauty."
Duster/Dusty(33 of62)
DEFINE IT: Originally a term used by hockey players to describe a player who didn't have much ice time and "collected dust on the bench," it is now used to refer to someone as sub-par or when someone does something dumb.SAY IT: "Bro, did you just send a private tweet publicly? You're such a duster."
Lace Up(34 of62)
DEFINE IT: This phrase comes from rapper Machine Gun Kelly's "Lace Up Movement" and as the word implies, it means lacing up your kicks and doing whatever it is you have to do. It also implies stepping up your game and taking on whatever life throws at you. SAY IT: "In five days I'll be sitting on a beach! Yeah! Lace Up!"
Catfish(35 of62)
DEFINE IT: Made popular by the documentary and recently the MTV TV series "Catfish," this refers to someone who is pretending to be someone they're not.SAY IT: "I met this extremely hot guy on a dating site but it turned out to be a catfish."
Hella(36 of62)
DEFINE IT: Again, not a new term but hella has become quite popular with teens these days. Hella replaces really.SAY IT: "I can't even deal with how many 'likes' my photo has, this is hella cray cray."
Soft(37 of62)
DEFINE IT: Someone who is weak (doesn't have to be physically), tired or is too afraid to do something.SAY IT: "So he won't come out tonight because it's too cold? Soft."
Rocket(38 of62)
DEFINE IT: When someone is really attractive, often a female.SAY IT: "Kate Upton is on the cover of Sports Illustrated. What a rocket."
Selfie(39 of62)
DEFINE IT: Probably one of the most commonly heard words of 2013, selfie refers to taking a picture of yourself. The Oxford English Dictionary even made it an official word this year.SAY IT: "Just give me a second, I need to post this selfie of this outfit on Instagram."
Dafaq(40 of62)
DEFINE IT: This one isn't particularly new either, but teachers and students tell us they've been hearing it a lot. Dafaq is short for the fuck. SAY IT: "Did he just miss that basket? Dafaq."
Guap(41 of62)
DEFINE IT: A lot of money. Lots of it. SAY IT: "Did you hear tuition's going up? That's a lot of guap!"
Molly(42 of62)
DEFINE IT: The pure form of MDMA (ecstasy). It's also been linked to Miley Cyrus's alleged drug use and lyrics of "Can't Stop." SAY IT: "Did you see those out-of-control guys at the festival? I think they were on molly."
Merked(43 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Merked" has several definitions — it can mean anything from being drunk, high, tackled, knocked out and even if you just had great sex. And yes, them be fightin' words. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "I passed out this weekend at the bar, I got merked." or "Did you see the Raptors get merked last night? We suck."
YOLO(44 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: An acronym for "You Only Live Once.' We can thank rapper Drake for this phrase, so live life to the fullest people. YOLO is often used before taking a risk or questioning a situation. YOLO has also been named the worst word or phrase of 2012 by our very own associate books editor Zoë Triska.USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Hey, should I chop off all my hair?" "YOLO"
Swag/Swaggy(45 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: Nothing surprising or new about this one. "Swag," from the slang word '"swagger," means being or having something cool. "Swaggy" in particular was used by Justin Bieber when he whispered it while singing his song, "Boyfriend." How swaggy.USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Check out this blazer I found at the thrift store." "Swag."
Reach(46 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: When you "reach," you are literally reaching somewhere or attending an event. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Are you heading to this party tonight?" "Yeah, I'm reaching" or "I'll reach tonight."
Styll(47 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Styll" is pronounced like still, but it means agreeing with someone or the truth. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "That episode of 'The Vampire Diaries' was good, styll."
Cray/Cray-Cray(48 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Cray" or "cray-cray" is just a shorter (kind of) word for crazy. "Cray" was also used in rapper Jay-Z's 'N*ggas in Paris,' where Kayne West repeatedly tells Jay 'that sh*t cray.'USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "You're going to do all your holiday shopping on Christmas Eve? That's cray."
My Mains(49 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "My mains" also refers to my close group of friends or my family.USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Jay and I go way back, he is one of my mains."
Yute(50 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Yute" is another word for youth. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "All these yute these days keep thinking they're cool, saying things like YOLO."
Rachet(51 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Rachet" is when someone is rude, loud or obnoxious. It can also be used to describe someone who is acting like a diva. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "I can't believe that guy just dissed his mom, how rachet."
Flex(52 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Flex" could mean both having cash on you or someone who loves to show off ... possibly show off their cash. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "I hate when my best friend thinks she has to wear all her designer clothes, she keeps flexin'."
Boost(53 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Boost" or "boast" can mean bragging or exaggerating a situation. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "It only took me 30 minutes to finish my work report." "Stop boosting."
R-Bomb(54 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: This is tech lingo exclusively. An "R-bomb" is when someone receives and reads a message on BlackBerry's messenger system (BBM) but doesn't respond. Hey, we'd be cheesed too. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "You wrote her after your date and she never got back to you?" "Nope — total R-bomb."
SMH(55 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "SMH" stands for shakes my head. You'll see it often used in text messages, Facebook chatter and in memes. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: In a text: "I just spilled coffee all over my white shirt." Reply: "SMH."
Derp(56 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: A derp is another name for a dumbass, while a derpina is a female dumbass, according to some high school students we talked to in Toronto. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Ugh, he lost my keys again, such a derp."
Bless Up(57 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Bless up" is another way of saying goodbye or hello. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Bless up my friend," or, "It was nice seeing you, bless up."
Dip(58 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: If you "dip" or you're "dipping," it means you're leaving the joint. Maybe the party was boring or maybe it was getting close to your curfew.USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Are you reaching [see what we did there?] her party tomorrow night?" "Yeah, but I gotta dip by 11 p.m."
Moss(59 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: It might have nothing to do with the green fluff that grows on walls, but similar to that type of moss, this word means to chill out or relax.USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "Why are you always working? You need to moss."
Hundo P(60 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Hundo P" is just the sexier way of saying one hundred per cent. We approve.USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "I just merked my test, I got hundo p."
Chirp(61 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: "Chirp" is what you're doing when you insult or "diss" someone. We get it, birds can get annoying. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "My older brother can be such a jerk, he's always chirping at me."
Scrilla(62 of62)
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING: Scrilla is another word for cash money. It has been used by rappers E-40 and Celly Cel. USED IN EVERYDAY LIFE: "I just got paid. I'm rolling in scrilla."