Why do people persist in mispronunciations and misspellings when they have had numerous examples of proper usage?

[msc545]

Examples: My patient who repeatedly referred to his prostate gland as a "prostrate gland". He had heard me say it properly many times.

A user here who insists on spelling borders as "boarders" although he has had many examples of correct spellings of this word.

What is up with this?

[Tiptoetamm]

I don't know ignorance I guess lol. I know I mess up my spelling and grammar every now and then but I work at it. Haha most of the time I'm using the glide method on my keyboard and forget to look before I send it lol then look and 🫣🫢 oops I didn't mean to say that hahaha but I do know what your talking about. I had a friend growing up that would call me taymee and it's Tammy I don't know how many times I had to correct her she never understood how to say my name it was the most annoying thing lol

[FunkyMonkee]

Often wondered that myself. How can so many people get taught proper English in a school and then use horribly mangled English that hardly anyone can understand?
Probably, they think YOUR spelling of certain words is wrong and theirs is correct, or, they just don't give a shit!
Look at how many people say, "nucular" instead of "nuclear".
So many, these days, that start nearly every sentence with, "so".
"Where are you going?"
"So I'm going to the store."
"What are you gonna buy?"
"So I'm gonna get milk and bread."
Or those that tell you who they''re going to say something about and IMMEDIATELY follow it with, "he", "she" or "they".
"So The Beatles, they recorded at Abbey Road and John Lennon, he played guitar while Yoko, she warbled and made noises."

[FunkyMonkee]

Was you axing me that quextion?

[lightbulb27]

thought you'd know that, they are just repeating the pattern they've always known and recorded in their mind and body. It takes some "sufficient level" of awareness to change and then repeating new pattern. Otherwise... the existing program remains. Simple exposure doesn't do it... for many. most people aren't that aware and are operating out of what they already have recorded.

ditto emotions...

[purplepoppy]

The problem with prostate/prostrate is prostrate actually sounds better, it's easier for your mouth to switch from T to R than T to A on a syllable break. We end up convince ourselves we're right.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I made A's in Spelling Class, and some Spelling Quizzes saved my grade in Middle School. People need to take classes online how to pronounce words the proper way.

[Anonymous]

About the only thing I can think of is it's potentially burned into their brain at that point. Kind of like when you been doing things for a really hard time it's hard to re-wire your brain to doing it correctly. Because the old way just keeps getting recalled. And your post suggests he's old which only increases that likelihood.

[Drewtate]

Probably predictive text on their phone. Happens to me all the time. Prostrate, yeah first thing my phone did.

[msc545]

I think that's a good answer. Actually. That predictive text can be problematic. But I kind of wonder about this when people are speaking and do the same thing...

[whirled_up_girl]

I don't know, it's like when people pronounce nuclear wrong. If it's a someone rare word I'll look the pronunciation up and I hate it when I realize I've been pronouncing or spelling wrong.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

They probably found your weak spot and want to annoy you.

That being said, what is that prostrate gland you all are speaking of?

[msc545]

I don't think this has been targeted at me, particularly as in the two examples. I never actually corrected other person.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

Probably the first person never paid attention to the correct way of pronouncing prostate, even though it was mentioned by you. He might also not know how to spell it, as most people who mispronounce, also misspell the words.

That might be the case for the 2nd person, he probably pronounces that word as he spells it.

[msc545]

So if I understand this correctly, what you are postulating is that they not only cannot speak correctly. They also can't spell correctly? I think that sort of makes it worse if you're right.

[LaFemmeFatale_1]

You’re right. That’s exactly what I postulate, haha.

But “Boarder” and “Border” would be pronounced the same way, right? So, on his defense, he probably pronounces that correctly.

[msc545]

Doesn't seem like a very viable defense...

[exitseven]

I had a gym teacher in high school that used to pronounce escape as "excape". He was from someplace down south. To this day I still pronounce it like that.

[ProbablyClueless]

I think people just get into their habits. It's kind of a muscle memory thing.

[KrakenAttackin]

Agreed, like "French benefits"... or Liberry vs Library, Of-ten vs often... the list goes on.

[JamesRandiDebates]

Why do people persist in being grammar police?

[NathanDavis]

that's what you call a habit...

[sheikalana]

I guess they like to sound dumb.

[jahaims]

It's not important enough to care about

[msc545]

I care about it not so much because it's bad or evil or something ridiculous like that but because it betrays a certain defiance of convention that I find psychologically interesting. To me. Of course it is also irritating, but that is pretty much beside the point.