The Most Mispronounced Word in D.C.
This week, students began classes at Gallaudet University, the nation's preeminent school for the deaf, and probably the most mispronounced institution in the city.
Yes, little acknowledged fact about Gallaudet—nearly everyone (hearing people included) says the name incorrectly.
So, your friends pronounce it this way. And your boss. And the people that mention it on the street. That still doesn't make it right.
It's not Gal-yoo-det. It is Gal-luh-det.
"I usually try to correct people," says Karen Evans from the university's public relations office. Evans, who has worked at Gallaudet for roughly six months, says that she mispronounced the name during her first week or two on the job. She majored in deaf studies in college, but says that she "knew about Gallaudet for a long time before I ever heard it spoken."
Gallaudet is located in Northeast D.C., off of Florida Avenue, wedged between Eckington and Trinidad. As of fall 2007, the university's student population was 1,633, including undergraduate and graduate students.
In a way, the mispronunciation makes complete sense: "It's because people who are in charge aren't running around correcting how hearing people talk," says Judy Termini, associate professor of communications, and Director of the First Year Experience, who has worked at the university for 33 years (and, disclosure, is a family friend).
"People who work here, who are hearing, pronounce it correctly. But we don't do a lot of voice talking on campus," she says. "You can't mispronounce the sign. There's only one sign."
But, can she provide absolute irrefutable proof that her way isn't the flawed way?
"How do I know it's right? I don't know," she says, then directs me to the university's public relations office. Right there, on the department's webpage, there's a link entitled "Commonly Mispronounced Names." Number two reads: "Gallaudet – gal"udet' or [gal-luh-det]"
10:01 am
If you mispronounce a word and nobody who cares can hear, did you really mispronounce it?
10:03 am
Is it really more mispronounced than L'Enfant?
10:11 am
How about 'Grosvenor'?
Also, almost every Metro operator mispronounces 'Judiciary Square' as 'Ju-dish-ya-rury' or something like that.
10:12 am
I was going to say Glover (actually pronounced gluh-ver) Park but I agree with Aaron. Elephant Plaza is NOT a name, people.
10:37 am
Don't forget "Dewpoint Circle", but maybe that was just one Metro driver.
10:56 am
How about Baltimore? I keep hearing people around here say "ball-tah-more." Anyone who's actually been there knows it's really pronounced "bawl'mer."
12:09 am
yes! even my father who has lived in dc for 44 years mispronounces it as gal-yoo-det. (um.... it's gal-yoo-det. face it)
8:50 am
As a deaf person, I went to Gallaudet University. I have always pronounced it as Gal-luh-det. I think the reason why I pronounce that was the spelling looks like I needed to say Gall-u-det, as in how we pronounce gall bladder.
Go Gallaudet Bisons!
12:46 pm
Tom,
It's supposed to be a short a, as in "gal" (the word for girl). That's the correct way to pronounce Gallaudet (or short "a" like "pal").
The vowel in the "gall" of "gall bladder" actually is not even an "a" sound at all. That sound is like the "ou" sound in "ought" or "bought". That's not the same "a" vowel in the first syllable of "Gallaudet". Even though both terms (gall bladder and Gallaudet) Both start with the written letters G-A-L-L, but actually the vowels in those two terms are completely different.
3:17 pm
I'm not good with pronouncation nor cared so much about it. After all, I'm Deaf individual who does not rely on speech or lipreading on daily basis.
But I do notice that people do mistyped Gallaudet as "Galludet", "Galluadet" or "Gallauadet" -- most notably one is at New York Avenue-Gallaudet metro station -- you'll see the wording that reads: "GALLUADET"
Go figure.
R-