Words are spoken an, while we may understand the meaning, it is strange to our ears when they are mispronounced. Worse than that is by whom they are mispronounced and how they get to be accepted as correct because of the status of the one who mispronounces. Nuclear ( adj \ˈnü-klē-ər, ˈnyü-, ÷-kyə-lər\) not nooc-uh-lar as has been pronounced by so many, especially G W Bush.
The English have a word for adornments, it is jewellery. However, in American English it is jewelry with the root being from gem or jewel. However, I too often hear people pronounce it as: jew-lery.
Yet another is realtor: \ˈrē(-ə)l-tər, -ˌtȯr, ÷ˈrē-lə-tər also rē-ˈal-tər\ It is not pronounced real-a ter. Eventually dictionaries bow to the worst of us and change the dictionaries. Nauseated used to be an adjective that because of its misuse is now accepted in dictionaries as a synonym for nauseous. Nauseous used to mean a person was disgusting.
Add to those who guess.at the meaning of words they hear and go through life using them inaccurately to the point that the rest of us question our own understanding of the word.
There are many more of these but I will have to start keeping a list of them before I can come up with Part 2.
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