Do you pronounce "banal" as "BAY-nul" or "buh-NAHL"?

That may seem like a banal question, but not to the editors of the nifty new book "100 Words Almost Everyone Mispronounces" (Houghton Mifflin, $5.95). They note that most Americans say "BAY-nul," eschewing the British pronunciation "buh-NAHL" as pretentious.

Can you select the preferred pronunciations of these words from the book? (Disclaimer: Many words have two or more correct pronunciations, and this often leads to spousal spats over breakfast. Word Guy, his assigns, heirs and accomplices assume no responsibility for separations, divorces or injuries induced by this column.)

1. err (to make a mistake) — a. air b. ur

2. machination (crafty scheme) — a. mak-i-NAY-shin b. mash-i-NAY-shin

3. flaccid (lacking firmness or vigor) — a. FLAK-sid b. FLAS-id

4. acumen (keenness of judgment or insight) — a. uh-KYOO-men b. AK-yuh-men

5. niche (recess, hollow, suitable situation) — a. neesh b. nitch

6. ye (article meaning "the") — a. yee b. thuh or thee

Answers and explanations:

1. b. ur While "air" is by far the more common pronunciation, "ur" is still regarded as the traditional and historically correct rendering.

2. a. mak-i-NAY-shin The "mash-i-NAY-shin" pronunciation arose during the 20th century, perhaps because of association with "machine."

3. a. FLAK-sid "Flak-sid" is the traditional and historically correct pronunciation, but "FLAS-id" has become the more common rendering, perhaps because the soft "s" sound seems to match the word's meaning.

4. a. uh-KYOO-men or b. AK-yuh-men Traditionalists spurn "AK-yuh-men" as a "pseudosophisticated variant," but most dictionaries now list "AK-yuh-men" as acceptable.

5. b. nitch "Niche" quickly lost its French ("neesh") pronunciation when it entered English during the 1600s, but Francophiles, perhaps after consuming too much quiche, have recently tried to revive "neesh."

6. b. thuh or thee Many people mistake "ye," meaning "the" ("ye dram shoppe"), for "ye," the archaic form of "you." In fact, the "y" in the article "ye" represents the archaic Anglo-Saxon character thorn, which denoted the "th" sound in Old English and early Middle English.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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