There are widespread words in real estate that are mispronounced, misspelled, and misused. Linguists say that the more expensive the house, the more likely the potential for gaffes because pricey homes often come with elaborate descriptions.
Here are a few words that are frequently used in real estate and architecture, along with their approximate phonetic pronunciations. Linguists caution that the most accurate guides to pronunciation include diacritical marks.
Banquette (an upholstered bench)
bang-KET
Bona fide offer (genuine)
bone-uh fide or sometimes bone-ah-FEE-dey
Beaux-arts architecture (classical decorative style)
Boh-zahr architecture
Bespoke (made to order)
bih-SPOKE
Cachet (respected, prestigious)
cash-AY
Chaise longue (chair with lengthened legrest)
shezz lawng
Chattel (personal possession)
CHAT-el
Clerestory (raised section of roof with small windows)
CLAIR-stor-ee
Dais (a low platform or stage)
DAY-is
Feng shui (Chinese philosophy of environmental organization)
fung shway
Foyer (entry area)
FOY-yer, or sometimes fwa-yay
Ipe (a kind of hardwood)
EE-pay
Koi (an ornamental carp)
coy
Le Corbusier (the Swiss-French architect)
leh core-BEW-zee-ay or luh core-boo-zee-EY
Miele (German appliance manufacturer)
MEE-luh
Porte cochere (a covered entrance that allows vehicles to pass through)
port-co-CHER
Realtor (a real estate agent with the National Association of REALTORS®, a trade group)
REEL-tor
Settee (a long upholstered seat)
seh-TEE
Trompe l’oeil (a visual illusion in art)
tromp LUH-ee
Wainscoting (wood paneling on the lower part of a wall)
WAYNE-scot-ing or WAYNE-skutting
Which ones surprised you and didn’t know you were mispronouncing?