The Christian Science Monitor

Where to stress words in pronunciation

President Lyndon B. Johnson awards Capt. James A Taylor of the US Army the Medal of Honor in 1968. The medal is awarded for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity," a phrase that can easily be mispronounced.

My son was researching the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military decoration, and told me that it is awarded for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity.” He pronounced “intrepidity” as “in-tre-pi-DI-ty,” but that didn’t sound right, nor did “in-TRE-pid-i-ty.” It took me a while to hit on

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor4 min read
To Craft Nordic Noir Novels, Scandinavian Authors Draw On Viking Tales
The sea wind is merciless. It slices and whips the swirling snow into a frenzy. Volcanic lava fields blacken the treacherous landscape. Danger skulks everywhere in this ancient Nordic realm, and the heroes and villains slashing their way through the
The Christian Science Monitor5 min read
With Vote At Alabama Plant, UAW Challenges South’s Antiunion Tilt
The first time Rob Lett saw a worker wearing a red union hat at his sprawling Mercedes plant, he thought, “Wow, that takes courage.” His second thought: “Why doesn’t he get fired?” Unions have long found the American South to be hostile territory. Bu
The Christian Science Monitor2 min read
Field Notes: How One Monitor Photographer Focuses On The Big Picture
Monitor photographer Riley Robinson wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived at police headquarters in Dallas with reporting partner Henry Gass. The police perspective was important to their story on violence prevention efforts featured on the cov

Related Books & Audiobooks