A Word, Please:

A reader named Linda wrote to ask me the difference between “enunciate” and “pronounce.” More recently, I encountered a man who wanted to know the difference between “on” and “upon.”

And that’s when it hit me: I no longer need to worry about the state of the economy or the collapse of the newspaper business. If things get really bad, all I need to do is buy a turban and a crystal ball, abandon those profit-hindering impulses we call ethics and hang out a sign that says “The Grammar Oracle Is In.”

Ditching the ethics is key because I’m not a grammar oracle. Not even close. Before hearing from Linda and the man whose name I didn’t catch, I knew exactly as much about “enunciate” and “upon” as they did.

But there is one thing I know that they do not: The answers to many of the most perplexing language questions are not mysterious or out of reach. You don’t need a gifted medium to channel a supernatural wisdom.

All you need is a little confidence and a good dictionary.

Let’s start with the confidence. We all have some sense of the difference between “enunciate” and “pronounce.” People seem to use “enunciate” to describe how a person might speak a word carefully, making sure every vowel and consonant sound comes across clearly — perhaps slightly overemphasizing every sound. You could even say that it’s to “pronounce” every sound carefully.

“Pronounce” seems very similar. The only detectable difference is a nuanced suggestion that pronouncing is less about making every syllable clear and more about getting every syllable right. For example, “ennui” is pronounced “on-wee” and not “en-nooey.”

A good dictionary, “Webster’s New World College Dictionary,” tells us that our confidence is justified.

pronounce: “a. to articulate (a sound or word); utter the sounds of; b. to articulate (a word or syllable) in the accepted manner: ‘How do you pronounce your family name?’”

enunciate: “to utter or pronounce (words, sentences, etc.), esp. in an articulate or a particular manner: ‘He enunciates his words distinctly.’”