"CENTI"meter vs "SONO"meter

I have no idea why nurses feel the need to pronounce this simple word in such a rediculously affected manner. I was a physics and math major and not until nursing did I EVER hear someone pronounce centimeter as sonometer. It makes me want to hurl!!!
Quote from itiswhatitisI have no idea why nurses feel the need to pronounce this simple word in such a rediculously affected manner. I was a physics and math major and not until nursing did I EVER hear someone pronounce centimeter as sonometer. It makes me want to hurl!!!

ok.. so ..suddenly upon entering the field of nursing , we are now speaking french..i want to hurl even more!!

Hey itiswhatitis, I think it mostly has to do with how they were "taught" to say it. You know, you say "toe-MAY-toe", I say "to-MAH-toe"??? http://allnurses.com/forums/f35/pron...ht=sontimeters

Check out this lengthy thread in the OB forum:http://allnurses.com/forums/f35/pron...ght=centimeter

Thanks siri, I was going to suggest the same thing - we had a lengthy discussion about it recently.I still think it sounds silly to say "sono" meter. Affected. Like you are trying to impress someone with your superior grammar skills. I'll have to remember this though next time I hear someone make fun of President Bush and his pronounciation of "nuclear" and I think they are being silly for getting upset. steph

Well I am very glad for the explanation that it is the French pronunciation. My OB teacher pronounced it that way and I was like HUH? Why in the WORLD does she say it that way? now we are in the South and I think every community has its own way of saying things - but I was appalled that she would say it so off lol...now I know why! I mean she is a highly educated woman, and a FNP lol....so I was so surprised! haha

Funny, there's a lengthy thread going on at SDN over this...

Quote from stevielynnThanks siri, I was going to suggest the same thing - we had a lengthy discussion about it recently.I still think it sounds silly to say "sono" meter. Affected. Like you are trying to impress someone with your superior grammar skills. I'll have to remember this though next time I hear someone make fun of President Bush and his pronounciation of "nuclear" and I think they are being silly for getting upset. steph

Quote from itiswhatitis It makes me want to hurl!!!

As stressfull as nursing is, and of all the crap that gos on in the profession, I cannot believe that, of all things is what bothers you. Better take a chill pill. There's a lot worse out there to deal with

Quote from stevielynn I'll have to remember this though next time I hear someone make fun of President Bush and his pronounciation of "nuclear" and I think they are being silly for getting upset. steph

I agree---it grates on my nerves too (probably because I was raised so strictly to "pronounce things right!"). But then again many words that are mispronounced grate on my nerves--like "Miz-ur-ah" for Missouri---mostly has to do with dialect, I guess.