=Sacerdotal=--săs-er-dō´tal, not sā-ser-dō´tal,
sā-ker-dō´tal nor săk-er-dō´tal.
=Sacrament=--săk´ra-ment, not sā´kra-ment. =Sacramental=
(săk´ra-ment-al), etc.
=Sacrifice=--săk´rĭ-fīz, not săk´rĭ-fĭs nor
săk´rĭ-fīse. Verb and noun the same. =Sacrificing=
(săk´rĭ-fī-zĭng), etc.
=Sacristan=--săk´rist-an, not sā´krist-an nor
sā-krĭs´tan. =Sacristy= (săk´rist-y).
=Salam=--sa-läm´, not sa-lăm´. Written =salaam= also, and
pronounced similarly.
=Saline=--sa-līne´ or sā´līne, not sā-lēēn´.
Worcester gives sa-līne´ only.
=Salve=--säv, not săv. Worcester gives sälv also.
=Samaritan=--sa-măr´i-tan, not sa-mā´ri-tan.
=Sanitary=, not _sanatory_, when _pertaining_ to health is meant.
=Sanatory= is more restricted in its application, and means
healing; curative.
=Saracen=--săr´a-sen, not săr´a-ken.
=Sarsaparilla=--sär-sa-pa-rĭl´la, not săs-sa-pa-rĭl´la,
nor sär-sa-fa-rĭl´la.
=Satyr=--sā´tur, according to Webster. Worcester gives
săt´ir also.
=Saucy=--saw´sy, not _sassy_.
=Said.= _Said_ (sĕd), not says (sĕz), in speaking of past
remarks. Many of the most cultivated people are guilty of this
vulgarism. "'I will call to see you soon,' _sez_ he." "'I will
be glad to see you at any time,' _sez_ I." Where the details of
a long conversation are given the frequent repetition of _sez_,
or even _said_, is very grating to the refined ear. The use of
_asked_, _inquired_, _remarked_, _suggested_, _answered_,
_replied_, etc., instead, has a pleasing effect upon narrative
or anecdote. It is preferable, also, to give the _exact words_
of the speaker after _said_, etc., as: "When he had finished
reading the letter, he said: 'I will attend to the business the
first leisure moment I have.'" When the word _that_ follows the
_said_, the substance only of the remark may be given, as "He
said that he would attend to the business the first leisure
moment he had." Whichever form is used in narrative, it is not
at all harmonious to give the _exact words_ of one speaker and
only the substance of the remarks of another, at least without
regard to regularity in alternation.
=Schism=--sĭzm, not skĭsm.
=Seckel=, not sĭck-el. A kind of pear.
=See.= It is not uncommon to meet with people that incorrectly
use _see_ in the imperfect tense, as: "I _see_ him yesterday,"
instead of, "I _saw_ him yesterday." See is never used in any
tense but the present, without an auxiliary, as did, shall, etc.
=Seignior=--sēn´yur, not sān´yor.
=Seine=--sēn, not sān. A net for catching fish.
=Senile=--sē´nīle, not sĕn´īle. Pertaining to old age.
=Separate=, not _seperate_. The loss of the a is not noticed in
the pronunciation, but the mistake frequently occurs in writing
this word as it does in the words =inseparable=,
=inseparableness=, =separation=, etc.
=Servile=--sër´vĭl, not sër´vīle.
=Set.= Noun. There are many who incorrectly use _sett_ in writing
of a _set_ of dishes, a _set_ of chess-men, a _set_ of teeth,
or of some other collection of things of the same kind. A
=sett= is a piece placed upon the head of a pile for striking
upon, when the pile can not be reached by the weight or hammer.
=Set=--=Sit.= Blunders in the use of these words are amongst the
most common we have. _Set_, as we shall first consider it, is a
transitive verb, or one in which the action passes over to an
object. Present tense, _set_; imperfect tense and past
participle, _set_; present participle, _setting_. _Sit_ is an
intransitive verb, or one which has no object after it. Present
tense, _sit_; imperfect tense and past participle, _sat_;
present participle, _sitting_.
To avoid repetition as much as possible, I would refer any one to
whom the explanation here given is not perfectly clear, to the
rules and remarks under =Lay= and =Raise=, which are equally
applicable here. "Will you _set_ on this chair?" should be, "Will
you _sit_ on this chair?" "Will you _set_ this _chair_ in the
other room?" is correct. "I _set_ for my picture yesterday,"
should be, "I _sat_," etc. "This hat _sets_ well," should be,
"This hat _sits_ well." "Court _sets_ next month," should be,
"Court _sits_ next month." "The hen has been _setting_ for a
week," should be, "The hen has been _sitting_," etc. "As cross as
a _setting_ hen," should be, "As cross as a _sitting_ hen." But a
person may _set_ a hen; that is, place her in position on eggs.
One _sits_ up in a chair, but he _sets_ up a post. One _sits_
down on the ground, but he _sets_ down figures. _Set_ is also an
intransitive verb and has special meanings attached to it as
such, but they may be readily understood by a little study of
the dictionary, and no confusion need arise. The sun _sets_.
Plaster of Paris _sets_. A setter dog _sets_. One _sets_ out on a
journey. _Sit_ may also be used in two senses as a transitive
verb, as: "The general _sits_ his horse well," and "The woman
_sat_ herself down."
=Sew=--sō, not sū.
=Shampoo=, not _shampoon_. =Shampooing.= Written also =champoo=.
=Shekel=--shĕk´el, not shē´kel.
=Shumac=--shū´mak, not shū-mak´. Written also =sumac= and
=sumach=, both accented on the first syllable.
=Sick= _of_, not sick _with_, as sick _of_ a fever.
=Sienna=--si-ĕn´na, not _senna_, when paint is meant. =Senna=
is a plant used as medicine.
=Simultaneous=--sī-mul-tā´ne-ous, not
sĭm´ul-tā´ne-oŭs. =Simultaneously=
(sī-mul-tā´ne-ous-ly), etc.
=Since=, not _sence_.
=Sinecure=--sī´ne-cure, not sĭn´e-cure. An office which
yields revenue without labor.
=Sit.= See =Sat=.
=Slake=--slāke, not slăk, when the word is spelled as
given, as: _slaked_ lime, to _slake_ one's thirst, etc. If
spelled =slack=, the ordinary pronunciation is right.
=Slough=--slow, not slōō nor slō. A mudhole. Written
=sloo= (slōō) also.
=Slough=--slŭf, not as above. The cast skin of a serpent. Dead
flesh which separates from the living. The verb expressing this
action is pronounced the same.
=Sobriquet=--so-bri-kā´, not written _soubriquet_. Worcester
pronounces it sŏb´rē-kā´.
=Soften=--sŏf´fn, not sawf´ten.
=Sonnet=--sŏn´net, not sŭn´net.
=Soot=--sōōt or sŏŏt, not sŭt.
=Soporific=--sŏp-o-rĭf´ik, not sō-por-ĭf´ik.
=Sotto voce=--sŏt´tō vō´chā, not sŏt´to vōs´
nor sŏt´tō vō´sē.
=Souse=--souss, not sowze. To plunge into water.
=Spasmodic=, not _spasmotic_.
=Spectacles=--spĕk´ta-kls, not spĕk´tĭk´els.
=Spermaceti=--sperm-a-sē´tĭ, not sperm-a-çĭt´y.
=Spider=, not _spiter_.
=Splenetic=--splĕn´e-tic, not sple-nĕt´ic. Fretful;
peevish.
=Spoliation=--spō-li-ā´tion, not spoil-a´tion.
=Spurious=--spū´ri-ous, not spŭr´i-oŭs. =Spuriously=
(spū´ri-ous-ly), etc.
=Statical=--stăt´i-cal, not stā´ti-cal. Pertaining to
bodies at rest.
=Stationery=, not _stationary_, when paper, envelopes, ink, etc.,
are meant.
=Statue=, not _statute_, when a carved image is meant.
=Statute=, not _statue_, when a law or decree is meant.
=Stearine=--stē´a-rĭn, not stĕr´ĭn.
=Stereoscope= (stē´re-o-scope), =Stereotype=
(stē´re-o-type), etc., according to Webster; and
stĕr´e-o-scope, stĕr´-e-o-type, etc., according to
Worcester.
=Stolid=--stŏl´id, not stō´lid. Stupid; dull.
=Stratum=--strā´tum, not străt´um. =Strata= (strā´ta),
the Latin plural is used much more than the English =stratums=.
Errors like "a _strata_ of gravel," are also not infrequently
heard.
=Strategic=--stra-tē´jik, not străt´e-jĭk. =Strategical=
(stra-tē´ji-cal) and =strategist= (străt´e-jist).
Worcester gives stra-tĕj´ic and stra-tĕj´i-cal.
=Strum= or =Thrum= should be used, and not _drum_, when the noisy
and unskillful fingering of a musical instrument is meant.
=Stupendous=--stu-pen´dŭs, not stu-pĕn´jŭs nor
stu-pĕn´de-us.
=Suavity=--swăv´ĭ-ty, not swäv´ĭ-ty nor suăv´i-ty.
=Subtraction=, not _substraction_, when the act of deducting is
meant. =Substraction= is a law term meaning the withholding of
some right, for which, however, the word _subtraction_ is also
used. =Subtract=, not _substract_.
=Subtile=--sŭb´tĭl, not sŭt´tle.
=Subtle=--sŭt´tle, not sŭb´tle.
=Suffice=--sŭf-fīz´, not sŭf-fīs´.
=Suicidal=--sū-i-sī´dal, not sū-ĭs´i-dal. Worcester
placed the principal accent on the first syllable.
=Suite=--sweet, not sūte. When the word =suit= is used,
however, the latter pronunciation is correct.
=Sulphurous=--sŭl´phur-ŭs, not sul-phū´rŭs nor
sŭl-phū´re-us. =Sulphureous= is another word.
=Summoned=, not _summonsed_.
=Supersede=, =superseded=, =superseding=. Observe the s in the
penultimate. It is a common error to write _supercede_, etc.
=Supposititious=--sup-pos-i-tĭ´shus, not sup-po-sĭ´shus.
Put by a trick in the place of another, as, a _supposititious_
child, a _supposititious_ record.
=Surtout=--sŭr-tōōt´, not sŭr-towt´ nor
sŭr´tōōt.
=Swath=--swawth, not swawthe. Worcester gives swŏth. The sweep
of the scythe in mowing.