Minuet—mĭn´ū-et, not mĭn-ū-ĕt´. A dance.
Mischievous—mĭs´che-vŭs, not mĭs-chē´vŭs, nor mis-chē´ve-us. Mischievously and mischievousness are also accented on the first syllable.
Modulate. This word is often used incorrectly instead of moderate in such sentences as: "Modulate your voice," when it is meant to command or request that the tone be moderated or lowered. Modulate means to vary or inflect in a musical manner, and although the word might often be used with propriety in such sentences as the above, yet it is not always what is meant by the speaker. A person's voice may be perfectly modulated and yet the tone may be so high that it is desirable, upon certain occasions, to have it moderated.
Moire—mwôr, not mōre nor mō´re. Moire antique (mwor ăn-tēk´).
Molasses. It may seem incredible to those who have never heard the error I am about to mention, that such a ridiculous blunder could occur. I should hardly have believed it myself, if I had only heard of it; but I was once in a portion of the country where all the people for miles around spoke of molasses as if it were a plural noun, and I frequently heard such remarks as the following: "These molasses are very good; they are the best I have seen for some time." I once began to remonstrate with one of the champions of the plurality of the treacle, and insisted that he should say, "this molasses" and, "it is good," etc.; but it was of no avail. He insisted that the word was analogous to ashes, and if one was plural so was the other. There was no good dictionary or other reliable authority in the neighborhood, as might be imagined from what has been said, so they were left happy in their ignorance.
Monad—mŏn´ad, not mō´nad. An ultimate atom.
Monogram—mŏn´o-gram, not mō´no-gram.
Monograph—mŏn´o-graph, not mō´no-graph.
Monomania—mŏn-o-mā´nia, not mō-no-mā´nia. Monomaniac (mŏn-o-mā´ni-ac).
Moor—mōōr, not mōre. An extensive waste; a heath. Moor, the name of a native of North Africa, is similarly pronounced.