When -OT is [ət]

When -OT is [É™t] When -OT is [É™t] When -OT is [É™t] By Maeve Maddox In reading some instructions for building a 3-tier strawberry bed, I came across the word spiget. At first I thought it was some specialized gardening term. Then I figured out that the writer was referring to a spigot. Spigot is one of several English words in which the spelling -ot is pronounced [É™t] at the end of the word. spigot [spÄ ­gÉ™t] faucet, like the one your tap water comes out of, or the one you attach your garden hose to. It also refers to the projection on a cask or box of wine that the liquid comes through. bigot (bÄ ­gÉ™t) originally a religious fanatic, but now any person characterized by obstinate, intolerant, or strongly partisan beliefs (OED). In cruising the web I came across the expression bigot spigot. Apparently the term has been coined to describe purveyors of intolerant partisan opinion. faggot, fagot [fÄÆ'gÉ™t] both spellings are seen, but the first is more common. The word is used with various meanings. The original meaning is a bundle of sticks. Now it is also used to refer to a bundle of herbs. The word became associated with religious heretics because bundles of sticks were used to burn them at the stake. To fry a faggot was to burn a heretic. Before faggot became a derogatory term for a homosexual, it was used as an insulting term for a woman: Urry up wi that glass o beer, you lazy faggot! (example from OED) maggot (mÄÆ'gÉ™t) fly larva. There is an English word spelled magot, but it is pronounced [mÄÆ'-gÃ… ] and refers either to a type of ape or to a fanciful, often grotesque figurine in the Japanese or Chinese style rendered in a crouching position (answers.com). Some other examples: ballot, carrot, idiot, parrot, pilot, riot, and zealot. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Spelling category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:60 Synonyms for â€Å"Walk†What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a RowThe 7 Types of Possessive Case