Commonly Mispronounced Words
Some English words are pronounced differently than they look. Here are the most commonly mispronounced words!
Words with Silent Letters
| Word | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | /ˈwednesdeɪ/ | /ˈwenzdeɪ/ |
| February | /ˈfebruːəri/ | /ˈfebjuəri/ |
| business | /ˈbɪzɪnes/ | /ˈbɪznəs/ |
| comfortable | /ˈkʌmfɔːtəbl/ | /ˈkʌmftəbl/ |
| chocolate | /ˈtʃɒkəleɪt/ | /ˈtʃɒklət/ |
| vegetable | /ˈvedʒetəbl/ | /ˈvedʒtəbl/ |
| interesting | /ˈɪntərestɪŋ/ | /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ |
| different | /ˈdɪfərent/ | /ˈdɪfrənt/ |
Tip: Many English words “swallow” unstressed syllables. Listen to native speakers!
Words with Surprising Stress
| Word | Wrong Stress | Right Stress |
|---|---|---|
| photograph | photoGRAPH | PHOtograph |
| photography | PHOtography | phoTOGraphy |
| hotel | HOtel | hoTEL |
| police | POlice | poLICE |
| develop | DEvelop | deVElop |
| certificate | CERtificate | cerTIficate |
| advertisement | adVERtisement (US) | adverTISEment (UK) |
Words with Unexpected Vowels
| Word | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| says | /seɪz/ | /sez/ |
| said | /seɪd/ | /sed/ |
| women | /ˈwuːmen/ | /ˈwɪmɪn/ |
| blood | /bluːd/ | /blʌd/ |
| bury | /ˈbjuːri/ | /ˈberi/ |
| busy | /ˈbjuːzi/ | /ˈbɪzi/ |
| heart | /hiːrt/ | /hɑːrt/ |
| sweat | /swiːt/ | /swet/ |
“Women” is unusual: The “o” sounds like /ɪ/! Compare: “woman” /ˈwʊmən/ vs. “women” /ˈwɪmɪn/
Words that Look Like Other Words
| Word | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| through | /θruː/ | like “threw” |
| though | /ðəʊ/ | like “tho” |
| thought | /θɔːt/ | like “thawt” |
| thorough | /ˈθʌrə/ | like “thuruh” |
| tough | /tʌf/ | like “tuff” |
| cough | /kɒf/ | like “coff” |
| bough | /baʊ/ | like “bow” |
Place Names
| Place | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Thames | /θeɪmz/ | /temz/ |
| Leicester | /laɪˈsestə/ | /ˈlestə/ |
| Edinburgh | /ˈedɪnbɜːrg/ | /ˈedɪnbrə/ |
| Worcester | /ˈwɔːstʃestə/ | /ˈwʊstə/ |
| Greenwich | /ˈɡriːnwɪtʃ/ | /ˈɡrenɪtʃ/ |
British place names are tricky! Many have evolved over centuries and no longer match their spelling.
Common Words Often Mispronounced
Food and Drink
| Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| salmon | /ˈsæmən/ (silent L) |
| almond | /ˈɑːmənd/ (silent L, US: /ˈæmənd/) |
| recipe | /ˈresɪpi/ |
| quinoa | /ˈkiːnwɑː/ |
Everyday Words
| Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| clothes | /kləʊðz/ (one syllable!) |
| months | /mʌnθs/ |
| literally | /ˈlɪtərəli/ |
| probably | /ˈprɒbəbli/ |
| library | /ˈlaɪbrəri/ |
| definitely | /ˈdefɪnətli/ |
| environment | /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ |
Technical Words
| Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|
| cache | /kæʃ/ (like “cash”) |
| genre | /ˈʒɒnrə/ |
| niche | /niːʃ/ (UK) or /nɪtʃ/ (US) |
| meme | /miːm/ |
| GIF | /ɡɪf/ or /dʒɪf/ (debated!) |
Practice Sentences
- I read an interesting recipe for salmon.
- She’s comfortable in February weather.
- The police found the thorough evidence.
- Women don’t always bury their hearts.
- The business develops different products.