Wordopedia
English pronunciation is famously difficult. The language's spelling system is inconsistent, its vowel sounds are more numerous than most other languages, and words borrowed from dozens of source languages often retain their original pronunciation patterns. This guide presents 100 of the most commonly mispronounced English words, organized by the type of pronunciation challenge they present. For each word, we provide the correct pronunciation in a simplified phonetic guide, the common mispronunciation, and a brief explanation of why the word trips people up.
Table of Contents
1. Silent Letters and Sounds (1–20)
Many English words contain letters that are not pronounced, remnants of earlier pronunciation patterns or borrowed spelling conventions. These silent elements are among the most common sources of pronunciation errors.
1. Colonel — Correct: KUR-nuhl. Not: KOL-oh-nel. The word was borrowed from both Italian (colonello) and French (coronel), and English kept the Italian spelling but the French-influenced pronunciation.
2. Wednesday — Correct: WENZ-day. Not: WED-nes-day. Named after the Norse god Woden, the middle syllable has been silent in standard speech for centuries.
3. Subtle — Correct: SUT-ul. Not: SUB-tul. The "b" has been silent since the word was borrowed from Latin subtilis through Old French.
4. Debt — Correct: DET. Not: DEBT. The "b" was inserted by scholars wanting to show the word's Latin origin (debitum) but was never pronounced in English.
5. Receipt — Correct: rih-SEET. Not: reh-SEEP-t. The "p" is silent, a relic of the Latin receptum.
6. Salmon — Correct: SAM-un. Not: SAL-mun. The "l" has been silent in English pronunciation since the word was borrowed from Old French.
7. Debris — Correct: duh-BREE. Not: DEB-ris. French pronunciation keeps the final "s" silent and stresses the second syllable.
8. Corps — Correct: KOR. Not: KORPS. The "ps" is silent in this French borrowing, though "corpse" (a different word) pronounces the final consonants.
9. Rendezvous — Correct: RON-day-voo. Not: REN-dez-vows. French pronunciation rules apply throughout this commonly used borrowing.
10. Sword — Correct: SORD. Not: S-WORD. The "w" has been silent since Middle English, though it was originally pronounced.
11. Comptroller — Correct: kun-TROH-lur. Not: KOMP-troh-lur. Despite the spelling, it is pronounced like "controller" — the "mp" is a historical spelling variant.
12. Victuals — Correct: VIT-ulz. Not: VIK-choo-ulz. One of the most surprising pronunciations in English, reflecting a long history of spelling changes.
13. Mischievous — Correct: MIS-chuh-vus (3 syllables). Not: mis-CHEE-vee-us (4 syllables). The commonly added extra syllable is a widespread error.
14. Almond — Correct: AH-mund (silent "l" in standard pronunciation). Regional variation exists, with some dialects pronouncing the "l."
15. Albeit — Correct: awl-BEE-it. Not: ALL-bite. This contraction of "all be it" has three syllables with stress on the second.
16. Clothes — Correct: KLOHZ. Not: KLOH-thiz. In natural speech, this is one syllable, identical to "close." The "th" is typically silent.
17. Often — Correct: OFF-un or OFF-ten. Both are now accepted, though the silent "t" pronunciation is historically older.
18. Herb — Correct: URB (American) or HURB (British). American English drops the "h," following the original French pronunciation.
19. Mortgage — Correct: MOR-gij. Not: MORT-gage. The "t" is silent in the first syllable.
20. February — Correct: FEB-roo-air-ee. Not: FEB-yoo-air-ee. The first "r" is often dropped in casual speech, but the standard includes it.
2. Stress and Syllable Traps (21–40)
English word stress is unpredictable and can change the meaning of a word entirely. These words are frequently mispronounced because speakers stress the wrong syllable or add/drop syllables.
21. Espresso — Correct: eh-SPRES-oh. Not: EX-press-oh. There is no "x" in espresso — it comes from the Italian for "pressed out."
22. Et cetera — Correct: et-SET-er-uh. Not: ek-SET-er-uh. The first word is "et" (Latin for "and"), not "ek."
23. Nuclear — Correct: NOO-klee-ur. Not: NOO-kyuh-lur. Two syllables after "noo," not a "kyuh" sound.
24. Pronunciation — Correct: pruh-NUN-see-AY-shun. Not: proh-NOWN-see-AY-shun. Despite coming from "pronounce," the noun changes the vowel.
25. Comfortable — Correct: KUMF-ter-bul (3 syllables in natural speech). The middle syllables compress naturally.
26. Deteriorate — Correct: dih-TEER-ee-uh-rayt (5 syllables). Not: dih-TEER-ee-ayt (4 syllables). The fifth syllable is often dropped.
27. Hierarchy — Correct: HY-uh-rar-kee (4 syllables). Not: HY-ar-kee (3 syllables).
28. Jewellery/Jewelry — Correct: JOO-ul-ree (3 syllables). Not: JOO-luh-ree or JWEL-ree.
29. Library — Correct: LY-brair-ee. Not: LY-berry. Both "r" sounds should be present.
30. Miniature — Correct: MIN-ee-uh-chur (4 syllables). Not: MIN-uh-chur (3 syllables).
31. Temperature — Correct: TEM-pruh-chur (3 syllables). Not: TEM-puh-RAY-chur (4 syllables).
32. Vegetable — Correct: VEJ-tuh-bul (3 syllables). Not: VEJ-uh-TAY-bul (4 syllables).
33. Quinoa — Correct: KEEN-wah. Not: KWIN-oh-uh. This Quechua-origin word has only two syllables.
34. Worcestershire — Correct: WOOS-tur-shur. Not: WOR-ses-ter-shy-ur. This English place name compresses dramatically from its spelling.
35. Açaí — Correct: ah-sah-EE. Not: uh-KAI or AK-ai. This Portuguese-Brazilian word has three syllables with stress on the last.
36. Epitome — Correct: eh-PIT-uh-mee (4 syllables). Not: EP-ih-tohm (3 syllables). This Greek borrowing ends in a pronounced "ee."
37. Hyperbole — Correct: hy-PUR-buh-lee (4 syllables). Not: HY-pur-bowl. Like "epitome," the final "e" is pronounced.
38. Explicitly — Correct: ik-SPLIS-it-lee. Not: ek-SPLIS-it-lee. The first syllable uses a short "i" sound.
39. Particularly — Correct: par-TIK-yuh-lur-lee (5 syllables). Often reduced to par-TIK-lee in casual speech.
40. Gubernatorial — Correct: GOO-bur-nuh-TOR-ee-ul. Not: GUV-er-nuh-TOR-ee-ul. Despite relating to "governor," the root word is Latin gubernator.
3. Vowel Sound Surprises (41–60)
English has approximately 20 vowel sounds but only 5 vowel letters (6 counting "y"), creating abundant opportunities for mispronunciation based on spelling.
41. Chaos — Correct: KAY-oss. Not: CHAY-oss. The "ch" makes a "k" sound in this Greek-origin word.
42. Segue — Correct: SEG-way. Not: SEG-yoo or SAYG. This Italian music term has become common in English.
43. Regime — Correct: reh-ZHEEM. Not: REJ-ime. French pronunciation with a soft "g" sound.
44. Genre — Correct: ZHON-ruh. Not: JEN-ree. The French "g" produces a "zh" sound.
45. Niche — Correct: NEESH or NITCH. Both are accepted; NEESH follows the French origin, NITCH is the anglicized version.
46. Cache — Correct: KASH. Not: ka-SHAY. A cache (hidden store) has one syllable; cachet (prestige) has two.
47. Draught — Correct: DRAFT. Not: DRAWT. This British spelling of "draft" follows the same pronunciation.
48. Choir — Correct: KWY-ur. Not: CHOY-ur. The "ch" makes a "k" sound, from the Latin chorus.
49. Quay — Correct: KEE. Not: KWAY. This word for a wharf comes from Old French and is pronounced like "key."
50. Gauge — Correct: GAYJ. Not: GAWJ. The "au" makes an "ay" sound in this word.
51. Sew — Correct: SOH. Not: SOO. Despite looking like "dew" and "new," "sew" rhymes with "go."
52. Bough — Correct: BOW (rhymes with "cow"). Not: BOH or BUFF.
53. Slough — Correct: SLOO (a swamp) or SLUFF (to shed). Same spelling, two different words with different pronunciations.
54. Cough — Correct: KOFF. The "ough" combination has yet another pronunciation here.
55. Plough — Correct: PLOW. Not: PLOH or PLUFF. British spelling of "plow."
56. Bouquet — Correct: boo-KAY. Not: BOW-ket. French pronunciation throughout.
57. Thorough — Correct: THUR-oh. Not: THUR-ow. Rhymes with "borough," not with "through."
58. Hiatus — Correct: hy-AY-tus. Not: HEE-ay-tus. Three syllables with stress on the second.
59. Anemone — Correct: uh-NEM-uh-nee. Not: AN-eh-moan. Four syllables with stress on the second.
60. Synecdoche — Correct: sih-NEK-duh-kee. Not: sy-NEK-dosh. This literary term has four syllables ending in "kee."
4. Consonant Cluster Challenges (61–80)
Certain consonant combinations in English create pronunciation challenges, especially when clusters appear at the beginning or end of words.
61. Anemone — Correct: uh-NEM-uh-nee. The repeated "n" and "m" sounds make this a genuine tongue twister.
62. Sixth — Correct: SIKSTH. The "xth" cluster requires three consonant sounds in rapid succession.
63. Strengths — Correct: STRENGKTHS. Five consonant sounds at the end of one syllable.
64. Twelfths — Correct: TWELFTHS. Perhaps the most difficult consonant cluster in English: "lfths."
65. Isthmus — Correct: IS-mus. Not: ISTH-mus. The "th" is silent in standard pronunciation.
66. Clothes — Correct: KLOHZ (one syllable). The "th" sound blends with the "z" in natural speech.
67. Months — Correct: MUNTHS. The "nths" cluster is challenging for many speakers.
68. Fifths — Correct: FIFTHS. The "fths" cluster at the end requires careful articulation.
69. Otorhinolaryngology — Correct: OH-toh-RY-noh-lair-in-GOL-uh-jee. The study of ear, nose, and throat medicine — 8 syllables of challenge.
70. Phenomenon — Correct: fuh-NOM-uh-non. Not: fuh-NOM-uh-nun. The last syllable is "non," not "nun."
71. Miscellaneous — Correct: miss-uh-LAY-nee-us. Five syllables with the "sc" making an "s" sound.
72. Entrepreneurial — Correct: on-truh-pruh-NUR-ee-ul. Six syllables of French-origin complexity.
73. Totalitarianism — Correct: toh-TAL-uh-TAIR-ee-uh-niz-um. Eight syllables with multiple unstressed vowels.
74. Antidisestablishmentarianism — Correct: AN-tee-DIS-uh-STAB-lish-men-TAIR-ee-uh-niz-um. At 12 syllables, more a test of stamina than individual sounds.
75. Rural — Correct: ROOR-ul. The two "r" sounds separated by a vowel create a genuine tongue twister.
76. Brewery — Correct: BROO-uh-ree. The "br" cluster followed by a vowel shift challenges many speakers.
77. Murderer — Correct: MUR-dur-ur. Three "r" sounds in close succession.
78. Regularly — Correct: REG-yuh-lur-lee. The "g" followed by "y" and multiple unstressed syllables.
79. Particularly — Correct: par-TIK-yuh-lur-lee. Five syllables with the "rl" combination.
80. Squirrel — Correct: SKWUR-ul. Famously difficult for non-native speakers due to the "skw" opening and "rl" combination.
5. Borrowed Word Pronunciations (81–100)
English freely borrows words from other languages but does not always adopt consistent pronunciation rules for them. These borrowed words frequently trip up even fluent English speakers.
81. Charcuterie — Correct: shar-KOO-tuh-ree. Not: char-CUT-er-ee. French pronunciation with a soft "ch."
82. Gnocchi — Correct: NYOH-kee. Not: noh-CHEE or guh-NOH-chee. Italian "gn" makes a "ny" sound.
83. Bruschetta — Correct: broo-SKET-tuh. Not: broo-SHET-tuh. Italian "sch" makes a "sk" sound, not "sh."
84. Croissant — Correct: kwah-SON (or anglicized kruh-SONT). French nasal vowel at the end.
85. Pho — Correct: FUH. Not: FOH. This Vietnamese soup has a short vowel sound.
86. Gyro — Correct: YEE-roh (Greek sandwich). Not: JY-roh. The Greek "g" produces a "y" sound.
87. Chipotle — Correct: chih-POHT-lay. Not: chih-POL-tay. The "tl" combination from Nahuatl creates the "lay" ending.
88. Sriracha — Correct: see-RAH-chah. Not: srih-RAH-chah. Named after Si Racha, a coastal city in Thailand.
89. Schadenfreude — Correct: SHAH-dun-froy-duh. German compound meaning "harm-joy."
90. Coup — Correct: KOO. Not: KOOP. The "p" is silent in this French word.
91. Faux pas — Correct: FOH PAH. Not: FAWKS PASS. Both words follow French pronunciation.
92. Apropos — Correct: ap-ruh-POH. Not: AP-roh-poze. French origin with stress on the final syllable.
93. Liaison — Correct: lee-AY-zon or LY-uh-zon. Both are accepted English pronunciations of this French word.
94. Lingerie — Correct: LON-zhuh-ray. Not: LIN-juh-ree. French pronunciation with nasal vowel.
95. Macabre — Correct: muh-KAH-bruh. Not: muh-KAH-ber. The final "e" creates a "bruh" ending.
96. Mauve — Correct: MOHV. Not: MAWV. Rhymes with "stove," from French.
97. Façade — Correct: fuh-SAHD. Not: fuh-KAYD. The cedilla under the "c" indicates an "s" sound.
98. Penchant — Correct: PEN-chunt. Not: pen-SHONT. Anglicized from the French pronunciation.
99. Reservoir — Correct: REZ-ur-vwar. Not: REZ-ur-voy-ur. Three syllables with a French-influenced ending.
100. Archipelago — Correct: ar-kih-PEL-uh-goh. Not: arch-ih-PEL-uh-goh. The "ch" makes a "k" sound from its Greek origin.
Tips for Mastering Difficult Pronunciations
Improving pronunciation requires consistent practice and exposure to correct models. Listen to dictionary audio pronunciations for any word you are unsure about. Break long words into syllables and practice each part separately before combining them. Pay attention to word stress patterns, as incorrect stress is often more noticeable than individual sound errors. Read aloud regularly to build muscle memory for challenging sound combinations. Remember that English pronunciation varies by region, and many words have multiple accepted pronunciations. When in doubt, consult a reputable dictionary that includes pronunciation guides.
English pronunciation reflects the language's rich and complex history, with layers of influence from Latin, French, Greek, Norse, and dozens of other languages. While the disconnect between spelling and pronunciation can be frustrating, it also makes English a fascinating study in linguistic archaeology. Every silent letter, every unexpected stress pattern, and every borrowed pronunciation tells a story about the people, languages, and cultures that have shaped English into the global language it is today. Mastering these 100 challenging words will not only improve your spoken English but also deepen your appreciation for the remarkable language we share.
Look Up Any Word Instantly on Wordopedia
Get definitions, pronunciation, etymology, synonyms & examples for 1,000,000+ words.
Search the Dictionary