List of Commonly Mispronounced Words .Even though spelling rules are complicated in English, they can be understood. Pronouncing words correctly will help you spell them correctly. Here are 100 English words that are most commonly mispronounced (“mispronunciation”)
List of Commonly Mispronounced Words
Here’s a list of frequently mispronounced words, arranged alphabetically. These four tables include brands, universities, places and words that have two pronunciations when they are used in different forms.
The word is shown in the left column, and the correct pronunciation is displayed on the right. I have highlighted the parts that people often make mistakes in pronunciations for a few words. These are just a few examples to help you identify problem areas. (You will quickly realize that you often mispronounce words because you don’t know how to spell them.
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A
Word Pronunciation Acoustic uh –koo -stikAdjective aj -ik-tivAdolescent ad-l-es –uh nt Alcohol al -kuh -holAlzheimer’s ahlts -hahy-merzAmbitious am-bish –uh s April ey -pruh lArithmetic uh –rith -muh -tikAsthma az -muh An attorney uh –tur -neeAutomobile aw-tuh -muh –beel
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B
Word Pronunciation Ballet ba-ley Banana buh –nan –uh Barley bahr -leeBarometer buh –rom -i-ter Bear bair Bomb bom Breakfast brek -fuh stBuffet buh –fey Bury ber -ee
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C
Word Pronunciation Cache Kash Cadet kuh –det Capacity kuh –pas -i-tee Carnivorous kahr-niv -er-uh s Chaos key -osCivil siv –uh lCleanser klen -zerCollaboration kuh -lab-uh –rey -shuh n Colonialism kuh –loh -nee-uh -liz-uh m Comedian kuh –mee -dee-uh n Commodity kuh –mod -i-tee Complacency kuh m-pley -suh n-see Congratulation kuh n-grach-uh –ley -shuh n Creature kree -cherCrocodile krok –uh -dahylCucumber kyoo -kuh m-ber
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D
Word Pronunciation Debris dey -breeDecent dee -suh ntDecimal des –uh -muh lLearn how to decipher dih-sahy -fer Demography dih-mog -ruh -fee Deodorant dee-oh -der-uh nt Depot dee -poh, dep-ohDescent dih-sent Detonate det -n-eytDeveloper dih-vel –uh -per Devotee dev-uh –tee Diplomacy dih-ploh -muh -see Diplomatic dip-luh –mat -ik Divisive dih-vahy -siv Domestic duh –mes -tik Draught Draft Drought Drout
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E
Word Pronunciation Eccentric ek-sen -trik Echelon esh –uh -lonElectoral ih-lek -ter-uh l Electrician ih-lek-trish –uh n Eloquent el –uh -kwuh ntEmergencies ih-mur -juh n-see Endeavor en-dev -er Envelope en -vuh -lohpEpitome ih-pit –uh -mee Extravaganza ik-strav-uh –gan -zuh
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F-G
Word Pronunciation Facilitate fuh –sil -i-teyt Faux Pas foh ph February feb -roo-er-eeForensic fuh –ren -sik Do not forget fer-get Generic juh –ner -ik Grenade gri -neydGuerrilla guh –ril –uh
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H
Word Pronunciation Handkerchief hang -ker-chif, -cheefHazard haz -erdHereditary huh –red -i-ter-ee Hippopotamus hip-uh –pot –uh -muh s Horizon huh –rahy -zuh n Hotel hoh-tel Hypnotize hip -nuh -tahyzHypocrisy hi-pok -ruh -see
I
Word Pronunciation Ignorance ig -ner-uh nsImpropriety im-pruh –prahy -i-tee Famous in -fuh -muh sInformation in-fer-mey -shuh n Ingredient in-gree -dee-uh nt Innovation in-uh –vey -shuh n Introduction in-truh –duhk -shuh n
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J-L
Word Pronunciation Jeopardy jep -er-deeJewellery joo –uh l-reeKerosene ker –uh -seenLegacy leg –uh -seeLegitimate li-jit –uh -meyt Leprosy lep -ruh -seeLettuce let -isLiaison lee-ey -zuh n/ lee-ey-zawn Lieutenant loo-ten –uh nt
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M
Word Pronunciation Magician muh –jish –uh n Majestic muh –jes -tik Materialize muh –teer -ee-uh -lahyz Maternal muh –tur -nl Matrix mey -triksMedieval mee-dee-ee -vuh l Melodious muh –loh -dee-uh s Melody mel –uh -deeMetabolism muh –tab –uh -liz-uh m Metallic muh –tal -ik Mischievous mis -chuh -vuh sMonotony muh –not -n-ee Moustache muhs -tash
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N-O
Word Pronunciation Nazi naht -seeNeglect ni-glekt Negotiate ni-goh -shee-eyt Nominal nom –uh -nlNominee nom-uh –nee November noh-vem -ber Num nuhm Ziel uh b-jek -tivOffend uh –fend Official uh –fish –uh lOnion uhn -yuh n
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P
Word Pronunciation Parole puh –rohl Pathetic puh –thet -ik Pathology puh –thol –uh -jee Patrol puh –trohl Peasant pez –uh ntPenalty pen -l-teePeriphery puh –rif –uh -ree Pharmacy fahr -muh -seePolice puh –lees Political puh –lit -i-kuh l Politician pol-i-tish –uh n Position puh –zish –uh n Prejudice prej –uh -disPreparation prep-uh –rey -shuh n Preposition prep-uh –zish –uh n Continue pruh –see -ding Prodigious pruh –dij –uh s Product prod –uh ktProduction pruh –duhk -shuh n Profound pruh –found Promising prom –uh -singPronunciation pruh -nuhn-see-ey -shuh n Propel pruh –pel Prophetic pruh –fet -ik Provocative pruh –vok –uh -tiv Pyramid pir –uh -mid
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R
Word Pronunciation Radar rey -dahrRealization ree-uh -luh –zey -shuh n Realm relm Reciprocate ri-sip -ruh -keyt Refrigerator ri-frij –uh -rey-ter Regimen rej –uh -muh nRenaissance ren-uh –sahns Repeal ri-peel Repetition rep-i-tish –uh n Repetitive ri-pet -i-tiv Respect ri-spekt Responsive ri-spon -siv Restriction ri-strik -shuh n Rhetoric ret -er-ikRobotics roh-bot -iks
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S
Word Pronunciation Sachet sa-shey Saliva suh –lahy -vuh Schizophrenia skit-suh –free -nee-uh Sedentary sed -n-ter-eeSeismic sahyz -mikSimplify sim -pluh -fahySocial soh -shuh lElegant suh –fis -ti-key-tid Sponge/ Spongy spuhnj Sporadic spuh –rad -ik Squirrel skwur –uh lStrategic struh –tee -jik Success suh –kuhm Suffocate suhf –uh -keytSuspicious suh –spish –uh s Syllable sil –uh -buh lSymmetry sim -i-treeSynonym sin –uh -nimSynonymous si-non –uh -muh s
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T
Word Pronunciation Tear tair Technology tek-nol –uh -jee Terrific tuh –rif -ik Theory thee –uh -reeThorough thur -ohTortoise tawr -tuh sTrigonometry trig-uh –nom -i-tree Tyranny tir –uh -nee
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V-W
Word Pronunciation Vegetable vej-tuh-buhl, vej-i-tuh- Veterinarian vet-er-uh –nair -ee-uh n Vigilant vij –uh -luh ntVitamin vahy -tuh -min, vit -uh-minIt is a lot! vuh –loo -muh -nuh s Wednesday wenz -deyWizard wiz -erdWomen woom –uh nWomen wim -inWorm wurm
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Places
Place Pronunciation University Pronunciation Brand Pronunciation Bolivia buh –liv -ee-uh Cairo kahy -rohCannes kan Chile chil -eeColumbia kuh –luhm -bee-uh Ecuador ek -wuh -dawrMelbourne mel -bernMorocco muh –rok -oh Namibia nuh –mib -ee-uh Netherlands neth -er-luh ndzPortugal pawr -chuh -guh lSeoul sohl Singapore sing -guh -pawrToronto tuh –ron -toh Texas tek -suh sUC Berkley burk -leeOxford oks -ferdStanford stan -ferdCalvin Klein kal -vin klineChevrolet shehv-ruh-lay Gucci goo -cheeLevi’s lee -vahyzPorsche por-sha Renault reh-no Tag Heuer tag-hoy -yur Versace vur-sah -chee
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This table is different than the others we have seen. This table provides accurate pronunciation for words that are pronounced differently as a noun or verb. However, most people pronounce them both the same.
Different forms of the same word are pronounced differently
Word Pronunciation (verb) Pronunciation (noun) Convict kuh n-vikt kon -viktProceed pruh –seed proh -seedProgression pruh –gres prog -resProject pruh –jekt proj -ekt
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Improve your spelling and speech
These words are easy to pronounce and can make it easier for you to communicate clearly. Rapid speech can lead to many common mistakes. Take your time and correctly pronounce each word. It’s easy for people to misspell words if they’re hurrying. To improve your spelling and pronunciation, you can check out this list of 100 frequently misspelled English words.
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