Table of Contents
You probably use several of these words every day, but do you know if you are pronouncing them correctly?
From expresso to often, a literacy expert from UK-based Awesome Books has revealed a list of words that are commonly mispronounced in English – and some of them will surprise you.
The catalogue describes a number of terms that people often stumble over or mispronounce, according to Mubin Ahmed. How many can you pronounce correctly?
Literacy expert Mubin said: “English pronunciation can be tricky and it’s easy to fall into the trap of common mispronunciations. Being aware of these mistakes can help you improve your spoken English and communicate more effectively.”
Whether you speak British or American English, paying attention to these nuances will make you sound more refined and precise.
From expresso to often, a literacy expert from UK-based Awesome Books has revealed a list of words that are frequently mispronounced in English – and some of them will surprise you.
‘So, the next time you’re about to say ‘expresso’ or ‘Feb-yoo-air-ee,’ take a moment to remember the correct pronunciation and speak with confidence.’
Schedule
Bad pronunciation: SKED-yool
Correct pronunciation: SHED-yool
Mubin said: “In British English, ‘schedule’ is traditionally pronounced as ‘SHED-yool’. However, the American pronunciation ‘SKED-yool’ is becoming more common due to cultural influences.”
Mischievous
Bad pronunciation: we missed CHEE-vee
Correct pronunciation: MY-chiv-us
“Many people add an extra syllable and pronounce it as ‘mis-CHEE-vee-us,’ but the correct pronunciation is ‘MIS-chiv-us,’ with only three syllables,” the literacy expert said.
Pronunciation
Bad pronunciation: pro-nounce-ee-A-shun
Correct pronunciation: pro-nun-see-A-shun
“Ironically, the word ‘pronunciation’ is often mispronounced. The correct form is ‘pro-nun-see-A-shun’, not ‘pro-nounce-ee-A-shun’,” Mubin insisted.
Espresso
Bad pronunciation: ex-PRESS-oh
Correct pronunciation: es-PRESS-oh
“There is no ‘x’ in ‘espresso.’ The correct pronunciation is ‘es-PRESS-oh,'” the literacy expert said.
Arctic
Bad pronunciation: AR-tic
Correct pronunciation: ARK-tik
The literacy expert said: “The word ‘Arctic’ has two ‘c’s and both should be pronounced. The correct pronunciation is ‘ARK-tik’.”
Nuclear
Bad pronunciation: NOO-kyoo-lar
Correct pronunciation: NOO-klee-ar
“The word ‘nuclear’ is often mispronounced as ‘NOO-kyoo-lar.’ The correct pronunciation is ‘NOO-klee-ar,'” Mubin said.
February
Bad pronunciation: FEB-yoo-air-ee
Correct pronunciation: FEB-roo-air-ee
“A lot of people skip the first ‘r’ in ‘February,’ but the correct pronunciation includes it: ‘FEB-roo-air-ee,'” Mubin explained.
Quinoa
Bad pronunciation: kee-NO-ah
Correct pronunciation: Keen-wah
“The name of this superfood is often mispronounced. The correct pronunciation is ‘KEEN-wah,'” the literacy expert insisted.
The catalogue describes a number of terms that people often stumble over or mispronounce, according to Mubin Ahmed. How many can you pronounce correctly? (file photo)
Often
Bad pronunciation: OFF-ten
Correct pronunciation: OFF-es
“While both ‘OFF-ten’ and ‘OFF-en’ are technically correct, the traditional pronunciation in British English is ‘OFF-en’, where the ‘t’ is not pronounced,” the literacy expert explained.
Zebra
Bad pronunciation: ZEE bra
Correct pronunciation: Zebra
“In British English, ‘zebra’ is pronounced ‘ZEB-ra,’ with a short ‘e’ sound, as opposed to the American pronunciation ‘ZEE-bra,'” Mubin said.
Library
Bad pronunciation: lie-BERRY
Correct pronunciation: Lie-brer-ee
“The word ‘library’ is often mispronounced as ‘lie-BERRY,’ but the correct pronunciation is ‘LIE-brer-ee,'” Mubin explained.
Salmon
Bad pronunciation: Salmon
Correct pronunciation: Sam-uhn
“The ‘l’ in ‘salmon’ is not pronounced. The correct pronunciation is ‘SAM-uhn,'” revealed the literacy expert from Awesome Books, a British publishing house.
Almond
Bad pronunciation: Almond
Correct pronunciation: Ah-world
“The ‘l’ in ‘almond’ is not pronounced like that either. The correct pronunciation is ‘AH-mund,'” the expert said.
Debris
Bad pronunciation: Debris
Correct pronunciation: de-BREE
“The correct pronunciation of ‘debris’ is ‘de-BREE’, with the ‘s’ left unpronounced,” Mubin insisted.
Controversy
Bad pronunciation: con-TROV-er-see
Correct pronunciation: CON-tro-ve-se
“In British English, ‘controversy’ is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable: ‘CON-tro-ver-see,'” the literacy expert explained.
