US English
Commonly mispronounced English words
English spelling hides silent letters, swallowed syllables and borrowed sounds. These are the words people most often get wrong, grouped by the kind of trap they set. Each one has its US pronunciation in IPA, the stressed syllable in capitals, and sentences you can say out loud and get scored.
Silent letters
Letters that are written but never said.
- Wednesday /ˈwɛnzdeɪ/ WENZ-day
- island /ˈaɪlənd/ EYE-lund
- receipt /rɪˈsiːt/ ri-SEET
- debt /dɛt/ DET
- subtle /ˈsʌtəl/ SUT-ul
- salmon /ˈsæmən/ SAM-un
- knowledge /ˈnɑːlɪdʒ/ NOL-ij
- often /ˈɔːfən/ OFF-un
- Worcestershire /ˈwʊstɚʃɚ/ WUS-ter-sher
- listen /ˈlɪsən/ LISS-un
- castle /ˈkæsəl/ KASS-ul
- answer /ˈænsɚ/ AN-ser
- honest /ˈɑːnəst/ ON-ust
- psychology /saɪˈkɑːlədʒi/ sy-KOL-uh-jee
- foreign /ˈfɔːrən/ FOR-un
Fewer syllables than they look
Words where native speakers drop a whole syllable that the spelling shows.
- comfortable /ˈkʌmftɚbəl/ KUMF-ter-bul
- vegetable /ˈvɛdʒtəbəl/ VEJ-tuh-bul
- interesting /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ IN-truh-sting
- temperature /ˈtɛmprətʃɚ/ TEM-pruh-cher
- chocolate /ˈtʃɑːklət/ CHOK-lit
- February /ˈfɛbjuˌɛri/ FEB-yoo-air-ee
- library /ˈlaɪbrɛri/ LIE-brair-ee
- business /ˈbɪznəs/ BIZ-nus
- every /ˈɛvri/ EV-ree
- restaurant /ˈrɛstərɑːnt/ RES-ter-ahnt
- favorite /ˈfeɪvrət/ FAYV-rit
- different /ˈdɪfrənt/ DIF-runt
Spelled one way, said another
Words whose spelling points you to the wrong sound or the wrong stress.
- colonel /ˈkɝːnəl/ KER-nul
- choir /ˈkwaɪɚ/ KWIRE
- queue /kjuː/ KYOO
- thorough /ˈθɝːoʊ/ THUR-oh
- recipe /ˈrɛsəpi/ RES-uh-pee
- determine /dɪˈtɝːmɪn/ di-TUR-min
- mischievous /ˈmɪstʃəvəs/ MIS-chuh-vus
- specific /spəˈsɪfɪk/ spuh-SIF-ik
- especially /ɪˈspɛʃəli/ ih-SPESH-uh-lee
- pronunciation /prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/ pruh-nun-see-AY-shun
- nuclear /ˈnuːkliɚ/ NOO-klee-er
- asterisk /ˈæstərɪsk/ AS-tuh-risk
- women /ˈwɪmɪn/ WIM-in
- height /haɪt/ HITE
- schedule /ˈskɛdʒuːl/ SKEJ-ool
- hyperbole /haɪˈpɝːbəli/ hy-PER-buh-lee
- epitome /ɪˈpɪtəmi/ ih-PIT-uh-mee
- photographer /fəˈtɑːɡrəfɚ/ fuh-TOG-ruh-fer
- Arkansas /ˈɑːrkənˌsɔː/ AR-kun-saw
- bury /ˈbɛri/ BEH-ree
- cache /kæʃ/ KASH
- suite /swiːt/ SWEET
Borrowed words
Words from other languages that keep some of their original sound.
- espresso /ɛˈsprɛsoʊ/ es-PRES-oh
- quinoa /ˈkiːnwɑː/ KEEN-wah
- entrepreneur /ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɝː/ ahn-truh-pruh-NUR
- genre /ˈʒɑːnrə/ ZHAHN-ruh
- croissant /krəˈsɑːnt/ kruh-SAHNT
- gnocchi /ˈnjɑːki/ NYAH-kee
- bruschetta /bruːˈskɛtə/ broo-SKET-uh
- jalapeño /ˌhɑːləˈpeɪnjoʊ/ hah-luh-PAYN-yoh
- pho /fʌ/ FUH
- chipotle /tʃɪˈpoʊtleɪ/ chih-POHT-lay
- hors d’oeuvre /ɔːr ˈdɝːv/ or-DURV
Hard consonant clusters
Words that pile up consonants, or put R and L side by side.