English Pronunciation Is Ridiculous
Let’s just acknowledge the obvious – English pronunciation makes NO sense. We have words like “colonel” (sounds like kernel), “queue” (just say Q!), and “Wednesday” (where’d that D go?). It’s a mess.
But you know what? You CAN learn to pronounce these tricky words. It just takes some practice and a few good tricks.
The Really Hard Ones
1. Worcestershire
How people try to say it: Wor-ces-ter-shi-re
How to actually say it: WOOS-ter-shur
Yeah, most of those letters are just decoration apparently. British place names are wild.
2. Colonel
How it looks: Co-lo-nel
How to say it: KER-nel
This one’s from French, and English just decided to keep the weird spelling. Thanks, France.
3. Epitome
Wrong: Epi-tome
Right: ih-PIT-oh-mee
I read books for YEARS before I heard someone say this out loud. Felt pretty dumb.
4. Chipotle
Wrong: Chi-POL-tay, Chip-ot-el
Right: chih-POHT-lay
It’s Mexican, not French. The E at the end is pronounced!
5. Quinoa
Wrong: Quin-oh-uh
Right: KEEN-wah
This threw everyone off when it became trendy. Still does, honestly.
Silent Letter Nightmares
English LOVES silent letters. Here are some words where letters just… don’t work.
6. Pneumonia
Say it: new-MOH-nee-uh
That P is just there to confuse you. Ignore it.
7. Psychology
Say it: sigh-KOL-oh-jee
Silent P strikes again!
8. Knife
Say it: NIFE
The K gave up. It’s not even trying.
9. Receipt
Say it: reh-SEET
That P is taking a nap.
10. Salmon
Say it: SAM-un
The L is silent. Don’t say SAL-mon unless you want weird looks.
Words That Don’t Sound How They Look
11. Chaos
Wrong: Chow-os
Right: KAY-oss
It’s a K sound, not CH. English is chaotic like that.
12. Choir
Wrong: Choy-er
Right: KWIRE
Sounds like “require” without the “re.”
13. Debris
Wrong: Deb-ris
Right: deh-BREE
It’s French. The S is silent.
14. Albeit
Wrong: Al-bayt
Right: awl-BEE-it
Think “all be it” smooshed together.
15. Niche
US: NICH (like “rich”)
UK: NEESH (like “leash”)
Both are right! Depends where you are.
The TH Problem
English has TWO different TH sounds, and they’re both annoying if it’s not your first language.
16. This/That (voiced TH)
Your tongue touches your teeth and you hum. Your vocal cords vibrate.
17. Think/Thanks (voiceless TH)
Your tongue touches your teeth but no humming. Just air.
Tip: Put your hand on your throat. If you feel vibration, it’s voiced (this). If not, it’s voiceless (think).
Words With Weird Stress
Sometimes putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable makes you sound super wrong.
18. Caribbean
Say it: kuh-RIB-ee-un OR care-ib-BEE-un
Either works, but pick one and stick with it!
19. Adult
US usually: uh-DULT
Also fine: AD-ult
20. Advertisement
US: ad-ver-TIZE-ment
UK: ad-VER-tis-ment
Medical Words Nobody Can Say
21. Alzheimer’s
Say it: ALTS-high-merz
Not “old timers.” That’s wrong (and kind of mean).
22. Anesthesia
Say it: an-es-THEE-zhuh
23. Ophthalmologist
Say it: off-thuh-MOL-uh-jist
Good luck with this one. Even doctors mess it up.
Food Words That Trip People Up
24. Hors d’oeuvres
Say it: or-DERVZ
Just call them appetizers. Way easier.
25. Bruschetta
Wrong: Brew-SHET-uh
Right: broo-SKET-uh
The CH is a hard K sound in Italian.
26. Açai
Say it: ah-sigh-EE
That weird C with a tail means it’s an S sound.
Business/Tech Words
27. Cache
Say it: CASH
Not “catch” or “cachet” (that’s different).
28. Data
US usually: DAY-tuh
UK usually: DAH-tuh
Both work. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
29. Meme
Say it: MEEM
Rhymes with “dream,” not “me me.”
30. GIF
The eternal debate: JIF or GIF with a hard G?
The creator says “JIF” but most people say “GIF.” Just pick one and prepare to argue about it forever.
How to Actually Get Better
1. Listen to native speakers
YouTube, podcasts, movies – whatever. You need to HEAR these words, not just read them.
2. Use Google Translate
Type in a word and hit the speaker icon. Free pronunciation guide!
3. Record yourself
Yeah, it’s uncomfortable. But hearing yourself helps you catch mistakes.
4. Don’t stress about the accent
American, British, Australian – they’re all different. Pick one general style and go with it. Nobody expects perfection.
5. Ask people to correct you
Most people are too polite to correct pronunciation unless you specifically ask them to.
The Truth About Pronunciation
Here’s what nobody tells you: even native English speakers mispronounce words ALL THE TIME. We just fake confidence and keep going.
I literally learned I was saying “epitome” wrong when I was like 20. In a meeting. In front of my boss. It happens.
The goal isn’t to never make mistakes. The goal is to be understood. If people get what you’re saying, you’re doing fine.
One More Thing
Regional accents are a thing. How people say words in New York is different from Texas is different from California. And that’s not even counting the UK, Australia, India, etc.
So if someone tells you you’re pronouncing something “wrong,” maybe ask them where they’re from first. There’s usually more than one right way.
Just do your best, don’t be afraid to ask, and remember – English pronunciation is hard even for people who grew up speaking it. You’re doing great.