Most Commonly Mispronounced Words

You may recognize a word but hesitate to say it aloud for fear of mispronouncing it. This is a common challenge, even for native speakers. English is a dynamic language with tricky spellings and pronunciations, making mistakes easy to make.

Rather than feeling embarrassed, consider this an opportunity to improve your pronunciation. To help, we’ve compiled a list of commonly mispronounced words. Whether you’re preparing for an IELTS Speaking test or simply want to speak more confidently, this guide will help you articulate words correctly.

A – D

• Abalone (/æbəˈləʊni/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ah-boh-lohn
  • ✅ Correct: ab-uh-loh-nee
• Acai (/æsaɪˈi/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ack-ai
  • ✅ Correct: ah-sigh-ee
• Accessory (/əkˈsesəri/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ah-seh-suh-ree
  • ✅ Correct: uhk-seh-suh-ree
• Albeit (/ɔːlˈbiːɪt/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: al-bae-it
  • ✅ Correct: awl-bee-it
• Almond (/ɑːmənd/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: al-muh-nd
  • ✅ Correct: ah-muh-nd
• Athlete (/æθliːt/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ath-a-leet
  • ✅ Correct: ath-leet
• Attaché (/əˈtæʃeɪ/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ah-tat-chee
  • ✅ Correct: uh-tash-ey
• Boutique (/buːˈtiːk/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: boh-teek
  • ✅ Correct: boo-teek
• Business (/bɪznəs/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: bis-ee-nuhs
  • ✅ Correct: biz-nuhs
• Cache (/kæʃ/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: kash-ay
  • ✅ Correct: kash
• Cavalry (/kævəlri/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: kal-veuh-ree
  • ✅ Correct: ka-vuhl-ree

E – H

• Epitome (/ɪˈpɪtəmi/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ih-pi-toe-m
  • ✅ Correct: ih-pit-uh-mee
• Espresso (/eˈspresəʊ/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: e-xpres-oh
  • ✅ Correct: e-spres-oh
• Et cetera (/et ˈsetərə/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ex-set-er-uh
  • ✅ Correct: et-set-er-uh
• Faux pas (/fəʊ ˈpɑ:/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: fohx-pas
  • ✅ Correct: foh-pah
• Genre (/ʒɑːnrə/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: jen-re
  • ✅ Correct: zhahn-ruh
• Hierarchy (/haɪərɑːki/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: hahy-archy
  • ✅ Correct: hahy-uh-rahr-kee
• Hyperbole (/haɪˈpɜːbəli/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: hahy-pur-bowl
  • ✅ Correct: hahy-pur-buh-lee

I – L

• Ingenuity (/ɪndʒɪˈnjuːɪti/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: in-jen-wee-tee
  • ✅ Correct: in-juh-noo-i-tee
• Itinerary (/aɪˈtɪnərəri/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ahy-tin-ary
  • ✅ Correct: ahy-tin-uh-rer-ee
• Jewellery (/dʒuːəlri/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: joo-el-er-y
  • ✅ Correct: joo-uh l-ree
• Library (/laɪbrəri/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: libe-ry
  • ✅ Correct: lahy-brer-ee
• Lingerie (/lænʒəriː/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: linger-ee
  • ✅ Correct: lahn-zhuh-rey

M – P

• Mischievous (/mɪstʃɪvəs/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: mis-chee-vious
  • ✅ Correct: mis-chuh-vuh-s
• Niche (/nɪtʃ/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: nee-shay
  • ✅ Correct: nee-sh
• Nuclear (/njuːklɪə/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: noo-kyu-lur
  • ✅ Correct: noo-klee-ur
• Often (/ɒfn̩/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: off-ten
  • ✅ Correct: aw-fuh n
• Pronunciation (/prəˌnʌnsɪˈeɪʃn/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: pruh-noun-see-ey-shuh n
  • ✅ Correct: pruh-nuhn-see-ey-shuh n

Q – T

• Quinoa (/kiːnwɑː/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: kee-no-ah
  • ✅ Correct: keen-waa
• Rendezvous (/rɒndɪvuːz/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: ren-dez-vuss
  • ✅ Correct: rahn-duh-voo
• Salmon (/sæmən/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: sal-muhn
  • ✅ Correct: sam-uh n
• Suite (/swiːt/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: soot
  • ✅ Correct: sweet
• Tuition (/tjuːˈɪʃn̩/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: too-shen
  • ✅ Correct: too-ish-uh n

U – Z

• Wednesday (/wenzdeɪ/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: wehd-nez-dei
  • ✅ Correct: wenz-dei
• Yolk (/jəʊk/)
  • ❌ Incorrect: yol-ke
  • ✅ Correct: yohk

Mastering pronunciation is a valuable skill that boosts confidence and clarity in speech. Keep practicing these words, and you’ll find yourself speaking more fluently in no time!