English has prestige for being a pretty crazy language, with many words having completely different meanings when spoken. There are also many words that are slightly mispronounced by so many individuals that the incorrect pronunciation is frequently taught to newcomers.
Here are the 10 most commonly mispronounced words in English, and how to pronounce them correctly.
Pronunciation: It’s interesting how frequently this term is mispronounced! Confusing is the sneaky omission of the letter “o” from the word. Say: pruh-nun-see-AYE-shun
Cupboard: Despite the fact that this word’s precise meaning is “a board or table for cups” (as well as other objects like plates and bowls), the “P” is silent.
Say: cuh-bud
Epitome: An excellent example of a certain characteristic in a person or item.
Say: eh-PIT-oh-mee
Salmon/ Almond: Both of these popular foods are tricky because the “L” is silent in both.
Say: SAM-un, ARM-und
Library/ February: It is challenging to pronounce for many English speakers, both native and non-native. It can be difficult for anyone to get their mouth around the “br” sound before the “ry” sound.
Say: lye-bruh-ree, feb-roo-air-ree
Definitely: This word is frequently confused with the similarly spelt word “defiantly” (say: de-FY-unt-lee), which refers to acting in a way that makes it obvious that you’re rejecting what someone has asked of you.
Say: DEF-in-ut-lee
Wednesday: It feels like saying this term should take much longer than it actually does. The middle three letters appear to need to be split, but instead, they are sort of “swallowed.” They are present because Woden’s Day is named for the Norse god Odin, also known as Woden.
Say: WENZ-day
Probably: A lot of folks omit the middle words. Avoid doing it.
Say: PROB-ub-blee
Yolk: It may be unclear because it depicts the yellow portion of the egg, and it makes sense for the “L” sound to be heard just as it is in the color.
Say: yohk
Women: The vowel sound in this word differs from the singular “woman,” despite the fact that the first three letters are the same.
Say: WI-min