Top ten mispronounced English words

English pronunciation is certainly tricky. If you want proof of this, have a look at this poem "The Chaos"; it will provide a challenge for advanced learners but might make a beginner give up in horror (as the poem itself suggests as the solution!)

Pronunciation matters because when we don’t pronounce well, it can complicate communication and cause frustration. I should know; I haven't forgotten my first months living in Spain and the regular looks of incomprehension I would get when I tried out my new Spanish.

Over the 16 years I’ve been teaching English, I have heard certain mistakes come up time and time again across nationalities, levels and ages. So, for a mini pronunciation crash course, have a look below and try to avoid these common mistakes! Remember to focus on the stressed syllable (underlined). For those it might help, the word in phonetic script is included in brackets. If you reckon you’ve mastered these, have a go at the tricky ones! At the bottom you can see a short video of my (😜excellent British) pronunciation of these words. Here goes…

Island (ˈaɪlənd) – Say “ai·luhnd,” don’t pronounce the s!

Mountain (ˈmaʊntɪn) – the first part rhymes with cow, the second is more like tin

Environment (ɪnˈvaɪrəmənt) – “in-vai-ro-ment,” skip the second n and it’s not that hard

Genre (ˈʒɒnrə) – say with your best French accent “jon-ruh,” with a soft j

Idea (aɪˈdɪə) – “ai-dee-uh,” (note to French speakers: please don't forget the last syllable!)

Money (ˈmʌni) - “muh-nee,” be careful with the first vowel – it’s not an o sound

Cousin (ˈkʌz(ə)n) – “cuh-zn”

Daughter (ˈdɔːtə(r)) – “dor-tuh,” don’t be fooled by the daugh sound, here it’s pronounced door

Choir (kwaɪə(r)) – “kw-ai-uh” – a bit like quiet with a different ending

Salmon (ˈsæmən) – don’t say the l ! “sa-mun”

Tricky words challenge – if you can say these correctly, you're half-way to speaking the Queen's English!

Squirrel
Jewellery
Crisps
Colonel
Anemone





2020年2月24日
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Charlotte Allen

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*** Welcoming new students of all levels! *** Hi! I am an experienced English teacher from the famous city of Oxford in the United Kingdom. I have been living and teaching English in the Canary Islands, Spain, for the past 20 years. I have worked with adults and children, in schools, language schools, in-company classes and private tutoring, and in the online world since 2015. * Fluency - Improve your fluency for travel, work and social life. Gain confidence through friendly conversation on a wide range of topics chosen according to your needs and interests. * Exam preparation - I am especially familiar with the Cambridge exams (Preliminary, First, Advanced, Proficiency) and have also helped people with IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and official Spanish exams. * Business English - I have business English materials available and experience teaching people who need to improve their English specifically for work purposes. * Personal qualities - I have plenty of patience and the flexibilit...
Flag
英語
globe
イギリス
time
2,155
使用できる言語:
英語
ネイティブ
,
スペイン語
C2
,
フランス語
A1
*** Welcoming new students of all levels! *** Hi! I am an experienced English teacher from the famous city of Oxford in the United Kingdom. I have been living and teaching English in the Canary Islands, Spain, for the past 20 years. I have worked with adults and children, in schools, language schools, in-company classes and private tutoring, and in the online world since 2015. * Fluency - Improve your fluency for travel, work and social life. Gain confidence through friendly conversation on a wide range of topics chosen according to your needs and interests. * Exam preparation - I am especially familiar with the Cambridge exams (Preliminary, First, Advanced, Proficiency) and have also helped people with IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC and official Spanish exams. * Business English - I have business English materials available and experience teaching people who need to improve their English specifically for work purposes. * Personal qualities - I have plenty of patience and the flexibilit...
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