10 commonly mispronounced English words
Have you ever heard an everyday English word said out loud and realised that you’ve been saying it wrong for years? You’re not alone. Even the most proficient English speakers get tripped up by some words due to their inconsistent spelling, stress-timed rhythm and range of vowel sounds.
Mispronunciation often stems from how we learn words rather than a lack of ability. Many people read words long before they hear them out loud and solidify the pronunciation error they make the first time.
Learning commonly mispronounced English words can help you fix mistakes, sound more natural and feel more confident. With that in mind, here are the ten words that cause learners the most issues.
1. Wednesday
Right pronunciation: WENZ-day
Common mispronunciation: Wed-NES-day
The spelling of ‘Wednesday’ makes it look longer than it sounds. In reality, the first ‘d’ is silent and the middle syllable is omitted altogether.
2. February
Right pronunciation: FEH-buyoo-eh-ree
Common mispronunciation: FEH-broo-eh-ree
English has a lot of words with silent ‘r’, but not usually after the letter ‘b’, leading a lot of people to pronounce this month incorrectly.
3. Colleague
Right pronunciation: KOH-leeg
Common mispronunciation: KOH-luhj
‘Colleague’ has an unusual spelling because it’s borrowed almost directly from the French language. When people see it written down, they often assume it has a soft ‘g’ sound like in the words ‘village’ and ‘privilege’.
4. Especially
Right pronunciation: iz-SPEH-shul-ee
Common mispronunciation: ix-SPEH-shul-ee or ik-SPEH-shul-ee
Only a handful of English words start with the letters ‘es’. When people can’t remember the spelling, they may incorrectly guess that the word starts with a more common ‘ex’ or ‘ek’ sound.
5. Prestigious
Right pronunciation: pre-STI-juhs
Common mispronunciation: pre-STEE-gee-us
Two issues cause people to mispronounce the word ‘prestigious’. First, the noun form ‘prestige’ has a long ‘ee’ noise in the middle, so they assume the adjective does too. Second, the word appears to have four syllables, not three.
6. Often
Right pronunciation: O-fen
Common mispronunciation: OF-ten
While English has many words with a silent ‘t’, they don’t usually come after the letter ‘f’. Naturally, people assume that they should pronounce every consonant in the word ‘often’ as they do with the words ‘after’ and ‘fifty’.
7. Business
Right pronunciation: BIZ-nuhs
Common mispronunciation: BIZ-ee-nuhs
Many people mistakenly think that ‘business’ has three syllables due to the ‘i’ in the middle of the word and its close similarity to the word ‘busyness’.
8. Pronunciation
Right pronunciation: pro-nun-ci-AY-shun
Common mispronunciation: pro-noun-ci-AY-shun
Ironically, the word ‘pronunciation’ is a commonly mispronounced word in English. Many people get confused with the verb form ‘pronounce’ because the second syllable is said and spelt differently.
9. Hierarchy
Right pronunciation: HAI-uh-raa-kee
Common mispronunciation: HAI-ar-kee or HERE-ar-kee
Many people find it hard to guess how to pronounce ‘hierarchy’ due to the unfamiliar spelling and different vowel sounds. They often think there are only three syllables, instead of four, or pronounce the first syllable incorrectly.
10. Necessary
Right pronunciation: NEH-suh-seh-ree
Common mispronunciation: neh-CESS-seh-ree
As the middle syllable is the longest in the word ‘necessary’, many people are tempted to give it the strongest emphasis. Actually, the stress is on the first syllable.
English pronunciation tips to avoid mistakes
Some of your most commonly mispronounced English words may not have made it onto our list. Here are some tips to make sure you learn the correct pronunciation from the start and avoid making mistakes.
- Learn meaning, form and pronunciation: Many language learners are keen to understand the meaning of a word or how to use it grammatically. While pronunciation may not seem like such a priority, make sure to learn it at the same time as definition and grammar so it’s fixed in your head from the start.
- Refer to audio dictionaries: Use online dictionaries which include an audio of someone saying new vocabulary. Many resources give you the option to listen to the word by itself, slowed down and in a sentence.
- Record yourself saying the word: You may struggle to pronounce vocabulary if you don’t have those specific vowels, consonants or letter combinations in your first language. Record yourself saying the word and compare it against audio of proficient speakers to check whether you’re saying it correctly.
- Focus on a few words at a time: Learning too many words at once can lead you to forget details like spelling and pronunciation. It’s better to learn five or seven new pieces of vocabulary at once and solidify your understanding before moving on.
- Check for variations: Perhaps you’re not mispronouncing a word, after all. There are many dialects in English, and you may have learned the American pronunciation instead of the British version, which is more a matter of preference.
- Practise speaking regularly: Role-play conversations where you use commonly mispronounced English words and become more familiar with the sounds and stresses.
- Get feedback from tutors: Language teachers are likely to understand why you’re mispronouncing a word and explain why you keep making mistakes. For example, experienced tutors should be aware of silent letters, unusual spellings and words taken from other languages that lead students to make mistakes.
Getting everyday English words right
Perfect pronunciation isn’t the goal. Mastering everyday English words is important simply because it enables you to speak clearly and confidently, making communication with others far easier.
Incorporating correct pronunciation into everyday office talk is the perfect starting point. You can check which words you’ve been mispronouncing and make a conscious effort to use them throughout the week.
Looking for tailored practice as part of a structured course? Book a demo with the British Council’s English Online to see how we support building English fluency in the workplace.
