A-C
Anemone
By looking at the word anemone, many people assume the name of this flower is pronounced an-e-moan, but it’s not.
IPA: /əˈneməni/
Pronounced: uh-neh-muh-nee
Sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship with clownfish.
Epitome
In English, a silent “E” is quite common, which leads people to mistakenly believe that epitome is pronounced ep-i-tome. But English words that have been adapted from Greek tend to have all the vowels pronounced. Epitome is a “person or thing that is an ideal example of a particular quality or type.”
IPA: /ɪˈpɪtəmi/
Pronounced: uh-pi-tuh-mee
Our boss was the epitome of a compassionate and understanding leader.
Nuclear
Nuclear is an adjective “relating to the nucleus of an atom.” This word has two acceptable pronunciations, but people still tend to mispronounce it by adding a “yer” sound at the end of the word.
IPA: /ˈnuːkliər/
Pronounced: nyoo-klee-er or noo-klee-er
My goal is to attain a degree in nuclear chemistry.
Specific
It’s not uncommon to hear people mix up the “S” and “P” sound to say pacific instead of specific. It doesn’t help that both “Cs” make distinct sounds in this word that means “clearly identified or defined.”
IPA: /spəˈsɪfɪk/
Pronounced: spuh-si-fuhk
She told me there was no specific way to do it, so I just followed my heart.
Wednesday
Take one look at this word, which refers to the day after Tuesday, and you’ll think it’s pronounced as three separate syllables, but it’s not. Wednesday is pronounced as two syllables.
IPA: /ˈwenzdeɪ/
Pronounced: wenz-day
We pick up the kids early from school every Wednesday.
Comfortable
Many people mispronounce this word because they place the emphasis on the wrong syllable.
IPA: /ˈkʌmftəbl/ or /ˈkʌmfərtəbl/
Pronounced: kuhmf-tr-bl
I can’t sleep on planes because I can never find a comfortable position.
Gourmet
Gourmet can function as a noun or adjective, but is mostly used as an adjective that describes something as high quality and expensive, and can also refer to food that requires elaborate and expert preparation. If you want gourmet food, you may want to know how to pronounce this word correctly.
IPA: /ˈɡʊrmeɪ/
Pronounced: gor-may
The couple only wanted delicious, gourmet food at their wedding.
Rendezvous
Rendezvous can be used as a noun or verb and refers to “a meeting at an agreed place and time.” Silent letter after silent letter makes this word challenging for English speakers and learners alike.
IPA: /ˈrɑːndeɪvuː/ or /ˈrɑːndɪvuː/
Pronounced: raan-day-voo
Cecilia turned up late for the rendezvous and missed all the important news I had to share.
Visceral
Don’t be mistaken: the “SC” in visceral—which means “relating to internal organs or deeply felt emotions”—does not create the same sound as the “SC” in scout.
IPA: /ˈvɪsərəl/
Pronounced: vi-sr-uhl
The film's intense and visceral scenes left the audience in awe.
Zucchini
Do you like eating baked zucchini with cheese? Don’t let the spelling of this word fool you. The “CH” in zucchini (a type of summer squash) doesn’t produce the same sound as the “CH” in cheese.
IPA: /zuˈkiːni/
Pronounced: zoo-kee-nee
They thought I was thinking about something deep, but I was just wondering if zucchinis and cucumbers are the same things.
Conscience
Conscience makes people think it’s pronounced similar to science. Moreover, many people get this word confused with conscious and conscientious. Keep in mind, conscience refers to “that inner feeling or voice that tells you what’s right or wrong.”
IPA: /ˈkɑːnʃəns/
Pronounced: kaan-shns
Luca had a guilty conscience about lying to his parents.
Hierarchy
Don’t be fooled: the “CH” in hierarchy does not make the same sound as the “CH” in “cheese.” Hierarchy refers to “a system or organization in which people are ranked according to status or authority.”
IPA: /ˈhaɪərɑːrki/
Pronounced: hai-ur-aar-kee
My goal was to make it up the hierarchy, and go from entry-level worker to CEO.
Quinoa
Quinoa is another type of food that’s often mispronounced. Don’t make the very common mistake of pronouncing it as kee-no-a (even though that pronunciation is becoming more and more common).
IPA: /ˈkiːnwɑː/
Pronounced: keen-waa
My girlfriend has been on a quinoa binge lately. That’s all she wants to eat!
Subtle
The joke goes, “whoever put the “B” in subtle deserves a pat on the back.” That’s because the word is synonymous with “delicate” or “elusive,” and the “B” is silent. Get it?
IPA: /ˈsʌtl/
Pronounced: suh-tl
The room had a subtle fragrance of lavender and vanilla.
WITHDRAWAL
removing something; when you take money out of a bank account; when someone stops using an addictive substance such as drugs
Bouquet
A bouquet is a group of flowers arranged decoratively. The “ou” is pronounced like the “oo” in “boot,” and the “-t” is silent.
IPA: /buˈkeɪ/
Pronounced: boo-kay
I was looking for the biggest and prettiest bouquet I could give to my mom.
Mischievous
Mischievous often gets pronounced as miss-chee-vee-us, but that’s incorrect. There are only three syllables in the correct pronunciation of this word, which means “playfully causing trouble.”
IPA: /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/
Pronounced: mis-chuh-vuhs
My little cousin is known to be mischievous, but he’s truly a loving and caring kid.
Rural
It’s the multiple “Rs” that cause people to stumble over their words when they say rural, which means “relating to or characteristic of the countryside.”
IPA: /ˈrʊrəl/
Pronounced: rur-uhl
When we got married, we moved from the city to a rural area to start our own farm.
Supposedly
Supposedly, a grammarian will pop up out of nowhere to correct you if you accidentally pronounce this word with a “B” instead of a “D.”
IPA: /səˈpəʊzɪdli/
Pronounced: suh-poh-zuhd-lee
They were supposed to be here an hour ago, but supposedly they got a flat tire.
WILLINGNESS
someone’s disposition or openness to doing something
Açai
Açai is a type of berry that is known for its health benefits. It’s difficult to pronounce because it originates from the Portuguese language and the “ç” (cedilla) is pronounced like an “s,” but also because the stress of the word falls on the second syllable.
IPA: /æˈsaɪiː/ or /ˌæsaɪˈiː/
Pronounced: aa-saa-ee
Can you get me an açai bowl with extra kiwi and granola, please?
Gyro
It’s worth noting that gyro can be short for gyrocompass or gyroscope. If that’s what you’re referring to, then the correct pronunciation sounds like jie-ro. However, if you’re ordering a gyro / ˈyē-ˌrō /, the authentic Greek dish, then you should use the authentic Greek pronunciation.
IPA: /ˈdʒaɪrəʊ/
Pronounced: yee-ro
The first thing I ate when I got to Greece was a delicious lamb gyro!
Onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates a sound, like the buzz of a bee or the hiss of a snake. It has an unusual combination of letters, which makes it difficult for some people to pronounce.
IPA: /ˌɑːnəˌmætəˈpiːə/
Pronounced: aa-nuh-maa-tuh-pee-uh
I learned about onomatopoeia in grade school, but just now realized I’ve been pronouncing it wrong my whole life!
Synecdoche
A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent a whole. It’s not too common of a word, which means many people are puzzled when they try to say it out loud.
IPA: /sɪˈnekdəki/
Pronounced: suh-nek-duh-kee
Today’s lesson plan includes a review of synecdoche.
Worcestershire
You can’t have a list of hard-to-pronounce words without the granddaddy of them all—Worcestershire. To novice eyes, it looks like this word is pronounced wor-ces-ter-shy-er, but trust us when we say it’s not. It’s a three-syllable word, not five.
IPA: /ˈwʊstərʃər/
Pronounced: wu-stuh-shr
Dad asked me to go to the store to pick up a bottle of Worcestershire sauce.