200+ Commonly Mispronounced Words in English

Non-native speakers mispronounce by the dozen every day. Even fluent speakers do. Even those working in high-paying white-collar jobs do.

Why have they been repeating these mistakes for years, even though mastering pronunciation isn’t that difficult?

The answer lies in this question: will they take corrective steps when they don’t even know they’re mispronouncing?

In this post, I’ll list correct pronunciation of more than 200 commonly-mispronounced words in English. And places. And brands.

In some of the pronunciations below, you’ll be off by just tiny bit (and that’s enough of a mistake), and therefore you’ll have to look at the pronunciations carefully to spot the mistake you’ve been making. To give an example, the correct pronunciation of the word ‘refrigerator’ is ‘ri-frij-uh-rey-ter’. However, almost everyone calls it ‘re-frij-uh-rey-ter’. Did you catch ‘ri’ vs. ‘re’? (The pronunciations in this post are in non-phonetic form, which is more intuitive than phonetic form.)

Before we jump into the list, here is a brief 101 lesson on how to read pronunciations mentioned in the tables below (click to open).

How to read non-phonetic pronunciation?

1. Each group of letters separated by the hyphen is called a syllable. For example, the pronunciation ‘re-frij-uh-rey-ter’ has five syllables. Syllables are the building blocks of pronunciation and are spoken as a unit sequentially.

2. The syllables in bold need to be stressed (means they need to be said louder and longer than other syllables). For example, the syllable ‘frij’ is stressed more than other syllables while pronouncing refrigerator. It may seem complicated when you read this, but it’s not. Listen to the pronunciation of refrigerator here, and pay attention to how the syllables are spoken separately (however, quickly) and how ‘frij’ is stressed.

3. ‘Uh’ or schwa sound appears in almost every second pronunciation. It is a neutral sound that occurs in unstressed syllables. I would suggest you to listen the pronunciation of few words such as address, balloon, and cadet at dictionary.com to get a hang of ‘uh’ sound.

4. When in doubt on any of the pronunciations, type in the word in dictionary.com and listen.

Here is the list of commonly mispronounced words arranged alphabetically. The last four tables cover places, universities, brands, and words with two pronunciations when used in different forms.

On the left column is the word and on the right is its correct pronunciation. For few pronunciations, I’ve highlighted in red the part where people commonly make mistake. This is to provide you few examples where you can easily take note of problem areas. (You’ll realize that in most cases you mispronounce because you speak the word the way it is spelt.)

When in doubt on any of the pronunciations in the tables below, type in the word in dictionary.com and listen the audio of the pronunciation.

More resources on pronunciation:

Improve Pronunciation Fast: 2,000+ Commonly-Mispronounced Words

Pronunciation in audio and written form. Common patterns of errors.

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A

Word Pronunciation
Acoustic uh–koo-stik
Adjective aj-ik-tiv
Adolescent ad-l-es–uhnt
Alcohol al–kuh-hol
Alzheimer’s ahlts-hahy-merz
Ambitious am-bish–uh s
April ey-pruhl
Arithmetic uh–rith-muh-tik
Asthma az-muh
Attorney uh–tur-nee
Automobile aw-tuh-muh–beel

B

Word Pronunciation
Ballet ba-ley
Banana buh–nan–uh
Barley bahr–lee
Barometer buh–rom-i-ter
Bear bair
Bomb bom
Breakfast brek–fuhst
Buffet buh–fey
Bury ber-ee

C

Word Pronunciation
Cache kash
Cadet kuh–det
Capacity kuh–pas-i-tee
Carnivorous kahr-niv-er-uh s
Chaos key-os
Civil siv–uh l
Cleanser klen-zer
Collaboration kuh-lab-uh–rey-shuhn
Colonialism kuh–loh-nee-uh-liz-uh m
Comedian kuh–mee-dee-uhn
Commodity kuh–mod-i-tee
Complacency kuh m-pley-suh n-see
Congratulation kuh n-grach-uh–ley-shuh n
Creature kree-cher
Crocodile krok–uh-dahyl
Cucumber kyoo-kuhm-ber

D

Word Pronunciation
Debris dey–bree
Decent dee-suh nt
Decimal des–uh-muh l
Decipher dih-sahy-fer
Demography dih–mog–ruh-fee
Deodorant dee-oh-der-uhnt
Depot dee–poh, dep-oh
Descent dih-sent
Detonate det-n-eyt
Developer dih-vel–uh-per
Devotee dev-uh–tee
Diplomacy dih-ploh-muh-see
Diplomatic dip-luh–mat-ik
Divisive dih-vahy-siv
Domestic duh–mes-tik
Draught draft
Drought drout

E

Word Pronunciation
Eccentric ek-sen-trik
Echelon esh–uh-lon
Electoral ih-lek-ter-uh l
Electrician ih-lek-trish–uhn
Eloquent el–uh-kwuhnt
Emergency ih-mur-juh n-see
Endeavor en-dev-er
Envelope en-vuh-lohp
Epitome ih-pit–uh-mee
Extravaganza ik-strav-uh–gan-zuh

F-G

Word Pronunciation
Facilitate fuh–sil-i-teyt
Faux Pas foh pah
February feb-roo-er-ee
Forensic fuh–ren-sik
Forget fer–get
Generic juh–ner-ik
Grenade gri-neyd
Guerrilla guh–ril–uh

H

Word Pronunciation
Handkerchief hang-ker-chif, -cheef
Hazard haz-erd
Hereditary huh–red-i-ter-ee
Hippopotamus hip-uh–pot–uh-muhs
Horizon huh–rahy-zuhn
Hotel hoh-tel
Hypnotize hip–nuh-tahyz
Hypocrisy hi–pok-ruh-see

I

Word Pronunciation
Ignorance ig-ner-uhns
Impropriety im-pruh–prahy-i-tee
Infamous in–fuh-muhs
Information in-fer–mey-shuhn
Ingredient in-gree-dee-uhnt
Innovation in-uh–vey-shuhn
Introduction in-truh–duhk-shuhn

J-L

Word Pronunciation
Jeopardy jep-er-dee
Jewellery joo–uhl-ree
Kerosene ker–uh-seen
Legacy leg–uh-see
Legitimate li-jit–uh-meyt
Leprosy lep–ruh-see
Lettuce let-is
Liaison lee-ey-zuhn/ lee-ey-zawn
Lieutenant loo-ten–uhnt

M

Word Pronunciation
Magician muh–jish–uh n
Majestic muh–jes-tik
Materialize muh–teer-ee-uh-lahyz
Maternal muh–tur-nl
Matrix mey-triks
Medieval mee-dee-ee-vuhl
Melodious muh–loh-dee-uh s
Melody mel–uh-dee
Metabolism muh–tab–uh-liz-uhm
Metallic muh–tal-ik
Mischievous mis-chuh-vuhs
Monotony muh–not-n-ee
Moustache muhs-tash

N-O

Word Pronunciation
Nazi naht-see
Neglect ni-glekt
Negotiate ni-goh-shee-eyt
Nominal nom–uh-nl
Nominee nom-uh–nee
November noh-vem-ber
Numb nuhm
Objective uhb-jek-tiv
Offend uh–fend
Official uh–fish–uhl
Onion uhn-yuh n

P

Word Pronunciation
Parole puh–rohl
Pathetic puh–thet-ik
Pathology puh–thol–uh-jee
Patrol puh–trohl
Peasant pez–uh nt
Penalty pen-l-tee
Periphery puh–rif–uh-ree
Pharmacy fahr-muh-see
Police puh–lees
Political puh–lit-i-kuhl
Politician pol-i-tish–uh n
Position puh–zish–uh n
Prejudice prej–uh-dis
Preparation prep-uh–rey-shuhn
Preposition prep-uh–zish–uh n
Proceeding pruh–see-ding
Prodigious pruh–dij–uh s
Product prod–uh kt
Production pruh–duhk-shuh n
Profound pruh–found
Promising prom–uh-sing
Pronunciation pruh-nuhn-see-ey-shuhn
Propel pruh–pel
Prophetic pruh–fet-ik
Provocative pruh–vok–uh-tiv
Pyramid pir–uh-mid

R

Word Pronunciation
Radar rey-dahr
Realization ree-uh-luh–zey-shuhn
Realm relm
Reciprocate ri–sip–ruh-keyt
Refrigerator ri–frij–uh-rey-ter
Regimen rej–uh-muhn
Renaissance ren-uh–sahns
Repeal ri-peel
Repetition rep-i-tish–uh n
Repetitive ri–pet-i-tiv
Respect ri-spekt
Responsive ri-spon-siv
Restriction ri-strik-shuh n
Rhetoric ret–er-ik
Robotics roh-bot-iks

S

Word Pronunciation
Sachet sa-shey
Saliva suh–lahy-vuh
Schizophrenia skit-suh–free-nee-uh
Sedentary sed-n-ter-ee
Seismic sahyz-mik
Simplify sim-pluh-fahy
Social soh-shuhl
Sophisticated suh–fis-ti-key-tid
Sponge/ Spongy spuhnj
Sporadic spuh–rad-ik
Squirrel skwur–uh l
Strategic struh–tee-jik
Succumb suh–kuhm
Suffocate suhf–uh-keyt
Suspicious suh–spish–uh s
Syllable sil–uh-buhl
Symmetry sim-i-tree
Synonym sin–uh-nim
Synonymous si-non–uh-muh s

T

Word Pronunciation
Tear tair
Technology tek-nol–uh-jee
Terrific tuh–rif-ik
Theory thee–uh-ree
Thorough thur-oh
Tortoise tawr-tuh s
Trigonometry trig-uh–nom-i-tree
Tyranny tir–uh-nee

V-W

Word Pronunciation
Vegetable vej-tuh-buhl, vej-i-tuh–
Veterinarian vet-er-uh–nair-ee-uh n
Vigilant vij–uh-luhnt
Vitamin vahy-tuh-min, vit-uh-min
Voluminous vuh–loo-muh-nuh s
Wednesday wenz-dey
Wizard wiz-erd
Woman woom–uhn
Women wim–in
Worm wurm

Places

Place Pronunciation
Bolivia buh–liv-ee-uh
Cairo kahy-roh
Cannes kan
Chile chil–ee
Columbia kuh–luhm-bee-uh
Ecuador ek-wuh-dawr
Melbourne mel-bern
Morocco muh–rok-oh
Namibia nuh–mib-ee-uh
Netherlands neth-er-luh ndz
Portugal pawr–chuh-guhl
Seoul sohl
Singapore sing-guh-pawr
Toronto tuh–ron-toh
Texas tek-suh s

Universities

University Pronunciation
UC Berkley burk-lee
Oxford oks–ferd
Stanford stan-ferd

Brands

Brand Pronunciation
Calvin Klein  kal-vin kline
Chevrolet  shehv-ruh-lay
Gucci goo-chee
Levi’s lee-vahyz
Porsche por-sha
Renault reh-no
Tag Heuer tag-hoy-yur
Versace vur-sah-chee

This last table is different from the ones we’ve seen so far. It provides correct pronunciation of words that are pronounced differently when used as noun and differently when used as verb. Most people, however, pronounce both the same way.

Words whose different forms are pronounced differently

Word Pronunciation (verb) Pronunciation (noun)
Convict kuh n-vikt kon-vikt
Proceed pruh–seed proh-seed
Progress pruh–gres prog-res
Project pruh–jekt proj-ekt

The post you just went through belongs to the broader topic of pronunciation. Explore the topic further on this dedicated resource page:

Resource: Pronunciation

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Anil Yadav

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6 Comments

  1. This would much more effective if you used IPA. The use of a space between italicization and n, l, or s is confusing.
    Examples:
    ambitious am-bish–uh s versus [æmˈbɪ.ʃəs],
    carnivorous kahr-niv-er-uh s versus [kɑrˈnɪ.və.rəs], and
    civil siv–uh l versus [ˈsɪv.əl], plus

    adjective aj-ik-tiv versus [ˈæʤ.ɪk.tɪv]

  2. Just loved it!!
    Clearly shows the amount if effort been put to bring such a magnificent work.
    As a teacher, i learnt a lot today that will help me in helping my students as well.

  3. I guess I’m the only person that still doesn’t know how to pronounce mortgage.

  4. This is my first time visÑ–t at here and i am actually impressed to
    read all at one placе.

  5. Hi,

    When is the ebook on mispronounced words available?

    Thanks
    Sachin

  6. Here are some more words even natives get wrong:
    formidable
    FORM-id-ible not for-MID-ah-bul
    Advertisement:
    AD-ver-tiss-ment not adver-TISE-ment
    industry:
    IN-dis-tree not In-DUST-tree
    Dalton
    DIL-tin! not Dull-ton
    Worchestershire sauce
    Wister sauce! Not Wor-chester- shire- sauce
    parquet floors
    par-ket floors, not par-kay floors
    (The term is correctly anglicized)
    aristocrat
    AR- ris- to-crat not ah-RIS-to-crat
    AR is

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