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:

• Mispronunciations on prime-time TV debates and other forums
• How to improve your English pronunciation?
• How I corrected my pronunciation of more than 3,400 words?

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