YouTongue

Commonly mispronounced English words

Spelling is a poor guide to these words. Each one links to real clips, so you can hear how people actually say it before you say it yourself.

  1. colonel

    Said like “kernel”: KUR-nul.

    This is the Colonel. [Josh] Hello Colonel.

    1,000+ clips

  2. epitome

    Four syllables: ih-PIT-uh-mee.

    who was for me the epitome of friendship, the epitome of leadership, the epitome

    535 clips

  3. hyperbole

    Four syllables: hy-PUR-buh-lee.

    This hyperbole is nonsense.

    600 clips

  4. quinoa

    KEEN-wah.

    quinoa yeah you know it's quinoa so quinoa you love to eat quinoa after your stand-up

    277 clips

  5. debris

    The s is silent: duh-BREE (US), DEB-ree (UK).

    including windborne debris.

    1,000+ clips

  6. mischievous

    Three syllables: MIS-chuh-vus — there is no “-ee-us”.

    Uh uh mischievous mischievous little elf.

    538 clips

  7. nuclear

    NOO-klee-er, not “nu-cu-lar”.

    Nuclear energy. Or the advent in nuclear energy meant

    1,000+ clips

  8. february

    FEB-roo-air-ee; many speakers say FEB-yoo-air-ee.

    February February. and March.

    1,000+ clips

  9. library

    LY-brer-ee — both r’s are there.

    Library Salem Central Library on Thursday uh Clackamas Library Hood River Library McMinnville library

    1,000+ clips

  10. espresso

    There is no x: es-PRESS-oh.

    even distribution of espresso not espresso right it's espresso very important uh

    790 clips

  11. pronunciation

    pruh-nun-see-AY-shun — not “pro-noun-”.

    - traditional pronunciation,

    1,000+ clips

  12. especially

    Starts with es-, not ex-.

    Especially Jason. especially Jason.

    1,000+ clips

  13. recipe

    Three syllables: RES-ih-pee.

    real recipe or is that your recipe? Their real recipe is a secret and

    1,000+ clips

  14. comfortable

    Usually three syllables: KUMF-ter-bul.

    Comfortable with power. Learning to be comfortable with power.

    1,000+ clips

  15. vegetable

    Usually three syllables: VEJ-tuh-bul.

    -Vegetable lasagne. Vegetable lasagne.

    1,000+ clips

  16. wednesday

    WENZ-day — the first d is silent.

    QUESTION: Happy Wednesday.

    1,000+ clips

  17. clothes

    Often sounds just like “close”: KLOHZ.

    turn the other way up the clothes come off the clothes a woman's clothes oh they

    1,000+ clips

  18. often

    OFF-en; some speakers do say the t.

    during the lockdown working alone often often freelance um often doing a repetitive task

    1,000+ clips

  19. jewelry

    JOO-ul-ree, not JOO-luh-ree.

    Well, you were to wear jewelry If jewelry?

    1,000+ clips

  20. athlete

    Two syllables: ATH-leet.

    But anyway, he was an athlete, an amazing athlete.

    1,000+ clips

  21. salmon

    The l is silent: SAM-un.

    salmon. Dusty salmon.

    1,000+ clips

  22. suite

    Sounds exactly like “sweet”.

    the president's personal suite and the vice president's personal suite.

    1,000+ clips

  23. genre

    ZHON-ruh.

    genre apocalyptic genre there's prophetic genre

    1,000+ clips

  24. cache

    Sounds exactly like “cash”.

    we cache and where do we cache this?"

    1,000+ clips

  25. niche

    NEESH or NITCH — both are common.

    And that niche is the nocturnal niche.

    1,000+ clips

  26. almond

    AH-mund or AL-mund — both are common.

    almond almond it's almond okay i'll give you that

    861 clips

  27. island

    The s is silent: EYE-lund.

    island. his island, His island of the

    1,000+ clips

  28. receipt

    The p is silent: rih-SEET.

    a warehouse receipt ... a mate’s receipt ...

    1,000+ clips

  29. subtle

    The b is silent: SUT-ul.

    very Yeah, subtle. there [laughter] is subtle.

    1,000+ clips

  30. queue

    Just one sound: KYOO.

    people in the queue, Asians in the queue, there'd be Eastern Europeans in the queue and

    1,000+ clips

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