20 English Words You Might Be Mispronouncing
January 2, 2025
I’m a textbook introvert who reads a lot and doesn’t like to talk very much. Consequently, I have frequently learned a new word, pronounced it a certain way in my head, and then later learned (sometimes in embarrassing ways) that I’m totally off the mark.
I know I’m not the only one who’s done this, so this post is for all of us who have been burned by words that are NOT pronounced the same way that they’re spelled!
acai
CORRECT: “ah-sah-EE”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “ah-KAI”
DEFINITION: a small, dark purple, berrylike fruit
affidavit
CORRECT: “aff-ah-DAY-vit”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “aff-ah-DAY-vid” (with a “d” at the end instead of a “t”)
DEFINITION: a sworn statement in writing
awry
CORRECT: “a-RY” (“ry” is pronounced like “wry”)
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “a-REE”
DEFINITION: off the correct or expected course
cache
CORRECT: “kash”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “ka-SHAY”
DEFINITION: a hiding place or secure storage place
chalet
CORRECT: “sha-LAY”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “CHA-let”
DEFINITION: a remote herdsman’s hut in the Alps
colonel
CORRECT: “KER-nul”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “kah-LO-nul”
DEFINITION: a commissioned officer in the army, air force, or marine corps
epitome
CORRECT: “eh-PIT-o-me”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “EH-pi-tome”
DEFINITION: a typical or ideal example
espresso
CORRECT: “es-PRESS-o” (no “x” sound)
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “ex-PRESS-o”
DEFINITION: a strong-tasting coffee that is brewed by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely ground coffee beans
etcetera
CORRECT: “et-CET-er-ah” (there’s no “k” sound)
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “ecks-CET-er-ah”
DEFINITION: a number of unspecified additional persons or things
foyer
CORRECT: “FOY-er” OR “FOI-yay”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: This is another trick question! Per Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, and the OED, both pronunciations are correct.
DEFINITION: an anteroom or lobby
gif
CORRECT: “GIF” or “JIF”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: Trick question! Both pronunciations (with a hard “g” sound or a “j” sound) are considered correct; Merriam-Webster, Dictonary.com, and the Oxford English Dictionary all list both pronunciations.
DEFINITION: a computer file format for the compression and storage of visual digital information
gyro
CORRECT: “YEER-oh”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “JY-roh”
DEFINITION: a sandwich especially of lamb and beef, tomato, onion, and yogurt sauce on pita bread
hyperbole
CORRECT: “hie-PER-bo-lee”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “HY-per-bowl”
DEFINITION: extravagant exaggeration
liable
CORRECT: “LYE-a-bowl”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “LYE-bowl”
DEFINITION: obligated according to law or equity
ostensibly
CORRECT: “ah-STEN-sib-ly”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “ah-STEN-siv-ly” (with a “v” sound instead of a “b”)
DEFINITION: to all outward appearances
quinoa
CORRECT: “KEEN-wah”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “KEEN-oh-wah”
DEFINITION: an annual herb of the amaranth family that is native to the Andean highlands and is cultivated for its starchy seeds
sherbet
CORRECT: “SHER-bit”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “SHER-bert” (with an “r” sound)
DEFINITION: a cold drink of sweetened and diluted fruit juice OR an ice with milk, egg white, or gelatin added
solder
CORRECT: “SOD-er” (“sod” pronounced like the word meaning “turf grass”)
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “SOL-der”
DEFINITION: a metal or metallic alloy used when melted to join metallic surfaces
viscount
CORRECT: “VIE-count”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “VIS-count”
DEFINITION: a member of the peerage in Great Britain ranking below an earl and above a baron
Worcestershire
CORRECT: “WUS-ter-shur”
COMMON MISPRONUNCIATION: “WOR-ches-ter”
DEFINITION: Worcestershire is most commonly used in the context of a pungent sauce whose ingredients include soy, vinegar, and garlic. The sauce was originally made in Worcestershire, England.
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Check out 9 popular English phrases that you might be saying WRONG!
Sources:
- Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage. 14th ed. Taunton, MA: QuadGraphics, 2016.
- Dictionary.com. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.dictionary.com/.
- “Home : Oxford English Dictionary.” Oxford English Dictionary. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.oed.com/.