10 Basic English Words You’re Pronouncing Wrong (And How To Say Them Correctly)

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You may be surprised to learn that even advanced students make mistakes with basic pronunciation. What about you? In this post, we’ll review 10 basic English words that you might be mispronouncing in ESL. Ready? Let’s go!

Too Many Syllables

English difficult pronunciation help

Learning English can be tricky—especially when it comes to pronunciation. Because English borrows words from many different languages, pronunciation can change depending on the origin, meaning, and speaker.

The most common mistake is adding too many syllables to a word, making it longer than it needs to be.

For each word on our list, I’ve included the correct number of syllables. I’ve also included the wrong way to say it <cringe!> along with custom phonetic guides to help you sound it out.

Potato, Po-tah-to

Sometimes, British and American pronunciation is quite different. I was born in the USA, so forgive me if I offer a pronunciation you’re not “keen” on.

The phonetic symbols I’ve used are not standard. They are based on how the words sound in standard American English from a native English speaker.

It is what it is.

You can listen to the standard American pronunciation and practice at home as much as you want. That way, you’ll never have to wonder about whether you’re saying these words right.

Let’s Begin.

english pronunciation tips ESL

If you’re having trouble with your tongue, read on. Here are 10 basic English words that you’re probably mispronouncing… and how to say them correctly.

Let’s start with the most obvious word.

#1: Pronunciation

pruh-nun-see-A-shin

Pronunciation is a noun.

My pronunciation is getting better already.

Pronounce

pruh-NOUNCE

Pronounce is a verb.

How do you pronounce this word?

#2: Chocolate

INCORRECT: CHOC-A-LATE

CHAH-klit

Chocolate is great to eat but difficult to say! There are only 2 syllables, but non-native speakers often give it 3.

Chocolate tastes better than vegetables.

#3: Vegetables

INCORRECT: VEJ-E-TA-BULS

VEJ-ta-bulls

If you want to say this word like a native speaker, add more stress to the first syllable. Or, avoid it completely by saying veggies.

Double the vegetables you eat.

#4: Though

INCORRECT: THOUFGHT

A person recording an audiobook using a professional microphone and headphones indoors.

THO

This word has too many silent letters. It’s a -GH word that looks much harder than it really is.

You can check out how to pronounce 20 more -GH words.

My pronunciation isn’t great. It’s getting better, though!

How’s it going? Ready to practice 6 more words? Great! Be sure to subscribe. for more of my best pronunciation tips and tricks. Let’s keep talkin’!

#5: TIRED

INCORRECT: TAI-RED

THAI-erd

Is you mouth feeling tired yet? This word is not pronounced like it’s spelled. It should be spelled: ti-erd.

I’m tired of saying it wrong.

#6: Comfortable

INCORRECT: KUM-FOR-TAH-BUL

KUMf-ter-bul

Comfortable is pronounced with only 3 syllables. If you want, you can use the word comfy for short.

A hammock is a comfortable place to relax.

#7: Restaurant

INCORRECT: REST-AU-RONT

RES-trant

Make sure the first “R” in this word is really strong, and reduce the word to only 2 syllables.

This place looks like a really comfortable restaurant!

#8: Worked

INCORRECT: WERK-ED

WORKt

Another common mistake is to add an extra syllable to some words that end in -ED. It’s important to make this word have only one syllable, not two.

Want more practice with -ED endings? Grab my worksheet set here.

I worked a lot on my pronunciation today.

#9: Interesting

INCORRECT: IN-TER-ES-TING

IN-tres-ting

This word is easier than it sounds. Give it 3 syllables, with stress on the first syllable.

Use the -ING form for describing things. Astronomy is interesting.

Use the -ED form for describing feelings. She is interested in astronomy.

IN-tres-tid

I’m interested in astronomy. Astronomy is interesting.

#10: Women

INCORRECT: WUH-MAN

WIM-in

This one confuses all my students- both the men and the women!

It’s not “wuh-muhn”, and it doesn’t have an ‘s’. Instead, it’s pronounced /ˈwɪ-mɪn/.

Both syllables use a short i sound like in bit. It rhymes with “swim in”. Strange spelling, simple sound!

A woman will always help other women.

Is your mouth tired? Let’s take a break. Maybe go to a restaurant or have some chocolate. Or better yet, eat your vegetables.

It’s important to give yourself time to rest and repeat pronunciation practice each day. Eventually, these words will become more comfortable to pronounce.

10 basic English words you're mispronouncing.

Do you know any other words that are difficult to pronounce? I’m interested to know what they are! Leave a comment below.

And don’t forget. to subscribe for more pronunciation tips and tricks!

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3 Comments

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  1. These pronunciations are urban slang, not accurate to English language. Do not be misled to pronounce (Pro-nowns) nd articulated words incorrectly. It is unfortunate when “group think” or “heard mentality” causes people to adopt degraded habits; and even sad when the people trying to teach may not know they have and are teaching/sharing incorrect information.
    For proper etiquette references, always go directly to the source, such as Webster Dictionary Site; it even has audio to demonstrate the correct pronunciations.

    • Hi, Talkin Town teacher Renee here. Thank you for your comment. It seems that you do not understand how language works; there is no such thing as “proper” pronunciation. The correct pronunciation is the one that makes a speaker understood. “Group think” or as you wrote “heard mentality” (which is actually spelled ‘herd’ mentality) is how language evolves. It is perfectly natural and normal for pronunciation to change over. If several groups of people are pronouncing a word a certain way, it is the best interest of an ESL speaker to use that pronunciation, regardless of what is in the dictionary. The dictionary is not a guide to reference to see what is correct. It is a collection of data to record what is happening. Our pronunciation lessons are not ‘urban slang’ as you called it, but rather the pronunciation that is currently being produced by native speakers where we live, in sunny San Diego. Furthermore, we believe that language should be inclusive and give people the chance to communicate and be creative. There is nothing wrong with ‘urban slang’ as a it is a dialect of English that is mostly produced by African Americans. It has rules, grammars, and vocabulary like any other dialect and language. To imply that there is something wrong with this is historically racist and oppressive.
      Thanks again for your comment, and keep up the good work 🙂

  2. I think the way you wrote out the phonetics of the words is great. It gives a good idea of how to pronounce the words for people who don’t know how to use the phonemic alphabet (which can be confusing when you first look at the symbols!). It is a perfectly acceptable way to teach pronunciation! From one EFL/ESL teacher to another, you did a great job in how you presented to pronunciation!

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