Are you pronouncing these words the WRONG way?

Mispronunciations are another major issue in English, especially for non-native speakers like many of us Malaysians. We struggle to fathom why certain words are pronounced as they are when our brain clearly deciphers it differently. For instance, why dessert and desert have different pronunciations when its difference is only an 's' but threw and through are pronounced the same way despite being totally dissimilar in spelling. 

1. blood, flood 

Most people pronounce 'blood' and 'flood' as if they sound like 'blurt' and 'flirt' but they're actually more towards 'blard' and 'flard'. Check out this video for the correct pronunciation. 

2. Honest/Hour/all the silent H

I have students telling me how they 'hor-nest' they are. But the fact is, all these 'h's are silent. Meaning, you say 'o-nest' for 'honest' and 'our' for 'hour'. 

3. Espresso 

This word is often mispronounced as expresso when it's supposed to be 'es-pres-so'. 

3. Suite

Have you ever since the label 'Presidential Suite' when you visit hotels/resorts? The word 'suite' seems to have stronger resemblance to 'suit' but it's actually pronounced similarly to 'sweet'. 

4. Hyperbole

This is a mispronunciation that I've been doing myself too (but I've always been curious because it didn't sound right) so now I know! 'Hyperbole' implies an exaggerating effect and it's not pronounced as 'hyper-bowl' because a bowl cannot be overly exaggerated. It's pronounced as 'hyper-boh-lee'. 

5. Cache 

'Cache' is often mispronounced as 'ca-shay' but this pronunciation belongs to cachet, which means the state of being respected. 'Cache', carrying the meaning of a group of hidden items stored in a hidden place, is pronounced just like how you say 'cash'. 

6. Niche

Just like cache, 'niche' should end with a soft -sh so it's wrong when people say 'nitch' because it's supposed to be 'neesh'. 'Niche' carries two meanings: a shallow recess usually in a wall to place an ornament OR a suitable position in life or employment. 

7. Buoy

'Buoy' isn't any different from 'boy', in pronunciation. It simply means a float or keep someone/something afloat. 

8. Debris

Here, the 's' is silent so you pronounce it as 'de-bree'. 

9. Mischievous

Very often, this word is misspelled and mispronounced as 'mischievious'. It should be 'mis-chie-vous' without the 'i'. It implies naughty or playful. 

10. Subtle 

'Subtle' is pronounced as 'suh-tull' with a silent b, meaning delicately complex and difficult to describe. 

11. Queue / Quay

'Queue' is pronounced as 'cue' while 'quay' is read as 'key'. Quay, for your information, is similar to a pier or jetty. 

12. Athlete 

The word 'athlete' should be pronounced with only two syllables - 'ath-lete' and not 'a-the-lete'. 

So there you go, pronouncing English words the English way. Yes, I do agree English words have tricky pronunciation but have fun learning! 

Disclaimer: I do not label myself as an English expert but sharing also means learning. Nobody has perfect English but I believe learning knows no boundary. Feel free to correct me by commenting on my blog or Facebook posts/profile. I also welcome suggestions, ideas and any English-related info.