English is the universal medium of communication. You can leave a lasting impression on others if you speak well. And, pronunciation plays a critical role in it.
Sure having great communication skills is the need of the hour. But pronunciation matters too.
So be it amidst friends or colleagues, make sure you speak the right way. It wouldn’t only depict your education level but also show your grasp on the language.
So how good your pronunciation is? Do you pronounce all the English words correctly? If not, try playing word search games.
It is a great way of boosting your vocabulary. And with every new word you learn, you will get to know how to pronounce it.
Well, that’s what you always needed, right? There are a lot of free crosswords online. You can play any of it and ace your communication skills.
But before you do that, here is a quick look at 20 of the most commonly mispronounced English words.
It would help you know where you stand. Ready? Let’s go.
a) Receipt
Aren’t we always advised to take the receipt of whatever we purchase? But have you been pronouncing this word right?
It is “re-ceet” and not “re-cept”. So the next time you ask a shopkeeper for a receipt, make sure you do it the right way.
b) Determine
Determination leads to success. So, I hope you “deter-min” and not “deter-mine” to be successful.
c) Niche
Well, this one is a little tricky. But that’s what makes it fun to use. Want to know someone’s niche? Make sure you ask them their “nich” and not “nich-ee”.
d) Extempore
I remember participating in a lot of extempore in school. What about you? Did you participate in “ekstem-pore”or “ekstem-pere”? I hope you choose the latter one. Yes, that’s the correct pronunciation.
e) Vineyard
Vineyards are beautiful. But pronouncing it as “win-yerd” and not “wine-yard” will make it more beautiful.
Resume: A good “ri-zium” and not “reh-zu-may” can help you pave new avenues of success. I hope you get it.
f) Poem
Robert Frost is my favorite poet of all time. But I love his “poe-um” and not “poy-em”. Do you see the difference here?
g) Coupon
Everyone loves redeeming coupons, right? But wouldn’t it be great if you knew that it is pronounced as “koo-pawn” and not “koo-pun”?
h) Violin
Isn’t Violin such a great musical instrument? But I hope you are not ruining its musical vibes by pronouncing it as “vo-ee-lin.” Because it’s “va-yuh-lin”.
i) Meme
It is the most viral thing on internet right now. People create memes about everything these days.
And the fact that it is pronounced as “meem” and not “mee-mee” has been made a meme itself. That’s funny.
j) February
It’s the month of love. Yes, Valentine’s Day falls in February. But please pronounce it as “feb-roo-a-ree” and not as “feb-yoo-a-ree” to keep the love vibes of this month intact.
k) Bury
I hope you “be-ri” your past and not “beu-ry” it.
l) Women
Well, before treating your women right, pronounce that word right. It is “wih-men” and not “woo-men”.
m) Breakfast
How often you have been told not to skip your breakfast? A lot of times for sure. But please, skip pronouncing it as “bray-k-faast” and call it as “brek-fust”.
n) Heart
So does your “hurt” or “haa-rt” beats increase when you see your crush? Well, it is better to choose the latter one. Because with the former pronunciation, it is difficult to win anyone’s heart.
o) Wednesday
What’s the day today? It’s “wenz-day” and not “wed-nes-day”. It’s simple. All you need to do is put ‘Z’ at the place of ‘D’.
p) Pizza
A big shout out for all the “peet-zuh” and not “pi-za” lovers here. At least pronounce it right for the love of food.
q) Police
“Puh-leece” and not “poo-leece” are responsible for maintaining law and peace.
r) Gnaw
It’s “naw” and not “g-naw”. I know letting go is difficult but you need to let the “G” go here.
s) Bowl
In cricket, bowlers need to “bo-hl” and not “ba-ool” well.
So how many of it you got right? A lot of it? Only a few? Well, if you already knew most of it then you are doing great.
But don’t worry if you knew only a few. You can always learn, can’t you? Start by reading newspapers and magazines.
You can even play games for money. All these will help you get the pronunciation right and you can make mo. Happy learning, folks. Do well.
