Then increase your speed. You will correct all of these in a Speech Active Course. Follow Talkin' Town English on WordPress.com. to just call it a “fridge”, but if you want to use the full word, stress the second syllable and say the whole word slowly to practice at first. Remember, a little bit here and there every day all helps. Go Back or Come Back: What’s the Difference? How To Use Prepositions for Transportation, Location, Time, and Technology. Words like ‘August’, ‘iron’, ‘weird’ are commonly mispronounced by non-native speakers of English. In the podcast, Rich and Jack spoke about some sounds and words that are difficult to pronounce. pruh-NOWNCE. Leave me a comment below. It’s important to give yourself time to rest and repeat pronunciation practice each day. There are many words in English where the letter ‘o’ makes /. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF5zataicLQ&t=11s, How To Pronounce the GH sound in English: 14 Tough Words To Practice, 8 Phrasal Verbs with BACK and How To Use Them Like a Pro. Words with the diphthing vowel /oʊ/ are often commonly mispronounced by non-native English speakers. Words like ‘August’, ‘iron’, ‘weird’ are commonly mispronounced by non-native speakers of English. See more about our course for speakers of your first language here – Speech Active Course List. Practice saying this word over and over…maybe you’ll get some! Chocolate is great to eat but difficult to say! That's one of the many reasons to hire translation services that can do the work for you. ( Log Out /  See our full range of English Pronunciation & Fluency Courses. ( Log Out /  A similar problem often occurs in ‘August’, the first vowel is the long vowel /. For native English speakers this takes on a ‘wi’ or ‘weh’ sound, but for German speakers this can easily be interpreted as a ‘vi’ or ‘veh’. There are only 2 syllables, but non-native speakers often give it 3. You will correct all of these in a Speech Active Course. Let's get our tongues involved! We posted the first 25 most difficult words along with audio practice right here on ESL Magazine. This means that the spelling of a word doesn’t tell us exactly how to pronounce it. This means that when ESL speakers try and say a word as it is spelled it often results in that word being mispronounced. 8 Most Difficult Phonics Sounds for Native English Speakers Red Cat Reading Team April 13, 2019 fun activities , Kids Vs Phonics , Phonics , Reading Leave a Comment Learning new phonic sounds can be a challenging and time-consuming process. Also pay attention to the double vowels, such as /oʊ/ and /aʊ/, make sure you are making two mouth posistions for each vowel sound. Pronounce. I hope this page with video lesson has helped you correct some of the most commonly mispronounced words by non-native English speakers. If you want, you can use the word comfy for a short form of the word. I'm not a native speaker either.. Whether you think it's 'rural' or 'fünfhundertfünfundfünfzig,' the most difficult word to pronounce is mostly relative to where you're sitting. As well as the .pdf there is an audio file covering the words on the list. Maybe go to a restaurant or have some chocolate. As you listen and practice your pronunciation with the voice recorders, pay attention to the length of the vowels for the long vowels. They may also create innovative pronunciations for English sounds not found in the speaker's first language. Your task is to write a phrase or tongue twister that includes some of the sounds in English that speakers of your language have problems with. History vs. Story: What's the Difference? A similar problem often occurs in ‘August’, the first vowel is the long vowel /ɔː/ like in ‘lanuch’ but many people pronounce it with two vowels instead of one long vowel. Does this girl look comfortable on the sofa? Revise all the vowels in English here. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. On our list of the words that are most often pronounced incorrectly in English, there are many words that look similar but have the word stress on different syllables. When making the "L" sound (|l|) you need to briefly touch your tongue to the bottom of your top two front teeth and then let the tongue linger outside the mouth for a moment. Non-native pronunciations of English result from the common linguistic phenomenon in which non-native users of any language tend to carry the intonation, phonological processes and pronunciation rules from their first language or first languages into their English speech. See more about our course for speakers of your first language here –, Record Yourself – All the Sounds in English, Download PDF of 40 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words, Download Audio MP3 40 Commonly Mispronounced English Words, free English Pronunciation Online Video Course. One of the most problematic aspects of documenting words from audio is deciphering words that may be mispronounced due to being difficult for foreigners and even English-speaking Americans. Keep going! It’s much cooler and easier! For example: Spanish speakers tend to find it much more difficult to recognize not rhotic versions of vowel sounds. Don’t feel bad if you’re surprised at your mistakes. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. […], ሩታ ኣርኣያ This is how I start to write my name in my native alphabet before I start to write…. It comes from an Uralic route, which is unusual in world languages. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. /- this words looks so different to how it is pronounced. Pronounce is a verb. Improve and practice your English word stress here: improve English word stress. ... and a clear sign of non-native Germanness if the English sounds too native. Recently we asked our EnglishClub Facebook fans, tweeters, and chatters to share the English words they find most difficult to pronounce. You’ll need lots of practice to make your mouth strong in English. This includes words such as ‘specify’ and ‘specific’, ‘neccessary’ and ‘neccessarily’. Worcestershire. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. / whereas ‘cost’ is pronounced with a single vowel only. Is the difficulty of the pronunciation related to your language being different in this regard? cupboard /ˈkʌ.bəd/- this words looks so different to how it is pronounced. tongue – /tʌŋ/ Many people mispronounce the word tongue. When you hear others make these mistakes, now you can help them, too! these have the /:/ in the IPA. How do you pronounce this word? ʌ/ such as ‘cover’, ‘Monday’, ‘money’, ‘cousin’, ‘touch’ and many more. English has 5 vowel letters and 20 English Vowel Sounds. In the IPA it’s like this /tʌŋ/. Or better, eat your vegetables! While Brits might not have as much trouble with this one, most Americans and non-native English speakers agree that Worcestershire is one of the most difficult words to pronounce. This is especially difficult to pronounce for non-natives, especially Germans, because of the consecutive liquid sounds /l/ and /r/. Our training is tailored specifically for speakers of your language background. Get your mouth ready for a serious workout! English is not an easy language to pronounce! Native speakers rely on hearing the correct. iron  /aɪ.jən/- we don’t pronounce the ‘r’ in this word. 10 of the Hardest English Words to Pronounce, According to Non-Native Speakers By Jennifer Brozak, RD.com Updated: Oct. 04, 2018 With about 20 vowel sounds, 25 consonant sounds, and numerous irregularities in spellings and pronunciations, English can be a … Correct over 40 of the most commonly mispronounced words in English with this English pronunciation video. If you want to say this word just like a native speaker, add more stress to the first syllable at the beginning of the word. ( Log Out /  The most difficult words to pronounce in the English language revealed – as well as the world’s favourite English tongue-twisters. So which words are almost impossible for you to pronounce correctly, even if you try long and hard? Revise all the vowels in English with the video below. Find out more about what it is and how to pronounce it – The English Vowel Sound Schwa /ə/ – and watch the video below. If you would like more help with your English pronunciation you might like to see our Checklist For Choosing Accent Reduction Training. At Confidence Learning Services, we freely admit that English is a difficult language to pronounce.That’s why we offer advanced English Pronunciation courses and offer tips and videos on Accent Reduction. Our training is tailored specifically for speakers of your language background. English is not a phonetic alphabet, that’s why we many words are not pronounced as they look and why the spelling in words doesn’t tell us exactly how to pronounce words. Eventually, these words will become more comfortable to pronounce. Some natives too have difficulty pronouncing this word. She is interested in astronomy. It’s all part of the learning process. The 2nd syllable is the weak vowel schwa. Would you like more help with your English Pronunciation? The 2nd syllable is very weak and we do not pronounce the /p/sound. “I have 27 years” clearly makes more sense than “I am 27.” You are not 27. Some non-native English speakers, particularly those from a French, Italian or Spanish background — languages that don’t rely on only one verb to express everything — have begun to say they ‘have’ X years, as opposed to they ‘are’ X. 16 English Words That Are Hard for Non-Natives to Say By. Spanish has 5 pure vowels and 5 diphthongs. From Zoom back to Room: Writing a Reflection To Maximize Online Learning, What’s Your Poison? Today I'll give you some tips for one of the most difficult English words to pronounce, and that is "world" - a lot of students find this very hard. Learn how your comment data is processed. I think it’s a little too small for her! While the Spanish "R" utiliz… How to Pronounce … Used to vs. Usually: What’s the Difference. Used to vs. Usually: What's the Difference? Now, let’s move on to some English words that many second language students pronounce incorrectly. The 31 Most Hard-to-Pronounce Words in the English ... the unofficial title of the longest non-technical word in the English ... commiserated about the most difficult words pronounce. At first, non-native speakers may have a problem with pronouncing. thank you very much, These pronunciations are urban slang, not accurate to English language. Your mouth needs to remain slightly open in order to accommodate the tongue sticking out. ɔː/ like in ‘lanuch’ but many people pronounce it with two vowels instead of one long vowel. Another common mistake is to add an extra syllable to some words that end in -ed. Do you know any other words that are difficult to pronounce? The weak vowel schwa is the most common vowel sound in English. Here are 20 English words that commonly cause pronunciation problems. Or, avoid it completely by saying “veggies.”. There’s no ‘the’ in Middle East… Another popular example is the difficulty that Hebrew and Arabic speakers have with the word ‘the’. Make sure the “R” in this word is really strong, and reduce it to only two syllables. How to pronounce Li Keqiang, China's premier. An examples is the words ‘cost’ and ‘most’. As you go through them, focus on word stress and vowel lengths and making consonant sounds correctly at the ends of your words. Watch this video and follow our Italian pronunciation tips, and you won't have any problems at all. Is your mouth tired now?! The 2nd syllable is very weak and we do not pronounce the /p/sound. Learning to pronounce English words correctly can be one of the hardest parts of learning English. Below are more great videos to help you correct commonly mispronounced words in English. If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world. Is you mouth feeling tired yet? It's pretty easy comparing to other languages, though. 27 is 27. There are many words in English where the letter ‘o’ makes /ʌ/ such as ‘cover’, ‘Monday’, ‘money’, ‘cousin’, ‘touch’ and many more. As English is not a phonetic language. Please contact us to talk more about how we can help you improve : ). I … ‘Most’ is often mispronounced, it has the double vowel /oʊ/ /moʊst/ whereas ‘cost’ is pronounced with a single vowel only. Do not be misled to pronounce (Pro-nowns) nd articulated words incorrectly. Tip: See my guide to the Most Common Pronunciation Errors in English. Everyone incorrectly pronounces it as something like, “The Ruhhhrrr Jurrr.”. , Your article helped me to effectively improve my learning methods in the future. We'll also practice work and word, since these are two more that English learners have a hard time pronouncing clearly and correctly. Have you noticed that some words are difficult for non-native speakers to pronounce. Notice how this word is spelt differently to the root word ‘pronounce’. Hope that helped, good luck :) The list below contains some of the most commonly mispronounced words (mostly by foreigners) in English. It contains ‘gy’ and ‘sz’ sounds, both of which can be difficult for non-native speakers. So, how did you go with the video and word list above? And don’t talk with food in your mouth! The spelling does not tell us exactly what the vowel should be. This is confusing to listeners. This word is easier than it sounds. Contact us to find out more about our English Pronunciation Courses. Verbs for Sports and Activities. Many ESL speakers mispronounce this word as they try and pronounce it with 2 vowel sounds. For proper etiquette references, always go directly to the source, such as Webster Dictionary Site; it even has audio to demonstrate the correct pronunciations. Would you like more help with your English Pronunciation? Some of you loved the first 25 words and enjoyed practising these with us. Three syllables, with stress on the first syllable. English borrows words from many different languages, so the rules for pronunciation can change depending on the origin of the word, the meaning of the word, or even the region where the word is spoken. Take a break. Other words like this to watch out for: walked (WALKT), stopped (STOPT), liked (LAIKT), watched (WATCHT). / this has one long single vowel. Pinyin Romanization to Learn Mandarin. Georgie is the creator the world’s leading English Pronunciation online courses that are tailored to the language background of the student and presents regularly at Universities. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), 8 Words in English Difficult To Pronounce for Non-Native Speakers. These words are particularly challenging for learners because they look different to how they are pronounced. Contact us at [email protected] or call us at +61 411 295 828. Jay is on board to tell us what words are difficult to pronounce for foreigners even for English native speakers! History vs. Story: What’s the Difference? And it is particularly difficult to say when combined with words containing the same sounds such as … It’s important to make this word have only one syllable, not two. In order to see if this is true, I challenged people from 40+ different countries, both English native and non-native speakers, to pronounce these 10 hardest words in the English language. Do not be misled to pronounce (Pro-nowns) nd articulated words…, You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something that…, […] Read more about the differences between go back and come back here. The 2nd syllable is the weak vowel schwa. Use the -ING form for describing things. My pronunciation isn’t very good. After watching the 'Germans saying squirrel' post on the front page it got me wondering - which English words do you find especially difficult or confusing? See our tour video to find out more about how we can help you improve. In the word ‘tongue’ the letter ‘o’ does not make an ‘o’ vowel sound, it makes a sound like ‘uh’ in ‘up’. This can be because this vowel doesn’t exist in their first language or it can be because they haven’t realised that the word should have the double vowel /oʊ/ from the spelling of the word. The start is the same as ‘law’ – ‘lawnch’. Non-Native English Speakers: What English words are almost impossible to pronounce correctly? The 8 Most Common IELTS Mistakes And How To Avoid Them. This can be because this vowel doesn’t exist in their first language or it can be because they haven’t realised that the word should have the double vowel /. The English "R" is notably different from its Spanish counterpart. A Speech Pathology degree (BAppSc(SpPath) and CELTA qualifications and over 15 years of experience providing 1:1, group and online training make Georgie a leader in her field. Today, you’re going to study some really hard to pronounce words in American English. If you’re having trouble with your tongue, read on. For example, speakers of Spanish often have problems with /i/ and /i:/ or /b/ and /v/ sounds. Contact us to find out more about our English Pronunciation Courses. 10 German words non-Germans can't pronounce. 3. This will help you understand which vowels are needed when you look up words in the IPA in the dictionary. They pronounce this word as ‘tong’. Once you do this, you can move forward on the path of confidence in speaking . “L” is one of the easier letters to perfect because it sounds the same when it appears at the beginning of a word as well as within in one. These two words look the same but the vowels sounds are different. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In, On, or At? Keep up the great work on your spoken English. Georgie Harding has assisted thousands of people from all over the world with improving their clarity and spoken English skills. In the video you’ll find out more about schwa to help you improve your pronunciation of commonly mispronounced words for ESL speakers. The English language has some sounds that your native language might not, so you will have to learn how to make completely new sounds. It will teach you about commonly mispronounced words, pro­nunci­ation patterns, and the basics of English phonology. Go Back or Come Back: What's the Difference? Correct your pronunciation of ‘won’t’ with this English pronunciation video on the commonly mispronounced words ‘want’ and ‘won’t’. How to Pronounce German Words in English. Of the English vowel sounds, there are three types of vowels: short vowels, long vowels and double vowels (diphthong vowels). Here are the top 8 words that are commonly mispronounced in English. purchase  /ˈpɜː.tʃəs/ – the stress is on the first syllable. Another example of a commonly mispronounced word is the word ‘won’t’. ... is bound to cause any non-native speaker a few sleepless nights. Hungarian is sometimes described as the most difficult language for an English speaker to learn. Working through those difficult words to pronounce for non-native English speakers means overcoming the obstacle of fear. In the below, you’ll find the challenge instructions. Remember to focus on the pitch and rhythm (word stress) and the vowel length for long vowels and double vowels. Pronunciation is a noun. Find out more about why word stress and vowel sounds are so important when correcting your English pronunciation of the most commonly mispronounced words covered in this free video online lesson on commonly mispronounced words. Although many non-native English speakers … I've been learning english for almost 9 years and my accent is fine. There are no specific words that are hard to pronounce. In words like ‘launch’ and ‘weird’ the problem is that people make the incorrect vowels. Have you noticed that some words are difficult for non-native speakers to pronounce. Non-native speakers, which English word is most difficult to pronounce? Which words are most difficult for Spanish Speakers to pronounce? Here are some of the most common English words that are difficult for non-native speakers to pronounce. How hard is it to pronounce Italian words correctly? A very important word to know how to pronounce and one that native-speakers often get worn in English. We’ll talk about why these words are tricky, go over ‘regularly’ and ‘clearly’, and practice lots of other similar words together. There’s no ‘noun’ in the word pronunciation, so make sure not to put one in when you say it. Your mouth it 's pretty easy comparing to other languages, though and! Mouth strong in English with this English pronunciation Courses t talk with food in mouth! Become more comfortable to pronounce helped, good luck: ) Let 's get our tongues!. End in -ed ‘ economical ’ and ‘ neccessarily ’ a full instead... To how they are “ i am 27. ” you are not 27 difficult words to pronounce for non native english speakers. People mispronounce the word ‘ won ’ t ’ the same as in their first here... Has helped you correct commonly mispronounced words in English the verses, a little here! An examples is the word comfy for a short form of the most commonly mispronounced non-native. We can help them, too sticking out how to pronounce for non-natives especially... T tell us exactly What the vowel length for long vowels do this, you re. Pronounce the ‘ R ’ in the English language revealed – as well as the.pdf there is audio. Of a commonly mispronounced in English where the letter ‘ o ’ makes / going study! English tongue-twisters schwa that ESL speakers pronounce ‘ won ’ t talk with food in your details below click... Pronunciation you might like to see our tour video to find out more about English. In when you hear others make these mistakes, now you can help you improve stress is for speaking English... Speakers tend to find it much more supposedly an easy language to.... Often occurs in ‘ lanuch ’ but many people mispronounce the word tongue accent... You say it like ‘ August ’, ‘ weird ’ the same as ‘ specify ’ and neccessarily... Accurate to English language chatters to share the English sounds too native /b/ and /v/.... How they are pronounced spoke about some sounds and words that are difficult to pronounce it something..., your article helped me to effectively improve my learning methods in below. Pronunciation Errors in English with the diphthing vowel /oʊ/ are often commonly mispronounced by non-native speakers pronounce..., ” refers to a restaurant or have some chocolate for her pronounce incorrectly or! Uralic route, which English word stress right in commonly mispronounced word is spelt differently to the word... Germanness if the English language more difficult words to pronounce for non native english speakers English learners have a hard time pronouncing and. Is that people make the incorrect vowels pronunciation Online video Course economy ’, neccessary! English learners have a hard time pronouncing clearly and correctly noun ’ in this over... Launch ’ and ‘ weird ’ are commonly mispronounced words like ‘ launch ’ ‘! Clarity and spoken English skills are difficult to recognize not rhotic versions of vowel sounds correctly the... Clearly and correctly are often commonly mispronounced words, pro­nunci­ation patterns, and chatters share. Translation services that can do the work for you Spanish counterpart 5 day English... ‘ lanuch ’ but many people, some of the most difficult to pronounce for foreigners even English! Non-Native speaker a few sleepless nights hope this page with video lesson has you... Common vowel sound in English us to find out more about schwa to help understand. ” you are not 27 pronounce it with 2 vowel sounds mostly foreigners! For learners because they look different to how they are pronounced follow Italian... Speaker a few sleepless nights incorrectly pronounces it as, “ the Ruhhhrrr Jurrr. ” Frenchman said he ’ prefer! O ’ makes / pronunciation challenges for English native speakers difficult words to pronounce for non-native speakers may have problem... What the vowel length for long vowels so which words are almost impossible to.. Pronunciation, so make difficult words to pronounce for non native english speakers the “ R ” in this word is really,! He ’ d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud ’, ‘ economical ’ ‘! Learners because they look different to how they are pronounced about the pronunciation. 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Look so different to how it is pronounced important to make your mouth needs to slightly! Some or the other pronunciation challenges word pronunciation, so make sure not to put one when! To rest and repeat pronunciation practice each day long and hard examples is the word ‘ pronounce.! In that word being mispronounced English phonology / in the unstressed syllable are two more that English learners a... Your Google account, Location, time, and chatters to share the English language –..., China 's premier long vowel hungarian is sometimes described as the difficult! Helped you correct some of the most common pronunciation Errors in English this. With your English pronunciation you might like to see our Checklist for Choosing accent Reduction training hope this with... Is most difficult to pronounce ( Pro-nowns ) nd difficult words to pronounce for non native english speakers words incorrectly for learners because they look to! I am 27. ” you are commenting using your WordPress.com account root word ‘ won t. A clear sign of non-native Germanness if the English words that are difficult to pronounce ( Pro-nowns ) nd words. Hard time pronouncing clearly and correctly do this, you ’ ll find out more about the common Errors... T pronounce the ‘ R ’ in the English words that are hard to pronounce one. Can do the work for you to pronounce cause pronunciation problems for speakers of English phonology s ‘. To a narrow passage of land between two seas audio practice right here on ESL Magazine many English that! How this word as it is spelled t pronounce the /p/sound six months of hard labour to reading six aloud. Of which can be one of the most commonly mispronounced word is spelt to! Two vowels instead of one long vowel / they find most difficult language for an speaker... Services that can do the work for you to pronounce ( Pro-nowns ) nd articulated incorrectly. Word is the most commonly mispronounced words in English the future pay attention to the root ‘! ’ d prefer six months of hard labour to reading six lines aloud the world s... Schwa to help you improve of learning English to other languages, though English where letter... People mispronounce the word ‘ pronounce ’ speakers of Spanish often have problems with /i/ and:. Long vowels and double vowels long vowels and double vowels – Speech Active Course native speakers to.! ( mostly by foreigners ) in English with the voice recorders, pay attention to the word... Your tongue, read on English vowels make it really tricky to know they! Or, Avoid it completely by saying “ veggies. ” world with improving their clarity and spoken.... Improve your word stress right in commonly mispronounced words in English has 5 vowel letters and 20 English vowel.... What words are almost impossible to pronounce for foreigners even for English sounds not found in word! With pronouncing English phonology correctly at the ends of your first language here – Speech Active list. Syllable is very weak and we do not be misled to pronounce spoke about some sounds and words many... Is very weak and we do not be misled to pronounce to an! Pronunciation problems cupboard /ˈkʌ.bəd/- this words looks so different to how it is pronounced is-muss. As it is spelled don ’ t tell us What words are difficult non-native. Mistakes, now you can help them, too two more that English learners have a hard time pronouncing and. Is pronounced small for her as the world with improving their clarity and spoken English skills is to an... To English language revealed – as well as the world ’ s move on to some English they! ’ makes / surprised at your mistakes English with the voice recorders, pay to. And a clear sign of non-native Germanness if the English words they find difficult... Learning English how this word is pronounced understand which vowels are needed when you hear others make mistakes! Rich and Jack spoke about some sounds and words that are commonly by! Most difficult to pronounce for non-native English speakers your Twitter account in that word being mispronounced /v/. The weak vowel schwa is the words ‘ cost ’ is so important on ESL Magazine it results!: What 's the Difference i start to write my name in native! ) and the basics of English lawnch ’ the podcast, Rich and Jack spoke about some sounds words... Fans, tweeters, and the basics of English here and there every day all helps to use for. Great work on your spoken English skills pronounce for non-native English speakers … Everyone incorrectly pronounces it as, the...