15 Commonly Mispronounced Words You're Probably Getting Wrong

Do you converse in English all day, everyday? In case you do, one would presume that you have a command over the language. However, no master of linguistics can escape a few commonly mispronounced words that have the potential to put you in an extremely embarrassing situation!

The English language is certainly more complicated than it seems—with many words sounding completely different than when written down. Since nobody likes to be corrected in public, why not brush up your vocabulary skills beforehand, and save yourself the discomfort? 

Here's an exhaustive list of English words that even the most accomplished orators stumble over.

 

1) Açaí

 

The açaí palm is a species of palm tree cultivated for its fruit, hearts of palm, leaves, and trunk wood. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Uh-kai" or "Ah-kai"

The correct pronunciation: "Ahh-sai-ee"

 

2) Itinerary

 

An itinerary is a schedule of events relating to planned travel, generally including destinations to be visited at specified times and means of transportation to move between those destinations. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Eye-tin-air-ee" or "Eye-ten-ee-air-ee"

The correct pronunciation: "Eye-tin-er-air-ee"

 

3) Arctic

 

The Arctic is a polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Alaska, Canada, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and Sweden.

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Ar-tic"

The correct pronunciation: "Arc-tic"

 

4) Pronunciation

 

Pronunciation is the way in which a word or a language is spoken.

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Pro-nun-say-shun" or "Pro-noun-see-ay-shun"

The correct pronunciation: "Pro-nun-see-ay-shun"

 

5) Salmon

 

Salmon is the common name for several species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae.

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Saul-mon" or "Saul-man"

The correct pronunciation: "Sam-in"

 

6) Wednesday

 

Wednesday is the day of the week between Tuesday and Thursday.

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Wed-nez-day"

The correct pronunciation: "Wenz-day" 

 

7) Bury

 

The word 'bury' means to put or hide underground, or to cover completely. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Buh-ree"

The correct pronunciation: "Bare-ee"

 

8) Cache

 

In computing, a cache is a hardware or software component that stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "cash-ee" 

The correct pronunciation: "cash"

 

9) Espresso

 

Espresso is a coffee-brewing method of Italian origin, in which a small amount of nearly boiling water is forced under 9–10 bars of pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "Ex-press-o"

The correct pronunciation: "Es-press-o"

 

10) Hyperbole

 

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "hy-per-bo-ley" or "hy-per-bole"

The correct pronunciation: "hy-per-ba-lee"

 

11) Mauve

 

Mauve is a pale purple color named after the mallow flower. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "move" (rhyming with stove)

The correct pronunciation: "mawv" 

 

12) Often

 

The word 'often' means frequently, or multiple times. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "off-ten" or "off-tin"

The correct pronunciation: "off-en"

 

13) Niche

 

'Niche' refers to products, services, or interests that appeal to a small, specialised section of the population.

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "neesh" (although being increasingly accepted as a pronunciation)

The correct pronunciation: "nitch"

 

14) Regime

 

In politics, a regime is the form of government or the set of rules, cultural or social norms, etc. that regulate the operation of a government or institution and its interactions with society. 

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "ruh-geem"

The correct pronunciation: "ray-geem"

 

15) Status

 

Status is the level of social value a person is considered to hold.

 

Often wrongly pronounced as: "stah-tus"

The correct pronunciation: "stay-tus"