Have you ever been in a conversation with, say, a British person and suddenly noticed that they tensed up, their expression changed, and something went wrong? It happened to me. And since then, I've been checking the correct pronunciation of words. Let's see and listen to popular words with unexpected pronunciations together.
1) Almond /ˈɑːmənd/
It's easier for the waiter to say that they don't have it than to realize that you wanted a cappuccino with almond milk.
2) Bouquet, also buffet, parquet, etc. /buˈkeɪ/
Judging by the spelling, English got the word "bouquet" from its French friends. The English were not lazy and kept the French pronunciation. Buffet, parquet and some other words suffered a similar fate.
3) Chaos /ˈkeɪɒs/
If people already know about the "k" sound at the beginning, then the vowels can be a bit tricky. Listen and repeat. Chaos is easier to prevent than to deal with.
4) Debut /ˈdeɪbjuː/
British English/American English
Another "Frenchman" on our list. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the American and British versions have different accents.
5) Genre /ˈʒɒnrə/
What a surprise! For some reason, the /ə/ sound in the ending is still readable and adds a special charm to this word.
6) Herbal /ˈhɜːbl/ or /ˈɜːrbl/
British English/American English
Once in Boston, I wanted to order herbal tea. It was on the menu, but the waiter did not understand me. And I assumed that they were out of tea. Until my friends told me that they didn't understand what I ordered either. Of course, the local accent had something to do with it. That's why I added two types of pronunciation.
7) Hierarchy /ˈhaɪərɑːki/
In today's world, hierarchy is becoming more and more blurred, but the pronunciation of the word remains unusual to our ears. As for me, it's the emphasis on the first syllable that confuses everyone.
8) Itinerary /aɪˈtɪnərəri/
If you have not yet switched your smartphones and all applications to English, I strongly advise you to do so. And then this word will be in your eyes and ears quite often.
9) Jewellery /ˈdʒuːəlri/
Somehow it happened that this word is read "as written". And here everything is by the book.
10) Lingerie /ˈlænʒəri/ or /ˌlɑːndʒəˈreɪ/
British English/American English
The story with lingerie is about the same as with jewelry. Just listen and pronounce it correctly. And pay attention to the difference between the British and American versions.
11) Pronunciation /prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃn/
The word "pronunciation" is often mispronounced in English. And spelled, by the way, as well.
12) Pseudonym /ˈsuːdənɪm/
There are other examples of words with a mute "p" in English: pneumonia, psychic, etc. But an insidious pseudonym in English is also made by the accent.
13) Salmon /ˈsæmən/
Do not believe your eyes: there is no /l/ or /o/ sound in this word. At all.
14) Suite /swiːt/
Although only one letter "e" separates suit from suite, the words sound completely different. For example, a hotel suite or a set of programs (for example, MS Office Suite) get their "sweet" sound thanks to this "e".
15) Turquoise /ˈtɜːkwɔɪz/
I admit that it took me a long time to memorize the correct pronunciation of this word. Why? It's a mystery to me, but I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who has had trouble with emeralds.
I bow to you if you pronounced all these words exactly as they sound. For the rest of you, I suggest you listen to it again and repeat it out loud. And when you order herbal tea or a bagel with salmon in London or New York, may you be understood immediately!
М. ПЛОЩА УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ГЕРОЇВ,
