15 Words You're Saying Wrong! ❌ (probably)
TLDRThe video script discusses the intricacies of English pronunciation, highlighting 15 commonly mispronounced words. It emphasizes the irregularities in English spelling and pronunciation, such as silent letters and stress patterns that often lead to mistakes. Words like 'development', 'genre', 'comfortable', 'colonel', 'talk', 'psycho', 'sword', 'pronunciation', 'country', 'women', 'cheesesteak', 'dessert', 'purchase', 'exam', and 'national' are covered, providing correct pronunciation tips and amusing anecdotes to aid memorization. The video aims to help viewers improve their English pronunciation and understanding of the language's peculiarities.
Takeaways
- 📚 English is often considered inconsistent in spelling and pronunciation, with few rules and many exceptions.
- 🎵 The word 'development' should be stressed on the second syllable, not the third, as commonly mispronounced.
- 🎨 'Genre' originates from French and retains its unique pronunciation, typically pronounced as 'jean-er' in English.
- 🛋️ 'Comfortable' should be stressed on the first syllable, and native speakers often simplify it to two syllables, 'comf-ter-bull'.
- 👨✈️ 'Colonel' is a peculiar word with a silent 'l', pronounced 'ker-nel', influenced by Old French and Italian.
- 💬 The letter 'l' is often silent in words like 'talk' and 'walk', contrary to its visible presence.
- 🔪 'Psycho' is an example of a silent 'p' at the beginning of a word before an 's', pronounced 'sig-ko'.
- ⚓ 'Sword' has a silent 'w', and should not be pronounced with an initial 'w' sound.
- 🎓 'Pronunciation' is often mispronounced itself, with the stress on the second syllable, not the first.
- 🏞️ 'Country' does not have the 'ow' sound that might be suggested by its spelling, but rather the short 'uh' sound as in 'cup'.
- 👩 'Women' is pronounced with a short 'e' sound at the beginning of the word, unlike the singular 'woman'.
Q & A
Why is English often considered difficult to learn in terms of spelling and pronunciation?
-English is considered difficult because it is highly inconsistent when it comes to spelling and pronunciation, with a few rules and many exceptions.
How is the word 'development' commonly mispronounced?
-The word 'development' is often mispronounced with the stress on the third syllable, while the correct stress falls on the second syllable.
What is the origin of the word 'genre' and how has its pronunciation been influenced?
-The word 'genre' comes from French and its original French pronunciation would be 'jean'. In English, it has kept some of its French characteristics, but the pronunciation has been adapted to 'genre'.
What are the two correct ways to pronounce the word 'comfortable'?
-The two correct ways to pronounce 'comfortable' are with the stress on the first syllable, and with an additional syllable, pronounced as 'comfortable'. However, native speakers tend to simplify it to 'comfortable'.
How did the pronunciation of 'colonel' become so unique?
-The pronunciation of 'colonel' is unique because it originates from Old French 'coronel', was influenced by Italian 'colonello', and retained the 'r' sound while getting an 'l' in the middle.
Why is the 'l' in the word 'talk' silent?
-The 'l' in 'talk' is silent because English has certain spelling conventions where the 'l' can be silent when it appears in certain positions within a word.
What is the common mispronunciation of the word 'psycho'?
-The common mispronunciation of 'psycho' is 'psycho', with people mistakenly emphasizing the 'o' sound, while the correct pronunciation is 'psycho', with stress on the first syllable.
How is the word 'sword' mispronounced and what is a trick to remember its correct pronunciation?
-The word 'sword' is often mispronounced as 'sword' with the 'w' being pronounced. A trick to remember its correct pronunciation is to think of the 's' in 'sword' being silent, similar to how it is in 'stone'.
What is the difference in pronunciation between the words 'pronunciation' and 'pronouns'?
-The difference in pronunciation between 'pronunciation' and 'pronouns' lies in the stress and the presence of the 's' sound. 'Pronoun' is pronounced with stress on the first syllable and without the 's' sound, while 'pronunciation' has stress on the second syllable and includes the 's' sound.
Why is the word 'country' pronounced differently than it appears?
-The word 'country' is pronounced differently than it appears because English has many inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation. The 'o' in 'country' is pronounced as a short 'uh' sound, similar to 'cup'.
How does the pronunciation of 'women' differ from 'woman'?
-The pronunciation of 'women' differs from 'woman' in that the 'o' in 'woman' is pronounced as a long 'o' sound, while in 'women', the 'o' is pronounced as a short 'uh' sound.
What is the common mistake in pronouncing the word 'cheesesteak'?
-The common mistake in pronouncing 'cheesesteak' is to say 'cheese steak', but the correct pronunciation is 'cheesesteak', with the 'e' in 'cheese' being silent.
Why is the 'p' in 'psychology' silent?
-The 'p' in 'psychology' is silent because in English, the letter 'p' can be silent when it appears at the beginning of a word before an 's'.
How is the word 'purchase' typically mispronounced and what is the correct pronunciation?
-The word 'purchase' is typically mispronounced as 'purchase', with the 'a' in the last syllable being pronounced. The correct pronunciation is 'purchase', with the last syllable being silent.
What is the correct pronunciation of the word 'exam', especially in American English?
-The correct pronunciation of 'exam' is 'exam', but in American English, the 'x' can sometimes be pronounced like a 'g' due to assimilation, making it sound like 'egzam'.
How does the pronunciation of 'national' differ from 'nation'?
-The pronunciation of 'national' differs from 'nation' in that 'nation' has a diphthong 'a' sound, pronounced as 'nation', while 'national' has the stress on the first syllable and is pronounced as 'national'.
What is the common mispronunciation of 'desert' and how can it be corrected?
-The common mispronunciation of 'desert' is 'desert', with stress on the first syllable. The correct pronunciation is 'desert', with stress on the second syllable.
What is the difference in pronunciation between 'desert' and 'dessert'?
-The difference in pronunciation between 'desert' and 'dessert' lies in the stress placement. 'Desert' is pronounced with stress on the first syllable, while 'dessert' is pronounced with stress on the second syllable.
Outlines
📚 English Pronunciation Challenges
This paragraph discusses the complexities and inconsistencies of English pronunciation, highlighting common mispronunciations. It begins with the word 'development,' emphasizing the correct stress on the second syllable. The paragraph continues to explain the pronunciation of 'genre,' noting its French origin and the preservation of its characteristics in English. 'Comfortable' is also addressed, with the correct stress placement and the common simplification by native speakers. The paragraph humorously tackles the pronunciation of 'colonel,' attributing its peculiarity to historical linguistic influences. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on 'talk,' clarifying the silent 'l' and the importance of not being misled by the written form.
🤔 Silent Letters and Pronunciation Pitfalls
The second paragraph delves into words with silent letters and the challenges they pose in English pronunciation. It starts with 'psycho,' where the silent 'p' is highlighted, and extends the discussion to other words like 'psychology,' 'pseudonym,' and 'pterodactyl.' The paragraph then addresses the silent 'w' in 'sword' and the correct pronunciation of 'exactly,' which is often mispronounced. The pronunciation of 'pronunciation' itself is humorously pointed out as a common mistake. The paragraph also covers the pronunciation of 'country,' 'women,' and 'cheesesteak,' emphasizing the importance of vowel sounds and plural forms. The mispronunciation of 'desert' as 'dessert' is clarified, and the paragraph concludes with 'purchase,' 'exams,' and 'national,' each with its unique pronunciation quirks.
🎓 Tips for English Language Learners
The final paragraph offers advice and tips for English language learners, summarizing the discussed words and their pronunciation challenges. It encourages viewers to practice and pay attention to the nuances of English pronunciation, such as silent letters and stress patterns. The paragraph ends with a call to action, inviting viewers to engage with the content by liking, sharing, subscribing, and commenting on their experiences with mispronunciations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Development
💡Genre
💡Comfortable
💡Colonel
💡Talk
💡Psycho
💡Sword
💡Pronunciation
💡Country
💡Women
💡Steak
💡Dessert
💡Purchase
💡Exam
💡National
Highlights
English is often considered inconsistent in spelling and pronunciation, with few rules and many exceptions.
The word 'development' is commonly mispronounced with stress on the third syllable, but the correct stress falls on the second syllable.
The French origin of 'genre' has influenced its pronunciation in English, leading to variations like 'jean' or 'renegade'.
The pronunciation of 'comfortable' varies, with native speakers often simplifying it to three syllables, 'comf-tur-bull'.
The word 'colonel' has a peculiar pronunciation due to its evolution from Old French 'coronel' and influence from Italian 'colonello'.
The letter 'l' is silent in the word 'talk', contrary to the common misconception.
The silent 'p' in words like 'psycho' is due to its position at the beginning of a word before an 's'.
The 'w' in 'sword' is not pronounced, unlike the common assumption.
The word 'pronunciation' is ironically often mispronounced, with the stress on different syllables in its noun and verb forms.
The pronunciation of 'country' does not include the 'ow' sound despite the presence of 'o' in the word.
The plural form 'women' is pronounced differently from the singular 'woman', with stress on different syllables.
The word 'cheesesteak' is often mispronounced as 'cheese steak' due to the influence of Italian pronunciation.
The word 'dessert' is frequently mispronounced as 'desert', with the stress misplaced between the two syllables.
The word 'purchase' is sometimes mispronounced, with the last syllable being incorrectly pronounced as 'chase'.
The pronunciation of 'exam' can vary, especially in American English, where the 'x' becomes a 'z' sound.
The word 'national' is often mispronounced with the stress on the wrong syllable, unlike its adjective form.
Transcripts
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