Five words which are difficult to pronounce in English: vegetables, pronunciation, February, comfortable, clothes
English pronunciation can be difficult because the spelling often doesn't match the sounds...
If you've ever looked at a word in English and found yourself scratching your head to understand how to pronounce it, you're not alone! Pronunciation is one of the biggest challenges English learners face.
However, there is a tool which shows you exactly which sounds you need in every word in English: the International Phonetic Alphabet. To learn more about the IPA symbols and the 44 phonemes in British English, try our interactive British English vowels and consonant chart.
In this post, we'll look at five everyday words which are tricky to pronounce in English - and how you can make sure you get them right, by understanding the phonetic script for each one.
How do you say 'vegetables'?
This word can cause some issues because it looks like it has four syllables - but actually, we pronounce it with just three, a bit like this: VEG-tuh-bls
Here's the phonetic script:
/ˈvedʒ.tə.bəlz/
The stress is on syllable one; make that one longer and louder. And the final two weak syllables both have schwa sounds.
The schwa is the most common sound in spoken English, representing over 9% of all speech - so it's worth practising! (you can read more about the schwa in my earlier blog.)
When it comes to the word 'pronunciation', we have a slightly different challenge. Some people - even native speakers - pronounce this noun the same way as the verb, 'pronounciation'. But is that correct?
🎬'Pronounciation' or 'pronunciation'? Watch this video to find out.
For a more complete exploration of this common error, and how to avoid it, take a look at my blog post which discusses the lack of spelling (and pronunciation) link between the verb and the noun.
Are there two ways to say February?
Yes, there are! Some speakers will pronounce the first 'r', as in:
/ˈfeb.ru.ər.i/
However, this can be quite difficult - so many people will leave that 'r' out, and say FEB-you-uh-ri instead.
Both pronunciations are fine, and neither is considered less correct.
Comfortable - how many syllables?
This is another word which is generally spoken with three syllables (rather than the four suggested by the spelling). Most speakers will say: CUMF-tuh-bl
/ˈkʌmf.tə.bəl/
You may hear some speakers adding in a fourth syllable (/ˈkʌm.fə.tə.bəl/ - but neither pronunciation is considered less correct.
The most important factor here is to make sure you stress that first syllable.
Comfortable - how many syllables are in this word?
The word 'clothes' has a couple of tricky consonant clusters which make it difficult to pronounce. There is just one vowel sound (a diphthong) in the middle of the four consonants:
/kləʊðz/
But the Oxford Learners Dictionary shows an alternative, simpler pronunciation: /kləʊz/
In connected speech, which is fairly fast, no-one is going to notice if you miss out that tricky penultimate /ð/ sound - so my advice is to go with the simpler pronunciation instead!
Which words do you find difficult to pronounce? Get in touch with me via our website and maybe I'll cover your suggestion in a future video or blog!
Do you want to improve your pronunciation at your own pace and in your own home? Take a look at our Pronunciation Power Online Course to see how you can build your English speaking skills in just a few minutes a day.
About the author
Hi there 👋 My name is Jenny Dance, and I have over 20 years' teaching experience. I am fascinated by language and sound, and have a passion for pronunciation...