But if that was right, then mischievous would have this spelling – mischevious and it doesn’t.ĭefinition: A shallow recess or products/interests that relate to a small specialized section of the public.
How to pronounce it: This is an irritating word, isn’t it? I mean, there’s an ‘i’ right there, so surely, this word should have four syllables and the correct pronunciation should be ‘mish-chee-ve-us’. How to pronounce it: It looks like you should pronounce this word ‘lar-vay’, but the correct way to say it is larvee.ĭefinition: Naughty and irresponsible but not in a malicious way. I pronounce it ‘eye-tin-er-ree’, but I forget there is that ‘rary’ at the end of the word which always trips me up.ĭefinition: An immature form of an adult insect where it undergoes a radical transformation. How to pronounce it: Another one of my favourite commonly mispronounced words is itinerary. But as with epitome, imagine it has an accent on the last ‘e’. How to pronounce it: This tops my commonly mispronounced words as I always used to say this as it is written, pronouncing it – hyperbowl.
But the correct way is gayj, not gowj.ĭefinition: An exaggerated statement that indicates something is much better or worse than it actually is. I think it is because people think you can say it in two different ways. How to pronounce it: This is one of the most commonly mispronounced words in the English language. But if you imagine an accent on the last ‘e’, you’ll remember the word has four syllables and not just three.ĭefinition: To estimate or determine the measurements of something. How to pronounce it: Many people say this word as they see it – ‘eh-pi-tome’ with tome rhyming with home. Ships crews had a habit of spelling boatswain members as ‘bosun’ to abbreviate it whilst at sea and eventually the shortened word took over the wordier one. How to pronounce it: Swain is an old word that means servant, apprentice, or boy. How to pronounce it: This word may start with the word ‘arch’, but the ‘ch’ is pronounced as a hard ‘k’ instead.ĭefinition: A boat or ship’s crew member that works on the deck and is responsible for the hull. With a cedilla on the ‘c’ and an accent on the ‘i’, you pronounce this fruit ah-sigh-EE. But this word comes from Portuguese explorers who named the fruit açaí. How to pronounce it: The British or Americans do not have anything in their language to suggest that letters should sound soft or hard or come with accents. 20 Commonly Mispronounced Wordsĭefinition: A purple berry rich in antioxidants that grow in the tropical rain forests of the Amazon jungles. So here’s a list of the most commonly mispronounced words and more importantly – how you say them. I didn’t want people laughing at me because I couldn’t be bothered to learn how common words are supposed to be pronounced. Sure, I knew in the film it was purposeful for the comedic effect.