When it comes to pronouncing the hundreds and thousands of words out there, it can become quite a challenge to get them all right.
Most of the time in order to avoid embarrassment, there are only two things you can do when you have no idea how to say something; quickly skim over it so no one hears you or just avoid it completely and change your sentence.
Never fear, we’ve been there too. Here are 10 common words that you may be mispronouncing.
1. Wikipedia
Our key reference point and college saviour is actually pronounced “Wee-kee-pedia” and not “wick-ih-pedia”.
2. Anyway
Because “anyways” is not a word.
3. Hyperbole
Go away with your “hyper-bowl”, “hi-per-bul-ay” is the way to go.
4. Meme
The correct pronunciation of this word is: “meem”, not “me-me” or “mem”.
5. Ogle
How do you pronounce “ogle”? Is it oh-gle? Oogle? It’s “oh-gul”, like don’t “oh-gul” me.
6. Duct Tape
Not “duck tape” sadly! Though it sounds more amusing.
7. Sherbet
We’re guilty of this one! Took us quite a while to realise that it was not in fact “sher-bert” but “sher-bet”.
8. Espresso
You’d like to order an “ess-presso”, not an “ex”.
9. Et cetera (etc.)
Similar to “espresso”, this word doesn’t have an “ex”.
10. Pronunciation
This might seem like an obvious one but many a time have we heard people saying “pro-noun” instead of “pro-nun”.
