10 English words that even English people mispronounce

Do you think you are fluent in English? The Preply site has compiled a list of words that even English-speaking friends across our channel mispronounce.

The pronunciation of English words can be a real headache for any French person who studied English at Jean Jaurès College in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. But be sure, even for those who grew up in the tea land, speaking proper English is not always as easy as one might imagine.

1. Almonds

Almond, French almond, is a word that seems very easy to pronounce. Not many people know that the “L” in almonds is really quiet, so the word should be pronounced “a-mund”. Notice the next time you order an almond milk hot chocolate.

2. Police

English and French agree on a few things, but both agree on one thing in common: the accent of the police. However, despite the spelling, the English say “poh-leece”, the correct pronunciation of police is actually “puh-leece”. As the British always make mistakes.

3. Quinoa

Small seed is often pronounced “key-nova” during meals, which is simply misleading. According to linguists, the actual pronunciation would be “keen-wa”. Yes, as if you were being beaten by your spoon full of protein.

4. Arctic

The Arctic suffered from a very common misnomer. We often mistakenly think that the first “c” of the word is dumb, but in reality it is not! Henceforth, instead of saying “r-dick”, emphasize all the letters of the word and pronounce “arc-dick”. ⁇

5. Table

Table or program in French, made up of letters with very low intuitive pronunciation. There are even two ways to pronounce the word. In American English, the correct pronunciation is “sked-jule”, while Englishmen tend to say “shed-yule”. ⁇

6. Espresso

Although the pronunciation is similar to the spelling, many tend to curl their Italian hair by asking their barista “espresso”. If no one has commented on you before, know that it will be more convenient to order “espresso” in the future. ⁇

7. In particular

The word translating as “especially” in French is particularly mispronounced. Forgotten “s” in English tend to say “quiet”. Note to yourself: Do not forget the “s” even if you have to pronounce “p” because it can be translated as “quietly”, which takes on a completely different meaning in French and English.

8. Probably

Similarly, “probably” is abbreviated to two letters instead of three. The common pronunciation in the United Kingdom is “prob-ly”, and we are surprised to find that students at Saint-Ouen College pronounce it “pro-bab-ly” correctly.

9. Clothes

Contrary to popular belief, “th” in “clothes” is quiet. However, in your safety, this “th” looks very soft, which makes it easy to miss.

10. Responsibility

For the benefit of the law, you must spell “responsibility” correctly. The word “liability” (pronounced “li-able”) means “legal liability”, while the word “libel” (pronounced “li-bel”) means defamatory statement. Unfortunately, if you confuse them, two ideas about rights that have nothing to do can cause you trouble.

Also, the “b” is dumb … We never talk to you about words like “psychiatrist”, “psychiatrist” … Let no one say that French is a complex language!