Commonly mispronounced words

97 words people often say wrong, from niche to chutzpah: silent letters, stress in a surprising place, and spellings borrowed from French and Greek. Tap a word to hear it in two voices, slow it down, and see what it means.

1. athlete ATH-leet
2. asterisk AS-tuh-risk
3. triathlon try-ATH-lun · also try-ATH-lon
4. facade fuh-SAHD
5. forte FOR-tay · also FORT
6. err AIR · also UR
7. chic SHEEK
8. cuisine kwih-ZEEN
9. amateur AM-uh-chur · also AM-uh-tur
10. archaeology ar-kee-OL-uh-jee
11. chauffeur SHOH-fer · also shoh-FUR
12. entrepreneur ahn-truh-pruh-NUR
13. hierarchy HY-uh-rar-kee
14. mnemonic nih-MON-ik
15. placebo pluh-SEE-boh
16. premiere prih-MYAIR · also prih-MEER
17. psyche SY-kee
18. gnome NOHM
19. plethora PLETH-uh-ruh
20. connoisseur kah-nuh-SUR · also kah-nuh-SOOR
21. etymology et-uh-MAH-luh-jee
22. lineage LIN-ee-ij
23. genealogy jee-nee-OL-uh-jee · also jee-nee-AL-uh-jee
24. diphthong DIF-thawng · also DIP-thawng
25. ophthalmologist off-thuh-MOL-uh-jist · also op-thuh-MOL-uh-jist
26. chutzpah HOOT-spuh
27. chamois SHAM-ee
28. chaise SHAYZ
29. naphtha NAF-thuh
30. bouillon BOO-yahn · also BOOL-yahn
31. vehement VEE-uh-munt
32. awry uh-RY
33. brooch BROHCH
34. irrefutable ir-ih-FYOO-tuh-bul · also ih-REF-yuh-tuh-bul
35. posthumous POS-chuh-mus
36. recuperate rih-KOO-puh-rayt
37. rendezvous RAHN-duh-voo · also RAHN-day-voo
38. solder SAH-dur
39. viscount VY-kownt
40. wreak REEK
41. arduous AR-joo-us
42. conch KONK · also KONCH
43. facetious fuh-SEE-shus
44. fuchsia FYOO-shuh
45. gourmet GOOR-may · also goor-MAY
46. nuptial NUP-shul
47. peony PEE-uh-nee
48. preface PREF-us
49. reservoir REZ-er-vwar · also REZ-er-vwor
50. taupe TOHP
51. vignette vin-YET
52. primer PRIM-ur
53. architect AR-kih-tekt
54. insouciant in-SOO-see-unt
55. jaguar JAG-wahr
56. upholstery up-HOHL-stuh-ree · also uh-POHL-stuh-ree
57. heirloom AIR-loom
58. chagrin shuh-GRIN
59. idyllic eye-DIL-ik
60. thoroughfare THUR-uh-fair
61. armoire arm-WAHR
62. bullion BOOL-yun
63. reprise rih-PREEZ
64. pachyderm PAK-ih-durm
65. coercion koh-UR-zhun · also koh-UR-shun
66. breadth BREDTH
67. pheromone FAIR-uh-mohn
68. chateau sha-TOH
69. philistine FIL-ih-steen
70. ephemeral ih-FEM-er-ul
71. ubiquitous yoo-BIK-wih-tus
72. cacophony ka-KOF-uh-nee
73. ebullient ih-BUL-yunt
74. diaphanous dy-AF-uh-nus
75. maelstrom MAYL-strum
76. espadrille ES-puh-dril
77. surfeit SUR-fit
78. applique ap-luh-KAY
79. eiderdown EYE-der-down
80. cuneiform kyoo-NEE-uh-form · also KYOO-nee-uh-form
81. circuitous sur-KYOO-ih-tus
82. derailleur dih-RAY-ler
83. chanteuse shan-TOOZ
84. loess LES · also LOH-us
85. intelligentsia in-tel-ih-JENT-see-uh
86. trousseau TROO-soh
87. salchow SAL-kow · also SAL-koh
88. oeuvre UHV-ruh
89. imbroglio im-BROHL-yoh
90. raconteur rak-on-TUR
91. poseur poh-ZUR
92. eidetic eye-DET-ik
93. patois PA-twah
94. deliquesce del-ih-KWES
95. coloratura kul-ur-uh-TOOR-uh
96. cerise suh-REES · also suh-REEZ
97. chiasmus ky-AZ-mus

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