Common Mispronunciations in British English

If your teacher taught you English, you wlll pick up English from them but if they taught you the wrong pronounciaton, you are stuck saying these words and you never know that they are wrong until someone points it out to you.

In English, it doesn’t help that the spellings do not match the sounds either but this can be an easy fix, if you have a person who tells you that how you’re saying a particular word is wrong, then you can change it. It is the quickest way to rectify your pronunication mistakes.

Why These People Make These Pronounciation Mistakes

English spelling survive from older pronunciations hundreds of years ago, many words are borrowed keeping their original spelling and the same letter pattern can produce several different vowel sounds. For example, the spelling OUGH has many different pronounciations, cough, thorough, through, thought.

Not only is the spelling difficult, it is a stress-timed language, which means a lot of the rhythm of sentences are conveyed through each individual syllables of words, with stressed and unstressed syllables. Mispronunciation often occurs when English learners apply the sounds, stress patterns and rhythms of their native language to English words. It often does not fit the British English accent, which is why people learning the English language sounds have an accent.

Everyday Words That Catch People Out

These common pronounciations are the ones we have heard the most when working with our clients at Speaking Voices. Majority of the time, it’s adding an extra syllable or extra sound that is not necessarily required. The capital letters are where there stressed syllables are where you need more emphasis on that syllable.

• Salmon - This is pronounced SA-mun. The ‘l’ is silent.
• Debt - This is pronounced det. The ‘b’ is silent.
• January - This is pronounced as JAN-you-wear-ree.
• Business - This is with 2 syllables BIZ-nis. Often mispronounced as Biz-uh-nes
• Woman/ Women - This is WUH-mun/ WIM-min.

However many words can not be spelt out majority of the time to highlight how we should say this word. This is why learning the IPA, the international phonetic alphabet, is so important, every sound has its own symbol, so once you learn the sound, your pronounciation will always be right.

Words Borrowed From Other Languages

Borrowed words are difficult because the written form travels across borders and the sound does not always travel with it.

• Segue: This is pronounced SEG-way.
• Charcuterie: This is pronounced SHAH-koo-tuh-ree.
• Quinoa: This is pronounced KEEN-wah.
• Gnocchi: The ‘g’ is silent, NYO-kee.
• Worcestershire: This is the most famous one as Americans never know how to pronounce this. This is WUH-stuh-shuh.
• Chipotle: This is chi-POHT-lay.

These words are simply best learnt by hearing the words rather than by looking at the spelling.

Words That Native Speakers Get Wrong Too

Mispronunciation is not a beginner's problem. Native speakers stumble over commonly misread words as well and some don’t know what they saying is wrong. This is how language changes over the centuries, when the majority of people say the words the same way, it will get passed down the generations.

Mischievous is a good example. The standard British pronunciation is MIS-chuh-vus, with three syllables and no "ee" in the middle. The very common version, mis-CHEE-vee-us, adds a syllable and a vowel that were never there.

Other words simply sound different from what the spelling suggests. Colonel is said KER-nel. Epitome is uh-PIT-uh-mee. Hyperbole is hy-PER-buh-lee. Etcetera is et-SET-uh-ruh, and ragout is ra-GOO.

A Simple Method for Remembering the Correct Pronunciation

If you want one repeatable routine for fixing a mispronounced word, this is the one I would give a client in their first session.

• Find the stress. Every English word of more than one syllable has one strong beat. Decide which syllable it is before you worry about the vowels.
• Break the word into sounds and say it slowly, exaggerating the strong syllable and softening the rest.
• Say it at slow speed, five times and then speed up. Slow speech lets you hide behind careful articulation that disappears in conversation.
• Put the word in a sentence you actually say at work and say that sentence as many tmes as you can.
• Record yourself on your phone and listen back. Most people hear their own error immediately, which is what makes the correction stick.

The purpose of the list is not to memorise hundreds of words. It is to give you a method you can apply to any word the moment you notice you are unsure of it.

When to Work With a Coach

Some habits are easy to hear and easy to fix on your own. But majority of the time you cannot detect your mistakes without help, particularly when they involve rhythm, vowel length or the specific sounds of a British English accent.

This is it makes sense to get targeted coaching. Speaking Voices provides voice and communication coaching in Canary Wharf, London, founded by voice coach Emily Lee. Sessions run online and in person and cover British English accent work, elocution, articulation and public speaking for individuals and corporate teams. Having a coach is the best investment for you to change your English pronunciation mistakes and they can identify the two or three patterns causing most of the confusion, which is far faster than working through a long list of words alone. If you are ready to work on your British accent click on the button below to check out our programme.

Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I say a word correctly on its own but not in a sentence?

Because speech runs on rhythm, not on single words. When you are thinking about your point and the next sentence at the same time, your mouth falls back on the pattern it has rehearsed most often. We have to transition the word into the sentence so practise the word at inside a real sentence that you normally say on a daily basis.

Is it too late to fix pronunciation as an adult?

No. Adults change pronunciation habits regularly, but they usually need attention rather than immersion. Children absorb sound passively, while adults do better with a short targeted list and daily repetition. Changing pronounciation mistakes is all down to muscle memory.

Should I learn the phonetic alphabet to help with this?

Yes, it really helps. Every dictionary that has the meaning of words normally have the symbols for you to pronounce the word. Phonetic symbols are useful when you want to check the sounds and check the stress of the word, so you can say it perfectly. But learning the phonetic symbols can take time.

How often should I practise mispronounced words?

Consistency is the key. Five focused minutes a day, working on three words at a time, gives your mouth enough repetition to build a new habit without turning practice into a chore. Add those words to sentences you genuinely say at work, then review them the following week to check the fix has held.