20 tricky English spellings to pronounce
Hear the sounds hidden in lieutenant, jewelry, Wednesday, yacht, and other challenging spellings.
Predict, listen, revise
Before playing a video, circle the letters you expect to hear. In yacht, the ch is silent; in foreign, the g is silent. Listen for those missing sounds, use the practice note to check your observation, then repeat the complete word.
Compare fuller and reduced forms
Jewelry, privilege, and maintenance can have different syllable counts. February can be pronounced with or without the first r. Keep the shared main stress steady while comparing the part that changes; a shorter pronunciation is not automatically a mistake.
Keep your reminder specific
For supposedly, listen for d before the final lee. For mosquito, listen for k without w. Write one short sound reminder for five words on the worksheet, then try saying their practice phrases from memory before checking the video again.
Your listening list
20 wordsChoose a word to hear it in an APG video.
Test these pronunciations
Try 4 questions from this guide. Each answer includes an APG video, dictionary reference, and explanation.
Try this guide’s quiz →More words in this topic
46 wordsKeep listening with an APG video and a pronunciation tip for each word.
- accidentally
Stress DEN.
- accurately
AK-yuh-rit-lee: start with a short, stressed a.
- acquaintance
uh-KWAYN-tuhns: qu sounds like kw.
- actually
AK-chuh-lee: listen for ch after the opening k.
- adequately
AD-uh-kwut-lee: start with a short, stressed a.
- alternative
awl-TUR-nuh-tiv: stress the r-colored middle vowel.
- although
awl-THOH: use the voiced th of “this.”
- anathema
uh-NATH-uh-muh: stress NATH.
- anxiety
ang-ZY-uh-tee: listen for a voiced z.
- arguably
AR-gyoo-uh-blee: start strongly, then lighten the ending.
- athletically
ath-LET-ik-lee: stress LET.
- authoritative
uh-THOR-ih-tay-tiv: THOR takes the main stress.
- available
uh-VAY-luh-buhl: give VAY the main beat.
- average
AV-er-ij: the final g sounds like j.
- biscuit
Keep the second syllable light.
- busiest
BIZ-ee-uhst: start with the sound of “busy.”
- caught
The final sound is “t.”
- cleanliness
KLEN-lee-niss: the first vowel is short.
- cogent
Use a soft “g,” like the “j” in “jam.”
- comparison
kum-PAR-ih-sun: stress the middle PAR.
- conscience
KON-shuns: use two syllables.
- conscious
KON-shus: finish with a light us sound.
- definitely
Begin with a clear “def.”
- deteriorate
dih-TEER-ee-uh-rayt: the strongest beat comes early.
- freight
Rhyme it with “weight.”
- harbinger
Stress “har” and use a soft “g.”
- height
Use the long “i” vowel in “high.”
- literally
LIT-uh-ruh-lee: keep both middle vowels.
- mischief
Use two syllables, starting with “mis.”
- nguyen
For a person’s surname, follow their own pronunciation.
- REALTOR
REEL-ter: keep the l before the t.
- renege
rih-NEG: rhyme the ending with “leg.”
- respite
RES-pit: use short e and short i.
- scion
SY-un: the first part rhymes with “my.”
- sequoia
sih-KWOY-uh: stress the middle syllable.
- stipend
STY-pend: the first vowel rhymes with “my.”
- stomach
End with “k,” despite the spelling “ch.”
- syncope
SING-kuh-pee: the final e is pronounced.
- tacit
Stress “ta” and give “c” an “s” sound.
- taciturn
TASS-ih-turn: the c sounds like s.
- taught
Keep it to one vowel beat.
- tertiary
TUR-shee-air-ee: use four syllables.
- türkiye
Keep three syllables; English and Turkish use different vowels.
- vehicle
Stress VEE.
- weight
Use the same vowel as “day.”
- women
The first syllable sounds like “wim.”
Sources & classroom use
Each listening tip follows the IPA shown beside its word. Other dictionary pronunciations appear on the word page; individual speakers may vary.
Practice phrases were written for these exercises; quoted book passages remain in the separate, sourced book sections. These guides and practice notes are available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and retain the linked dictionary attributions. Videos and other reference material keep their own terms.
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