Colonel
Native English speakers know that this 16th-century word, which is derived from Middle French, is pronounced “ker-nul.” However, those learning English as a second language get confused by the first “o” sounding like an “e,” the “l” that sounds like an “r,” and the second “o,” which is completely silent. Here are 17 words even smart people mispronounce without realizing it.
Worcestershire
Let’s be honest: This word is actually hard for native English-speaking Americans to pronounce too. It looks like it’s pronounced “wor-cest-er-shi-er,” but it actually retains is British-English pronunciation. Worcestershire sauce originated in the town of Worcester, England, and is pronounced “Wooster,” while the term “shire” is the British word for “county” and sounds like the ending of “Hampshire.” Therefore, the word is pronounced “WOOster-sher.” Make sure you never say these food words wrong again.
Mischievous
Like Worcestershire, “mischievous” is one of those hard words to pronounce that many Americans also have trouble saying. In fact, you’ve probably heard people pronouncing the word as “mis-CHEEVE-ee-us,” when it’s actually a three-syllable word pronounced MIS-chiv-us.” The problem lies in the fact that the old form of the word was spelled with an extra “i” at the end, which was standard until the 1700s.
