10 Words You Are Mispronouncing

Vanessa: Hi, I’m Vanessa from SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com.

Are you mispronouncing these 10 common words?

Let’s find out.

Everyone needs a little bit of help sometimes.

Well today I’m here to give you the help that
you maybe didn’t know that you needed.

I’ve been an English teacher since I was 22
years old, so 10 years now.

Wow.

I’ve heard a lot of the same pronunciation
mistakes again, and again, and again.

A lot of pronunciation mistakes don’t stop
other people from understanding you.

For example, if you say “da” book instead
of the book, people will still generally understand

you.

You won’t sound like a native English speaker,
but they can understand you.

The problem happens when you mispronounce
a key word in the sentence.

If someone doesn’t understand that word, they
can’t understand the whole meaning or at least

some important parts of your sentence.

Today I’d like to share with you 10 words
that you’re probably mispronouncing and how

to correct them.

With each of these words, I’m going to give
you a challenge sentence.

And my challenge for you is to say that sentence
out loud.

You need to use your pronunciation muscles,
exercise them so that it will become natural.

And it will feel comfortable when you say
these words in daily conversation.

All right, let’s get started with the first
one.

What about this word?

How do you pronounce that?

Can you guess which letter is silent?

If you can see that color, you probably know.

The letter R. How can we say this?

February.

That R is just gone.

Just cut it out completely.

Sometimes when I need to spell this word,
I say out loud February, with the R because

it helps me to remember how to spell it.

Because it’s kind of weird to have a silent
R in the middle of an English word.

But that’s the way it is.

Make sure that you say February.

February.

For each of these commonly mispronounced words,
I’m going to be putting the problem sound

in blue over here.

So that you can see which sound is the most
difficult, at least in my opinion, for English

learners.

It’s not always a silent sound, but it’s at
least the problem sound.

Let’s say the challenge sentence together.

I can’t believe that it’s almost February.

Can you say it a little faster with me?

I can’t believe that it’s almost February.

Let’s go on to number two.

How can we say this day of the week?

Is it, Wednesday?

Nope.

That D is silent, cut it out.

Forget about it.

It’s Wednesday.

There’s almost a Z sound in the middle of
this word.

Wednesday.

Same with February, when I need to write this
word.

Sometimes I think about the full pronunciation
as if it were said every single letter.

Wednesday.

It helps me to spell it correctly.

But in conversation, we never say the D. You
need to say, Wednesday.

Let’s look at a challenge sentence.

Next Wednesday will be February.

Yes, we will be reviewing the previous word
with each of these challenge sentences.

Let’s say it together.

Next Wednesday will be February.

Next Wednesday will be February already.

It’s amazing.

Let’s go to the next word.

How do you think we can pronounce this word?

It is certainly a common word and you want
to make sure that you say it correctly.

It is, clothes.

I think that the trouble here is that there
is an E-S at the end.

So a lot of English learners want to say,
clothes.

Pronouncing the T-H and the E-S making that
all really clear.

But in reality, when English speakers are
talking quickly, we’re just going to use the

same pronunciation as the verb.

Close the door.

Clothes.

There’s not even a T-H in this word.

Sometimes when native speakers are talking
slowly, you might hear clothes, with a slight

T-H, a tongue kind of touching between your
teeth in that T-H sound.

Clothes.

A little bit of a T-H, but do you know what?

When we’re speaking quickly, we just cut that
out and say, I’m wearing clothes.

Clothes.

There’s not even a hint of a T-H when we say
it quickly.

Clothes.

Let’s say a challenge sentence.

What clothes are you wearing on Wednesday?

Let’s say it quickly together.

What clothes are you wearing on Wednesday?

Let’s go to the next word.

How can we pronounce this lovely word?

You know what, English is quite strange.

If you’ve ever studied the history of English,
you know that it’s kind of a romance language,

kind of a Germanic language, kind of an Anglo-Saxons
language.

Sometimes we’ve taken spelling from one language
and pronunciation from another language.

Forget the G-H sound here.

Don’t be confused by G-H and also don’t be
confused by E-I.

That’s also weird.

Instead, you just need to say height.

Height.

Why don’t we spell this, H-I-T-E?

I don’t know.

But it’s there to confuse you, but not anymore.

I want you to say with me, height.

Let’s look at the challenge sentence.

Because of his height, it’s hard to find clothes.

If you’re extremely tall or extremely short,
it can be really tough to find clothes.

Let’s say this together.

Because of his height, it’s hard to find clothes.

What about this word?

I’m actually not wearing anything visible
now.

I have some rings on.

How can we pronounce that naturally?

You might find some guides online that tell
you to pronounce the E in the middle.

But really, 95% of the time when native English
speakers are speaking quickly, in the U.S

we’re going to say jewelry.

Jewelry.

We’re are not going to say jewelry.

With an extra L in the middle.

Instead jewelry.

Two syllables.

Jewelry.

Let’s look at a challenge sentence.

Her jewelry is the height of fashion.

Let’s go to the next word.

What about this tasty word?

This word has only two syllables, chocolate.

Chocolate.

In the U.S, you will never hear someone say
chocolate.

That middle O is just cut out.

Just imagine that this is such an amazing
thing to eat, that you don’t want to waste

time saying another syllable.

You just want to say it as fast as possible,
so you just cut out the middle.

Chocolate.

I don’t have time to ask for chocolate.

Instead, chocolate.

Chocolate.

Let’s take a look at a challenge sentence.

Oh no, my jewelry fell in my hot chocolate.

If your earrings fall in your hot chocolate
or your necklace falls in your hot chocolate.

Well I guess you’ll find it eventually.

Let’s say that together.

Oh no, my jewelry fell in my hot chocolate.

My jewelry fell in my hot chocolate.

Let’s go to the next one.

What about this lovely word?

Receipt.

This word is weird for multiple reasons.

Do you remember the word height has an E-I
and the E-I is pronounced I.

Well in this word receipt, there is also an
E-I.

But it’s pronounced E, so weird.

And the P is completely silent.

Let’s practice saying this word together.

Receipt.

Let’s use a challenge sentence.

Do you have the receipt for the chocolate
bars?

This is the paper that you get after you make
a purchase.

The cashier will give you the receipt.

Or maybe they’ll ask you, “Would you like
the receipt?

Do you want the receipt?”

And you can use this word beautifully and
naturally and say, “No, I don’t need a receipt.”

Or, “Yes, please give me the receipt.”

Beautiful pronunciation.

Let’s go to the next one.

How about this word?

Recipe.

What do all of these words have in common?

Phone, make, change.

Look at the end, there’s an E and it’s silent.

We don’t say phone-y, make-y, change-y.

That E is silent and that’s a pretty standard
rule in English.

That if there’s an E at the end, it’s most
likely going to be silent.

But it’s not a rule if it doesn’t have an
exception, and one of those exceptions is

this word.

Recipe.

This is the instructions about how to cook
something.

I need to find a recipe.

Recipe.

Make sure that you say that final E. Recipe.

Recipe.

Let’s look at a challenge sentence.

Here’s the receipt for the recipe book.

These two words often get mixed up together
because they’re both tough and they both look

a little similar.

Let’s say that sentence a couple times.

Here’s the receipt for the recipe book.

A recipe book might also be called a cookbook,
but I wanted to use this word to challenge

your pronunciation.

Here’s the receipt for the recipe book.

Number nine.

Subtle?

No.

Subtle.

What in the world is happening here?

First of all, let’s take that B and cut it
out.

Throw it away completely.

The B is completely silent.

But why is there a D sound?

Subtle.

Well, in American English, when there is a
T in the middle of a word, it often changes

to a D sound.

That’s what’s going to happen here.

Forget that there’s actually a B in this word.

Instead you can say subtle.

Subtle means something that’s not obvious.

Something that’s subtle isn’t apparent to
everyone.

It’s not obvious.

Subtle.

Let’s take a look at a challenge sentence.

Most recipes do not have subtle instructions.

Recipes just say, do this, then do this, then
do this.

There is no indirect language.

It’s very clear.

It’s not subtle.

Let’s say that sentence a couple of times
quickly.

Most recipes do not have subtle instructions.

Let’s go to the 10th and final mispronounced
word.

I often get asked about this word.

Or I often get asked about this word.

Which one’s correct?

Should we say the T?

Should we cut it out?

Is it silent?

Well, I have some good news.

This is a trick question.

Both are correct.

Hoo-rah, you have multiple choices and both
of them are correct.

I did a little bit of research about this
word because it’s not common in English to

have a letter that could be silent or could
not be silent.

Both are correct.

Apparently several hundred years ago, Queen
Elizabeth I in England was found to have not

used the T in her pronunciation.

She said often.

But at the time during her reign in England,
it was common to use the T for academia or

highly educated people.

There was a little bit of a disconnect between
what the Queen was using and what academia

were saying was correct.

Because of this, it became acceptable to use
either.

The root word here is the word oft, oft.

This is an old fashioned word.

We don’t use that anymore, but in that word
the T is pronounced.

Just through time the T has been dropped,
the T has been added.

Both are acceptable.

Let’s use a challenge sentence.

Cats are often subtle about their affection.

This is true.

Dogs are not subtle.

They just run up to you and say, “Hi, hi,
hi, I love you.

Play with me, play with me.”

Cats are not like that.

Cats are often subtle about their affection.

Or cats are often subtle about their affection.

You can choose either to say in this sentence.

Cats are often subtle about their affection.

In the U.S we use both of these.

Even in my home I say often much more often
and my husband says often more often than

I do.

He uses both.

I’m more likely to say often.

But we’re both correct and you can be too.

Are you ready to exercise your speaking and
pronunciation muscles?

I want to give you a big crazy challenge sentence.

It’s actually three sentences.

It’s not one sentence but it sounds cooler
to say big crazy challenge sentence.

I’m going to be reading each of these sentences
twice.

I want you to listen carefully the first time.

The second time, I want you to try to repeat
it with me.

Use your pronunciation muscles and try to
remember everything we’ve talked about in

this lesson.

All right, let’s go to the sentences.

I’m making a new chocolate cake recipe on
the first Wednesday in February.

Bring some old clothes, no jewelry, and a
receipt for your purchase.

If my kitchen counter is too tall because
of your height, don’t be subtle.

Just tell me.

If my kitchen counter is too tall because
of your height, don’t be subtle.

Just tell me.

I hope that you can come to my house to bake
a chocolate cake.

I hope that the height of my counter is not
too tall for you, but if it is.

Don’t be subtle, just tell me.

I need a stool.

I need to stand on a chair.

I hope that these challenge sentences were
fun to you and a good practice for your pronunciation

muscles.

Now I have a question for you.

I want to know which one of these 10 words
was difficult for you.

Or maybe which one of these 10 words you actually
didn’t know how to pronounce and now you do.

I hope that you learned something new in this
lesson and you enjoyed yourself, you enjoyed

learning English.

That’s my goal.

Thanks so much for learning with me and I’ll
see you again next Friday for a new lesson

here on my YouTube channel.

Bye.

The next step is to download my free eBook,
Five Steps to Becoming a Confident English

Speaker.

You’ll learn what you need to do to speak
confidently and fluently.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel
for more free lessons.

Thanks so much.

Bye.

Vanessa：嗨，我是来自 SpeakEnglishWithVanessa.com 的 Vanessa。

这10个常用词你有没有读错？

让我们来了解一下。

每个人有时都需要一点帮助。

那么今天我来这里是为了给你提供
你可能不知道你需要的帮助。

我从 22 岁开始当英语老师
，现在已经 10 年了。

哇。

我一遍又一遍地听到很多相同的发音
错误。

很多发音错误并不能阻止
其他人理解你。

例如，如果您说“大”书而
不是书，人们通常仍会理解

您。

你不会听起来像一个以英语为母语的人，
但他们可以理解你。

当您错误地发音句子中的关键字时，就会出现问题
。

如果有人不理解那个词，他们
就无法理解整个意思，或者至少

是句子的一些重要部分。

今天我想和你分享10个
你可能读错的单词以及

如何纠正它们。

对于这些词中的每一个，我都会给
你一个挑战句。

我对你的挑战是大声说出这句话
。

你需要使用你的发音肌肉，
锻炼它们，让它变得自然。

当你在日常对话中说这些话时，你会感到很舒服
。

好吧，让我们从第
一个开始。

这个词呢？

你怎样读它？

你能猜出哪个字母是无声的吗？

如果你能看到那种颜色，你可能就知道了。

字母 R。我们怎么能这样说？

二月。

那个R就没有了。

把它完全剪掉。

有时，当我需要拼写这个词时，
我会大声说出二月，加上 R，因为

它可以帮助我记住如何拼写它。

因为
在英语单词中间有一个无声的 R 有点奇怪。

但事实就是这样。

确保你说的是二月。

二月。

对于这些通常发音错误的单词中的每一个，
我将在这里将问题声音

用蓝色表示。

这样你就可以看到哪个声音
对英语学习者来说是最困难的，至少在我看来

。

它并不总是无声的声音，但
至少是有问题的声音。

让我们一起说挑战句。

我不敢相信现在快到二月了。

你能跟我说快一点吗？

我不敢相信现在快到二月了。

让我们继续第二个。

我们怎么说一周中的这一天？

是星期三吗？

不。

那个D沉默了，别说了。

忘掉它。

今天是星期三。

这个词的中间几乎有一个Z音
。

周三。

和二月一样，当我需要写这个
词的时候。

有时我会想到完整的发音
，就好像每个字母都在说一样。

周三。

它可以帮助我正确拼写。

但在谈话中，我们从不说 D。你
需要说，星期三。

我们来看一个挑战句。

下周三将是二月。

是的，我们将使用
这些挑战句中的每一个来复习前一个单词。

一起来说说吧。

下周三将是二月。

下周三已经是二月了。

太奇妙了。

让我们进入下一个词。

你认为我们如何发音这个词？

这当然是一个常见的词，你
要确保你说得正确。

就是，衣服。

我认为这里的问题在于
末尾有一个 E-S。

所以很多英语学习者想说，
衣服。

发音 T-H 和 E-S 使这
一切都变得非常清楚。

但实际上，当说英语的人
说话很快时，我们只会使用

与动词相同的发音。

关门。

衣服。

这个词中甚至没有 T-H。

有时，当母语人士慢慢说话时
，您可能会听到衣服带有轻微的

T-H 声，那种 T-H 声音中的舌头有点在您的牙齿之间碰触。

衣服。

有点 T-H，但你知道吗？

当我们快速说话时，我们只是把
它删掉并说，我在穿衣服。

衣服。

当我们快速说出来时，甚至没有一丝 T-H 的迹象
。

衣服。

让我们说一个挑战句。

星期三你穿什么衣服？

一起快点说吧。

星期三你穿什么衣服？

让我们进入下一个词。

我们如何发音这个可爱的词？

你知道吗，英语很奇怪。

如果你曾经研究过英语的历史，
你就会知道它是一种浪漫语言，

一种日耳曼语，一种盎格鲁-撒克逊
语。

有时我们会从一种语言中学习拼写，从另一种语言中学习
发音。

忘记这里的 G-H 声音。

不要被 G-H 迷惑，也不要
被 E-I 迷惑。

这也很奇怪。

相反，你只需要说高度。

高度。

为什么我们不拼写这个，H-I-T-E？

我不知道。

但它在那里让你感到困惑，但现在不是了。

我想让你跟我说，身高。

我们来看看挑战句。

由于他的身高，很难找到衣服。

如果您非常高或非常矮，
则很难找到衣服。

让我们一起说。

由于他的身高，很难找到衣服。

这个词呢？

我现在实际上没有穿任何可见的东西
。

我有一些戒指。

我们怎么能自然地发音呢？

您可能会在网上找到一些指南，告诉
您在中间发音 E。

但实际上，在以英语为
母语的人说得很快的情况下，95% 的情况下，在美国

我们会说珠宝。

珠宝。

我们不会说珠宝。

中间多了一个L。

而是珠宝。

两个音节。

珠宝。

我们来看一个挑战句。

她的珠宝是时尚的高度。

让我们进入下一个词。

这个好吃的词怎么样？

这个词只有两个音节，巧克力。

巧克力。

在美国，你永远不会听到有人说
巧克力。

中间的O被剪掉了。

试想一下，这是一个如此神奇的
东西，你不想浪费

时间说另一个音节。

你只是想尽快说出来，
所以你把中间删掉了。

巧克力。

我没有时间要巧克力。

取而代之的是巧克力。

巧克力。

我们来看一个挑战句。

哦不，我的首饰掉进了热巧克力里。

如果你的耳环掉进热巧克力里，
或者你的项链掉进热巧克力里。

好吧，我想你最终会找到它。

让我们一起说。

哦不，我的首饰掉进了热巧克力里。

我的首饰掉进了热巧克力里。

让我们进入下一个。

这个可爱的词怎么样？

收据。

由于多种原因，这个词很奇怪。

你还记得height这个词有一个E-I
，而E-I的发音是I。

那么在receipt这个词中，也有一个
E-I。

但它的发音是E，太奇怪了。

而P完全沉默。

让我们一起练习说这个词。

收据。

让我们用一个挑战句。

你有巧克力棒的收据
吗？

这是您购买后获得的纸张
。

收银员会给你收据。

或者他们可能会问你，“

你想要收据吗？你想要收据吗？”

你可以优美自然地使用这个词
，说：“不，我不需要收据。”

或者，“是的，请给我收据。”

优美的发音。

让我们进入下一个。

这个词怎么样？

食谱。

所有这些词有什么共同点？

电话，制造，改变。

看看结尾，有一个E，它是无声的。

我们不会说 phone-y、make-y、change-y。

E 是无声的，这是英语中非常标准的
规则。

如果最后有一个 E，它
很可能会保持沉默。

但是，如果它没有例外，则不是规则
，其中一个例外就是

这个词。

食谱。

这是关于如何烹饪的说明
。

我需要找到一个食谱。

食谱。

确保你说的是最后的 E. 食谱。

食谱。

我们来看一个挑战句。

这是食谱书的收据。

这两个词经常混淆在一起，
因为它们都很难，而且看起来都

有点相似。

让我们把这句话说几遍。

这是食谱书的收据。

食谱书也可以称为食谱，
但我想用这个词来挑战

你的发音。

这是食谱书的收据。

第九号。

微妙的？

不，

微妙。

微妙的。

这里到底发生了什么？

首先，让我们把那个B剪
下来。

完全扔掉它。

B完全沉默。

但是为什么会有D音呢？

微妙的。

嗯，在美式英语中，当
单词中间有一个 T 时，它经常

会变成 D 音。

这就是这里将要发生的事情。

忘记这个词实际上有一个B。

相反，你可以说微妙。

微妙意味着不明显的东西。

微妙的东西对每个人来说都不是显而易见的
。

这并不明显。

微妙的。

我们来看一个挑战句。

大多数食谱没有微妙的说明。

食谱只是说，做这个，然后做这个，然后
做这个。

没有间接的语言。

很清楚。

这并不微妙。

让我们快速说几次这句话
。

大多数食谱没有微妙的说明。

让我们来看第 10 个也是最后一个发音错误的
单词。

我经常被问到这个词。

或者我经常被问到这个词。

哪个是正确的？

我们应该说T吗？

我们应该把它剪掉吗？

是静音吗？

嗯，我有一些好消息。

这是一个技巧问题。

两者都是正确的。

呵呵，你有多种选择，而且
都是正确的。

我对这个词做了一些研究，
因为在英语中，

有一个可以静音或不能静音的字母并不常见
。

两者都是正确的。

显然几百年前，英国女王
伊丽莎白一世被发现没有

在她的发音中使用 T。

她经常说。

但在她在位期间
，通常将 T 用于学术界或

受过高等教育的人。

女王使用的东西与

学术界所说的正确之间存在一点脱节。

因此，
两者都可以使用。

这里的词根是经常，经常。

这是一个老式的词。

我们不再使用它，但在那个词中
，T 是发音的。

就在T被删除的时候
，T被添加了。

两者都可以接受。

让我们用一个挑战句。

猫通常对它们的感情很微妙。

这是真实的。

狗并不狡猾。

他们只是跑到你面前说，“嗨，嗨，
嗨，我爱你。

和我一起玩，和我一起玩。”

猫不是这样的。

猫通常对它们的感情很微妙。

或者猫通常对他们的感情很微妙。

你可以选择在这句话中说。

猫通常对它们的感情很微妙。

在美国，我们同时使用这两种方法。

即使在我家里，我也经常说得更频繁，
而我丈夫也比我说得更频繁

。

他两者都用。

我更可能经常说。

但我们都是正确的，你也可以。

你准备好锻炼你的口语和
发音肌肉了吗？

我想给你一个疯狂的大挑战句子。

其实就是三句话。

这不是一句话，但
说大疯狂挑战句子听起来很酷。

我将把这些句子中的每一个读
两遍。

我希望你第一次仔细听。

第二次，我想让你试着
和我重复一遍。

使用你的发音肌肉，试着
记住我们在本课中讨论过的所有内容

。

好吧，让我们来看句子。

我在二月的第一个星期三做一个新的巧克力蛋糕食谱
。

带上一些旧衣服，不要带首饰，还有
购买收据。

如果我的厨房柜台
因为你的身高而太高，请不要含蓄。

就告诉我嘛。

如果我的厨房柜台
因为你的身高而太高，请不要含蓄。

就告诉我嘛。

我希望你能来我家烤
一个巧克力蛋糕。

我希望我柜台的高度对你来说不是
太高，但如果是的话。

别客气，直接告诉我。

我需要一个凳子。

我需要站在椅子上。

我希望这些挑战句子
对您来说很有趣，并且是您发音肌肉的良好练习

。

现在我有一个问题要问你。

我想知道这 10 个词中哪一个词
对你来说是困难的。

或者也许这 10 个单词中的哪一个你实际上
不知道如何发音，而现在你知道了。

我希望你在这节课中学到了一些新东西，
并且你很开心，你很喜欢

学习英语。

这就是我的目标。

非常感谢你跟我一起学习，
下周五我会在我的 YouTube 频道上再次见到你，上一堂

新课。

再见。

下一步是下载我的免费电子书，
成为自信的英语

演讲者的五个步骤。

您将了解如何
自信而流利地说话。

不要忘记订阅我的 YouTube 频道
以获得更多免费课程。

非常感谢。

再见。