40 difficult words to pronounce in English, and how to say them
Some English words are hard because the spelling hides the sound, some because of too many consonants in a row, and some because of where the stress falls. Here are 40 difficult words to pronounce in English, grouped by the reason they are hard, with the IPA, a simple “sounds like” respelling, the mistake most people make, and a button to hear each one.
By The YoFluent teamUpdated 9 min read
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1. The spelling hides the sound
English spelling often keeps letters that are no longer pronounced, or borrows a spelling from another language. Read these from the sound, not the letters.
| Word | IPA | Sounds like | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcestershire | /ˈwʊstərʃər/ | WUUS-ter-sher | Reading every letter: “wor-ces-ter-shire” |
| Leicester | /ˈlɛstər/ | LESS-ter | “lei-ces-ter” in three syllables |
| quinoa | /ˈkiːnwɑː/ | KEEN-wah | “kwi-NO-a” |
| receipt | /rɪˈsiːt/ | rih-SEET | Saying the p |
| salmon | /ˈsæmən/ | SAM-un | Saying the l |
| yacht | /jɑːt/ (UK /jɒt/) | YAHT | “yatch” or “yak-ht” |
| queue | /kjuː/ | KYOO | Saying the extra vowels: “kway-way” |
| genre | /ˈʒɑːnrə/ | ZHAHN-ruh | A hard g: “jen-ree” |
| epitome | /ɪˈpɪtəmi/ | ih-PIT-uh-mee | Two syllables: “EP-i-tome” |
| hyperbole | /haɪˈpɜːrbəli/ | hy-PUR-buh-lee | “HY-per-bowl” |
2. Too many consonants together
Many languages never put three or four consonants in a row. Learners add a vowel (“six-eth”) or drop a sound (“mons”). Say every consonant, quickly and lightly.
| Word | IPA | Sounds like | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| sixth | /sɪksθ/ | SIKSTH | “sicks” or “six-eth” |
| twelfth | /twɛlfθ/ | TWELFTH | Dropping the f: “twelth” |
| months | /mʌnθs/ | MUNTHS | “mons” or “mont-es” |
| strengths | /strɛŋθs/ | STRENGTHS | “es-trengs” (adding a vowel at the start) |
| texts | /tɛksts/ | TEKSTS | “tex” (dropping the final ts) |
| asked | /æskt/ | ASKT | “ask-ed” in two syllables |
| world | /wɜːrld/ | WURLD | “word” or “wor-led” |
| crisps | /krɪsps/ | KRISPS | “crips” or “cris-pes” |
| sculpture | /ˈskʌlptʃər/ | SKULP-cher | Dropping the p or the l |
| exactly | /ɪɡˈzæktli/ | ig-ZAKT-lee | “e-sak-ly” (dropping the t) |
3. Long words with a tricky stress
In long words, one syllable is strong and most of the others shrink to a weak “uh” (the schwa). Put the stress in the right place and the rest becomes easy.
| Word | IPA | Sounds like | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| phenomenon | /fəˈnɑːmənɑːn/ | fuh-NOM-uh-non | Stress on the first syllable |
| entrepreneur | /ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr/ | on-truh-pruh-NUR | Stress on “pre” |
| onomatopoeia | /ˌɑːnəˌmætəˈpiːə/ | on-uh-mat-uh-PEE-uh | Losing syllables in the middle |
| specific | /spəˈsɪfɪk/ | spuh-SIF-ik | “pacific” or “es-pecific” |
| statistics | /stəˈtɪstɪks/ | stuh-TIS-tiks | Swapping sounds: “sta-tis-tics” → “sta-sis-tics” |
| particularly | /pərˈtɪkjələrli/ | per-TIK-yuh-ler-lee | Stopping halfway: “par-tic-ly” |
| temperature | /ˈtɛmpərətʃər/ | TEM-pruh-cher | “tem-pe-ra-TURE” with stress at the end |
| anonymous | /əˈnɑːnɪməs/ | uh-NON-ih-mus | “a-NO-ni-mus” or stress on the first syllable |
| rhinoceros | /raɪˈnɑːsərəs/ | ry-NOS-er-us | “rhino-SER-os” |
| deteriorate | /dɪˈtɪriəreɪt/ | dih-TEER-ee-uh-rate | “de-te-rate” (losing a syllable) |
4. Hard vowels, r and l
These mix sounds that many learners find hard: the “ur” vowel, r and l close together, and vowels that the spelling does not show.
| Word | IPA | Sounds like | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| rural | /ˈrʊrəl/ | ROOR-ul | Two r sounds blur: “roo-ral” or “lu-ral” |
| squirrel | /ˈskwɜːrəl/ (UK /ˈskwɪrəl/) | SKWUR-ul | “es-kwi-rel” |
| thoroughly | /ˈθɜːroʊli/ | THUR-oh-lee | Confusing it with “throughly” |
| mischievous | /ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/ | MIS-chih-vus | Adding a syllable: “mis-CHEE-vee-us” |
| bury | /ˈbɛri/ | BERRY | “byoo-ry” from the spelling |
| women | /ˈwɪmɪn/ | WIM-in | Same as “woman” |
| iron | /ˈaɪərn/ | EYE-ern | “eye-RON” |
| determine | /dɪˈtɜːrmɪn/ | dih-TUR-min | “deter-MINE” |
| vulnerable | /ˈvʌlnərəbəl/ | VUL-ner-uh-bul | “vul-NER-able” or dropping the l |
| probably | /ˈprɑːbəbli/ | PROB-uh-blee | Fine in fast speech as “PROB-lee”, but learners say “pro-BAB-ly” |
About the “hear it” buttons
The speaker button uses your browser’s own American English voice, on your device, so it may sound different from phone to phone and is sometimes a little robotic. Use it as a guide, and check a dictionary that shows the IPA, such as Cambridge or Merriam-Webster, which also have recordings by real speakers. Respellings are approximate: capitals show the stressed syllable.
How to practise a difficult word
- Find the stress. Clap the syllables and make the stressed one longer and louder. See word stress.
- Build it backwards. For “particularly”: “-ly”, “-larly”, “-ticularly”, “particularly”. Starting from the end keeps the word together.
- Slow, then normal speed. Say it three times slowly, then three times at normal speed.
- Put it in a sentence. “I asked for the receipt.” Words are easier in a sentence than alone, because linking helps.
- Record and compare. Record yourself, play the button above, and listen for the one difference.
More words people mispronounce
Everyday words cause more trouble in real conversations than rare ones. See 14 commonly mispronounced words (February, Wednesday, comfortable, vegetable and more), silent letters, the th sound, and tongue twisters for speed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hardest word to pronounce in English?
There is no single hardest word, because it depends on your first language. Words often named as the hardest include Worcestershire (WUUS-ter-sher), rhinoceros, sixth, strengths and onomatopoeia, because they combine silent letters, consonant clusters and unusual stress.
Why are some English words so hard to pronounce?
English words are hard to pronounce because the spelling often does not match the sound, many words borrow spellings from other languages, consonants can come in groups of three or four, and the stress in long words is not marked.
How do you pronounce Worcestershire?
Worcestershire is pronounced WUUS-ter-sher, /ˈwʊstərʃər/, in three syllables. The “orce” and “shire” letters are not read the way they are spelled.
How do you pronounce sixth?
Sixth is pronounced /sɪksθ/: “six” followed directly by a soft th, with no vowel in between. Practise “six”, then add the th by putting your tongue between your teeth.
How can I improve my pronunciation of difficult words?
To improve the pronunciation of difficult words, find the stressed syllable, build the word backwards from the last syllable, say it slowly and then at normal speed, use it in a sentence, and record yourself to compare with a model.
Use difficult words in a real conversation
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Start your free trialSources
- Cambridge Dictionary (pronunciations with IPA and audio), Cambridge University Press
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster
- Hard words to pronounce, Dictionary.com
- Web Speech API: SpeechSynthesis, MDN Web Docs