12 words you might be mispronouncing

You will probably find this post useful if: 1. You’re a teacher of English. 2. English is not your native language. 3. You have recently made the transition from advanced student to teacher. 4. You suspect that you might still make a few pronunciation mistakes, which never get corrected. Here’s a list of some of the most common pronunciation mistakes I have heard in over fifteen years of lesson observation:

1. OK, guys, let’s work on the pronunciation of the TH sound now. Maybe you’re saying /prəˌnɑʊnsiˈeɪʃən/, with the “nun” sounding like “noun.” You should say /prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/. The nun is pronounced like sun. The verb is to pronounce /prəˈnɑʊns/. 2. This course will help you get ready for the most important Cambridge exam. Maybe you’re saying /kæmbrɪdʒ/ - /kæ/ as in “cat.” You should say /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/ – /keɪm/as in “same.” The same applies to “dangerous” /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/, for example.

3. You learned this in basic 2, remember? Maybe you’re saying /ˈbeɪzɪk/, with a z sound. You should say /ˈbeɪsɪk/ with an s sound. 4. This will help you increase your vocabulary! Same thing: /s/ NOT /z/. When “increase” is a verb, the stress usually falls on the second syllable. When it’s a noun, the first syllable is usually stressed.

5. Can we check use of English, exercise 2, now? When “use” is a noun, the s is pronounced s: /juːs/

6. Now let’s try this communicative activity. Maybe you’re saying /kəmjuː’nɪ.kə.tɪv/, with the stress on the third

syllable (ni). You should say /kəˈmjuː.nɪ.kə.tɪv/ in British English OR /kəˈmjuːnɪkeɪtɪv/ in American English. In both cases, the stress falls on the second syllable (mu).

7. Is this a noun or an adjective? Maybe you’re saying “adjective”, with the stress on “jec.” You should say/’ædʒektɪv/, with the stress on the first syllable (ad), NOT on the second one. The same applies to adverb.

8. What kind of pronoun is this? Maybe you’re saying “pronoun“, with the stress on the second syllable. You should say/ˈproʊnaʊn/ or /ˈprəʊnaʊn/, with the stress on the first syllable.

9. Now fill in the blanks using the correct possessive pronouns. Maybe you’re saying: /’pɒsesɪv/, with an /s/ sound and the stress on the first syllable. You should say/pəˈzesɪv/, with a /z/ sound and the stress on the second syllable.

10. What color is that? Maybe you’re saying: /ˈkɒlə(r)/ or /ˈkɑːlər/. If so, what you’re saying is “collar.” You should say /ˈkʌlə(r)/. The /ʌ/ is the vowel sound in “sun”, “bus”, and “mother.”

11. Can I have another volunteer, please? Same thing: Say /əˈnʌðə(r)/ rather than /əˈnɒðər/. Remember: The /ʌ/ is the vowel sound in “color.” Practice saying “another color” fast, without changing the vowel sound.

12. Use the code on the last page to access the website. Maybe you’re saying “access“, with the stress on the second syllable. You should say /’ækses/, with the stress on the first syllable, for both the verb and the noun.