30 Commonly Mispronounced English Words (And How to Say Them Correctly)
Many English words look simple enough when written down, yet can cause confusion when spoken aloud. Some are commonly mispronounced by newcomers to Britain, while others regularly catch out native speakers too. Here are some of the words that most frequently trip people up.
At a local coffee shop, Mei accidentally ordered an "expresso" instead of an "espresso". A friendly customer overheard and shared a few surprising truths about English pronunciation — including the fact that native speakers get it wrong too. © 2026 BritBuddy™. All rights reserved.
🔊 BritBuddy Pronunciation Guide
English contains plenty of words that look straightforward on paper but are often pronounced incorrectly. Here are some of the most common examples heard in Britain and across the English-speaking world.
Pronunciation
pro-NUN-see-AY-shun
Espresso
ess-PRESS-oh
February
FEB-roo-air-ee
Library
LIE-brer-ee
Probably
PROB-uh-blee
Jewellery (UK)
JOO-uhl-ree
Coupon
KOO-pon
Specific
spuh-SIF-ik
Ask
ASK
Etcetera
et-SET-er-uh
Nuclear
NEW-klee-er
Particularly
par-TIK-yuh-ler-lee
Athlete
ATH-leet
Often
OFF-en
Height
HITE
Arctic
ARK-tik
Vehicle
VEE-i-kul
Prescription
pre-SKRIP-shun
Comfortable
KUMF-tuh-bul
Government
GUV-ern-ment
Relevant
REL-uh-vunt
Escape
es-KAYP
Chimney
CHIM-nee
Supposedly
suh-POHZ-id-lee
BritBuddy Tip: Don't worry if you've used some of these pronunciations yourself. Many native English speakers do too. English spelling and pronunciation have been arguing with each other for centuries.
