1. Bon Appetit
The pronunciation of this French phrase, which means “I hope you enjoy your food”, can be a little tough for some.
The pronunciation of “bon appetit” is often confused with the word “bon mot". However, the “bon” in “bon appetit” isn’t the same as the “bon” in “bon mot". The word “appetit” starts with a vowel, and hence the “n” at the end of “bon” is blurred into the “a.” Furthermore, the “t” at the end of “appetit” is silent. Thus, we say it like “bo-nap-e-tea.”
2. Cache
This often sounds like a fancy French word, but isn't. And most people tend to pronounce it as "cash-ay" or "kay-esh". It is likely that the similar-looking word “cachet” (which means prestige) is the reason which led to this faulty pronunciation. However, 'cache' is pronounced simply as “cash” and refers to a storage or hiding place.
3. Cocoa
We all know by now that cocoa is the seed of the cacao tree and is used to produce chocolate. But the pronunciation of this word confuses many and it is often pronounced as "koh-koh-wa". The correct way to say it, though, is “koh-koh” because the terminal “a” is silent. So simple, isn’t it?
4. Forte
If you’re using “forte” as a musical term, particularly about a composer's note, then you can pronounce it as "for-tay". However, if you are using the word to discuss someone’s strength, you simply say “fort”. The second syllable won’t be needed, then.
5. Gala
The dictionary describes ‘gala’ as a festive occasion, a celebration, or special entertainment. While the word has been around since the 17th century, it is still commonly mispronounced. A majority of us say it as “gal-uh” when it should actually be “gay-luh”.
6. Gauge
To gauge something is to measure the size, dimensions, or other measurable qualities of an objects precisely. The correct pronunciation of this word is “gayj”, just like you pronounce the word 'cage' as "kayj", but it is often mispronounced as “gauj”.
7. Genre
Genre is a style or category of art, music, or literature. The word’s correct pronunciation is “jhon-ruh”. The “g” is soft, like ‘jh” and the extra stress is on the first syllable, which rhymes with “on.”
8. GIF
The word is actually an acronym for a graphics interchange format and a few dictionaries pronounce it with a hard G. The format was developed by Steve Wilhite and he insisted on pronouncing GIF like the peanut butter. However, people continue to pronounce it as “GIF”. “The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations,” Wilhite told The New York Times a few years back. “They are wrong. It is a soft 'G,' pronounced 'jif’.”
There you have it then, right from the creator’s mouth. Now you shouldn't have any confusion in pronouncing the word when you are talking about the funny cat GIF you saw the other day.
9. Hyperbole
This four-syllable word, originally from Greek, means exaggerated statements or claims that are not meant to be taken literally. It is pronounced as “hy-per-ba-lee” and not “hyper-BO-lee” as many often say. The confusion is understandable because of its spelling. But then, English can be quite a strange language at times, right?
10. Meme
All of us today enjoy snickering at some funny memes on the Internet. The word was invented by a British scientist as "a unit of cultural transmission" in 1976. While it is an incredibly popular word today, meme is regularly mispronounced as "mee-mee", "may-may", or even "mem". The correct way to say it is “meem”.
11. Monk
Monk is often mispronounced as “mawnk”, as we generally tend to stress the “o” in the word first. It should, however, be pronounced as “muhngk” as in drunk or shrunk.
12. Niche
The pronunciation for niche, which refers to a specialized place or role, as "neesh" is widely accepted today. The older and more popular way to say it, though, is still "nitch". While there is still plenty of debate on the subjects, one can say that neither pronunciation is wrong.
13. Porsche
The Porsche is, of course, one of the most famous and fancy cars in the world. Its pronunciation, though, has always puzzled people. While it is often mispronounced as “porsh”, the correct pronunciation is “por-shuh”.
14. Pronunciation
Isn’t it ironic that the word pronunciation is also listed in an article about mispronounced words? But the truth is that ‘pronunciation’ isn't always pronounced right. This likely happens because people mix up the pronunciation between the actual noun and the verb 'pronounce'. The correct way to say the noun is “pro-nun-see-a-shun”.
15. Regime
The word "regime", which means a type of government, is sometimes confused with ‘regimen’ which refers to a systematic plan. Regime shouldn’t sound like “Ruh-geem” because its first syllable sounds as “ray. Thus, it has to be pronounced as “ray-gime.”
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