Native Phrase Lab
WillowbrookHow to pronounce · British English
100 English words people say wrong.
Even advanced learners say these words wrong. Tap a word: you hear me say it, normally and slowly, you see the silent letters and the strong beat, and you get one simple tip.
1 Silent letters
You see these letters, but you never say them.
2 Fewer beats than you think
On paper these words have an extra beat. In real life, one beat disappears.
3 The stress trap
The sounds are easy. The hard part is the strong beat. Put it in the wrong place and people hear a different word.
4 Crazy spellings
Here the spelling doesn’t help you at all. Trust your ears.
5 One spelling, two words
The same spelling, but two different words with two different sounds.
6 Food and drink
Words you need in every café, restaurant and shop.
7 British place names
British towns almost never sound the way they look.
8 Both are correct
Good news: for most of these words, both ways are correct. Even British people disagree! The last word is the final boss.