Updated on December 2024.

Greetings Sparkles!

English words have bizarre spellings and pronunciations. It is not the most intuitive language out there since there's not really a one-rule-fits-all one can follow to pronounce all of its words.

Often times, I surprised myself to know that there are words I've been saying wrong my whole entire life. I am sure a lot people out there experience the same thing at least once in their lifetime. More so for people who used to learn English through writing and reading, not through speech.

Below is a list of English words I compiled that are spelled differently than they sound. Let's see how many you can pronounce correctly.

Click on blue words to listen.

1. Abalone - a-buh-low-nee
2. Aisle - ail
3. Albeit - aal-bee-uht
4. Anemone - uh-neh-muh-nee
5. Antennae - an-teh-nee
6. Applique - a-pluh-kay
7. Arkansas - ahr-kuhn-sah
8. Awry - uh-rai
9. Boatswain - bow-sn
10. Bologna - beh-low-nee
11. Bolognaise - bow-luh-nayz
12. Bomber - baa-mr
13. Bombing - baa-muhng
14. Bough - bau
15. Brooch - browch
16. Cache - kash
17. Climber - klai-mr
18. Colonel - kur-nuhl
19. Corps - kor
20. Coxswain - kaak-sn
21. Creme Brulee - Krem-broo-lay
22. Crescendo - kruh-shen-dow df
23. Crudites - kroo-dee-tay
24. Cupboard - kuh-brd
25. Dais - day-uhs
26. Debris - duh-bree
27. Debt - det
28. Debut - day-byoo
29. Doubt - dowt
30. Draught - draaft
31. Edinburgh - add-in-bruh
32. Ennui - aan-wee
33. Epitome - uh-pi-tuh-mee
34. Facade - fuh-saad
35 .Faux Pas - foh-pah
36. Forecastle - fawk-sl
37. Gauge - gayj
38. Gloucester - glaa-str
39. Glutton - gluh-tn
40. Gourmet - gor-may
41. Grand Prix - graan-pree
42. Hyperbole - hai-pur-buh-lee
43. Illinois - i-luh-noy
44. Lead (metallic element) - led
45. Leicester - leh-str
46. Lingerie - laan-zhr-ay
47. Macabre - muh-kaab
48. Malinois - Ma-luhn-waa
49. Masochist - ma-suh-kuhst
50. Meme - meem
51. Melee - may-lay
52. Minute (extremely small) - mai-nute
53. Mirror - mee-rr
54. Numbing - Nuh-muhng
55. Ouija - wee-jee
56. Penelope - puh-neh-luh-pee
57. Pilates - puh-laa-teez
58. Plumber - pluh-mr
59. Potpourri - pow-pr-ee
60. Preface - preh-fuhs
61. Prelude - pray-lood
62. Quinoa - keen-waa
63. Quiche - keesh
64. Rendezvous - raan-day-voo
65. Rapport - ruh-por
66. Receipt - ruh-seet
67. Rhetoric - reh-tr-uhk
68. Salmon - sa-m'n
69. Samoyed - suh-moy-ud
70. Segue - seh-gway
71. Steak - stayk
72. Subtle - suh-tl
73. Suite (set of rooms) - sweet
74. Sword - sord
75. Tarot - teh-row
76. Timbre - tam-br
77. Tucson - too-saan
78. Vineyard - vin-yrd
79. Viscount - vai-kownt
80. Yacht - yaat

How many did you get right? Am I the only one got weirded out with how Ouija is pronounced?