Do you ever feel like your pronunciation is holding you back? When you stumble on a word, it can break your flow. You enter in doubt, and the hesitation can make you seem less fluent. Of course, this can happen even to the most advanced learners. The good news, nothing is permanent. You can improve!
Here are some common mistakes that we’ve noticed students making. We’ll share them here on the blog so you can see that they’re very easy to fix.
- “Comfortable” (/ˈkʌmf-tər-bl/ NOT /ˈkʌm-fɚ-tə-bəl/)
This word confuses a lot of learners because look at all those letters. You need to pronounce all of them to say the word correctly, don't you? Nope!
❌ Wrong: /ˈkʌm-fɚ-tə-bəl/ (com-for-ta-ble)
✔️Right: /ˈkʌmf-tər-bl/ (kumf-ter-bl – 3 syllables, not 4!)
🎯 Fix It: Reduce the second syllable. Say: KUMF-ter-bl, not com-for-ta-ble.
Try this practice sentence: Say “This chair is comfortable.” naturally and focus on reducing the second vowel sound.
2. “Wednesday” (/ˈwenz-deɪ/ NOT /ˈwed-nes-deɪ/)
This word is often misspelled by schoolchildren because there are extra letters that you do not pronounce.
❌ Wrong: /ˈwed-nes-deɪ/ (wed-nes-day)
✔️ Right: /ˈwenz-deɪ/ (wenz-day – flap “d” and reduced vowel)
🎯 Fix It: Ignore what would be the second syllable. Pretend it is spelled: WENZ-day, which is why I got it wrong on the spelling test in the first grade.
Practice for you: Say “I have a meeting on Wednesday.” while skipping the extra (non-existent) syllable.
3. “Vegetable” (/ˈvedʒ-tə-bl/ NOT /ˈvedʒ-e-tə-bəl/)
Some learners have difficulty with this word because of the consonant cluster created by the /dʒ/ and the /t/ in such close proximity. They compensate by adding the extra syllable. Others see the spelling and misunderstand that the first four letters of the word make two syllables. However, this is not the correct pronunciation. See below:
❌ Wrong: /ˈvedʒ-e-tə-bəl/ (veg-e-ta-ble)
✔️ Right: /ˈvedʒ-tə-bl/ (vege-table – it sounds like 3 syllables, not 4!)
🎯 Fix It: Drop what would instinctively be the second vowel sound. Say: VEG-tuh-bl, not veg-e-ta-ble.
Try this practice sentence: Say “I eat vegetables every day.” and make sure you only pronounce three syllables.
4. “February” (/ˈfeb-ju-er-i/ NOT /ˈfeb-ru-er-i/)
This is another word with potential for mispronunciation because of its spelling. What about that r in the second syllable? The word can be confusing because it has two main pronunciations: the full /ˈfeb.ru.er.i/ with the "r" after the "b," and the more common, reduced /ˈfeb.ju.er.i/ where that "r" is dropped. This difference stems from elision, a tendency to simplify speech, and is also influenced by dialectical variations, particularly between American and British English where the American pronunciation often omits the "r". Both pronunciations are widely understood and accepted, but if you want to sound more American, try the following:
❌ Wrong: /ˈfeb-ru-er-i/ (feb-ru-ar-y)
✔️ Right: /ˈfeb-ju-er-i/ (feb-yu-ar-y – silent “r” in the middle)
🎯 Fix It: Blend the “b” and “y” sounds. Say: FEB-yu-ar-y, not Feb-ru-ar-y.
Try This: Say “My birthday is in February.” with a natural flow.
5. “Clothes” (/kloʊðz/ NOT /kloʊ-θɪz/)
In our experience, we have found that many learners want to add an extra syllable to this one syllable word. There is a very slight variation in the vowel sound between British and American English, but the main takeaway from this blog post is that clothes is one syllable and it rhymes with nose. (In future blog posts we will cover general variations between British and American English. Don’t worry!)
❌ Wrong: /kloʊ-θɪz/ (clo-thiz)
✔️ Right: /kloʊðz/ (cloz – one smooth sound)
🎯 Fix It: Don’t add an extra vowel sound. Say CLOZ, not Clo-thiz.
Make it yours: Say “I’ve bought some new clothes.” while blending the ending.
What have we learned? Quiz yourself.
📝 Part 1: Choose the Correct Pronunciation
Which pronunciation is correct? (Don’t look at the answers. Hehe. ) This easy test is just for review. Choose one:
1️⃣ Vegetable
a) VEG-e-ta-ble
b) VEG-tuh-bl
2️⃣ Wednesday
a) WED-nes-day
b) WENZ-day
3️⃣ Comfortable
a) COM-for-ta-ble
b) KUMF-ter-bl
📝 Part 2: Say It Out Loud!
Record yourself saying these sentences:
1️⃣ "This chair is comfortable."
2️⃣ "My birthday is in February."
3️⃣ "I eat vegetables every day."
Listen to your recording. Do you hear the correct pronunciation?
🎉 Level Up Your Pronunciation!
✅ Record yourself and listen for mistakes.
✅ Shadow native speakers to match them.
✅ Sign up with a language coach (like us! Check our calendar for scheduling.)
💬 Which of these words was the hardest for you? Are there others? Write to us. We read all of your emails.