Commonly Mispronounced Words

Many English speakers mispronounce the same words over and over—not because their English is “bad,” but because English spelling is misleading and pronunciation rules are inconsistent.

This page includes 100 of the most commonly mispronounced words in General American English—words that appear constantly in meetings, presentations, interviews, and everyday conversations.

Fixing these high-frequency pronunciation errors can immediately improve how clearly you’re understood, even if your grammar and vocabulary stay exactly the same.

Listen to each word, notice the stress and sound changes, and repeat it out loud. Focus on how the word feels in your mouth, not how it looks on the page.

a lot of

/ə 'lɑːt əv/
Listen

on

/ɑːn/
Listen

got

/ɡɑːt/
Listen

gone

/ɡɔːn/
Listen

product

/'prɑːdʌkt/
Listen

probably

/'prɑːbəbli/
Listen

constantly

/'kɑːnstəntli/
Listen

column

/'kɑːləm/
Listen

knock

/nɑːk/
Listen

honest

/'ɑːnɪst/
Listen

documentary

/,dɑːkju'mentri/
Listen

restaurant

/'restərɑːnt/
Listen

garage

/ɡə'rɑːʒ/
Listen

photographer

/fə'tɑːɡrəfər/
Listen

Ontario

/ɑːn'teri,oʊ/
Listen

gossip

/'ɡɑːsɪp/
Listen

answer

/'ænsər/
Listen

listen

/'lɪsən/
Listen

often

/'ɔːfən/
Listen

cast

/kæst/
Listen

soften

/'sɔːfən/
Listen

wrist

/rɪst/
Listen

thumb

/θʌm/
Listen

detail

/'diːteɪl/
Listen

quantity

/'kwɑːntəti/
Listen

password

/'pæswɜːrd/
Listen

settings

/'setɪŋz/
Listen

panic

/'pænɪk/
Listen

manage

/'mænɪdʒ/
Listen

plant

/plænt/
Listen

Canada

/'kænədə/
Listen

Manhattan

/mæn'hætən/
Listen

Brandon

/'brændən/
Listen

camera

/'kæmrə/
Listen

sandwich

/'sænwɪtʃ/
Listen

damage

/'dæmɪdʒ/
Listen

landing

/'lændɪŋ/
Listen

asked

/æskt/
Listen

family

/'fæmli/
Listen

temperature

/'tempərətʃʊr/
Listen

whistle

/'wɪsəl/
Listen

salad

/'sæləd/
Listen

California

/,kælə'fɔːrnjə/
Listen

immediately

/ɪ'miːdiətli/
Listen

business

/'bɪznəs/
Listen

okay

/oʊ'keɪ/
Listen

ocean

/'oʊʃən/
Listen

owner

/'oʊnər/
Listen

omit

/oʊ'mɪt/
Listen

obituary

/oʊ'bɪtʃueri/
Listen

opaque

/oʊ'peɪk/
Listen

obese

/oʊ'biːs/
Listen

overcome

/,oʊvər'kʌm/
Listen

order

/'ɔːrdər/
Listen

offer

/'ɔːfər/
Listen

outline

/'aʊtlaɪn/
Listen

outgrow

/,aʊt'ɡroʊ/
Listen

oxygen

/'ɑːksɪdʒən/
Listen

lamb

/læm/
Listen

linguini

/lɪŋ'ɡwiːni/
Listen

launch

/lɔːntʃ/
Listen

local

/'loʊkəl/
Listen

legal

/'liːɡəl/
Listen

lawyer

/'lɔɪər/
Listen

leather

/'leðər/
Listen

liquid

/'lɪkwɪd/
Listen

salmon

/'sæmən/
Listen

walk

/wɔːk/
Listen

half

/hæf/
Listen

chalk

/tʃɔːk/
Listen

world

/wɜːrld/
Listen

facts

/fækts/
Listen

payment

/'peɪmənt/
Listen

fix

/fɪks/
Listen

change

/tʃeɪndʒ/
Listen

benefit

/'benəfɪt/
Listen

broadcast

/'brɔːdkæst/
Listen

thinking

/'θɪŋkɪŋ/
Listen

either

/'iːðər/
Listen

together

/tə'ɡeðər/
Listen

nothing

/'nʌθɪŋ/
Listen

weather

/'weðər/
Listen

healthy

/'helθi/
Listen

everything

/'evriθɪŋ/
Listen

government

/'ɡʌvərmənt/
Listen

gauge

/ɡeɪdʒ/
Listen

ghoul

/ɡuːl/
Listen

getting

/'ɡɛtɪŋ/
Listen

gentle

/'dʒɛntəl/
Listen

against

/ə'ɡɛnst/
Listen

generation

ˌ/,dʒɛnə'reɪʃən/
Listen

southern

/'sʌðərn/
Listen

quinoa

/'kiːnwɑː/
Listen

squirrel

/'skwɜːrəl/
Listen

colleague

/'kɑːliːɡ/
Listen

success

/sək'sɛs/
Listen

impossible

/ɪm'pɑːsəbəl/
Listen

organized

/'ɔːrɡənaɪzd/
Listen

entrepreneur

/,ɑːntrəprə'nɜːr/
Listen

cash

/kæʃ/
Listen

Why Word Lists Help and Where They Stop

Learning the correct pronunciation of commonly mispronounced words is one of the fastest ways to sound clearer and more precise in English. When high-frequency words are pronounced accurately, misunderstandings drop immediately and confidence goes up.

However, word lists solve only part of the problem.

They help you fix individual outcomes, but they don’t explain why the mistake happened, or how to prevent it from happening again in new words you haven’t practiced yet.

Most pronunciation errors don’t come from the words themselves.
They come from underlying sound habits: vowel substitutions, missing consonants, stress placement, and speech-rhythm patterns that quietly repeat across hundreds of words.

That’s why many advanced English speakers recognize a word is “wrong,” but still aren’t sure how to correct similar words on their own.

True accent improvement happens when you stop memorizing words… and start understanding the sound patterns behind them.

Once you can hear and feel those patterns, corrections become automatic. You no longer have to think about each word individually, and you don’t have to worry about new mispronunciations appearing in meetings, presentations, or spontaneous conversation.

That’s where structured accent training comes in.

If you want to go beyond fixing individual words and learn how to correct your pronunciation at the source, the next step is structured accent training.

Interested in American Accent Training?

Improving your American accent doesn’t require expensive one-on-one coaching or complicated programs… but it does require the right structure and consistent practice.

That’s why Intonetic now offers two accent training programs, designed specifically for non-native English speakers who want clearer pronunciation and a more natural American accent. We’ve created an affordable option for every type of learner, whether you prefer to practice independently or want guidance along the way.

Inside Intonetic Accent Studio and Studio+, you get access to:

  • Targeted pronunciation practice files

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You can start with the self-paced plan at $7/month, or choose the $27/month option if you want personalized feedback and direction so you know exactly what to focus on.

If your goal is to sound clearer, more confident, and more natural in American English, this is the training that helps you build that… step by step.

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