Difficult Words to Pronounce in UK English!
For anyone trying to learn to speak, read and write UK English, it’s far from an easy task. First, there is the fact that you need to learn an entire language, then there is the fact that there is a handful of words that are notoriously difficult words to pronounce in English for non Native speakers. These hard to pronounce words can throw people off when trying to say them out loud and spell them. Even for people whose native language is UK English, difficult words to pronounce can still cause them to stumble.
If you’re curious about what the most difficult to pronounce words in English are, you’re going to want to read on. The challenge will be to say them out loud as you’re reading the list. You can look at it as a lesson in English, helping you to get a firmer grasp on the language.
Colonel
It probably won’t come as a surprise that when you ask what the most difficult words to pronounce in English are, the word ‘colonel’ is often listed. Even for Native English speakers, this is a tricky word. It is pronounced as ‘ker-nul’ which doesn't match up with the spelling. It’s one of the hardest words to pronounce in English, and one of the hardest to spell.Draught
Also on the list of difficult words to pronounce in English is ‘draught’ which is in the top 20. It's very common for this word to be pronounced as ‘drot’ but the correct way to say it is ‘draft’. The ‘aught’ tends to throw people off.Squirrel
Although you may be able to say the word ‘squirrel’ just fine in your head, when you try to say it out loud, don’t be surprised if your tongue is tripping over itself. This is a case of a word that is easy to read but not so simple to sound out. Squirrel is on the list of hard words to pronounce as people often say it fast without taking the time to annunciate each letter, especially the ‘rrel’ at the end.Coup
The real ‘coup’ here is to find a difficult word to pronounce list that doesn't include this addition. You're probably very familiar with what the word means, but this is a French word that has been adopted into the English language, making it tricky. To say it correctly you need to pronounce the ‘oup’ as ‘oo’. For those trying to learn how to speak English, this would be classified as one of the most difficult words to pronounce in English.Often
What’s so hard about the word ‘often’? Try saying it out loud right now. Are you guilty of saying something more to the effect of ‘offen’? People don’t always do a great job at pronouncing the ‘t’ and because it is such a commonly mispronounced word, chances are you don’t even notice that you do it. This makes it another hardest word to pronounce in English dictionary.Worcestershire
For many people, ‘Worcestershire’ is the ultimate hardest word to pronounce in English. It’s also just as hard to spell this one. Worcestershire is a nightmare word all around. People always start with good intentions, but before you know it, things go off the rails and suddenly you're slurring the second half of the word. So, what's the proper way to say it? It is pronounced as ‘wus-ter-sher’. Even though this is a hard one to say, it’s worth mastering simply because it’s such a tasty ingredient to add to recipes and ask for in restaurants.Rural
If you’re looking for a word that feels like a tongue twister, ‘rural’ can be that word. Some people may go so far as to give ‘rural’ the title of the hardest word to pronounce in the English language. It takes thought and purpose to ensure you sound out the ‘ral’ at the end. People can be guilty of dropping the ‘r’ and pronouncing it as ‘rual’.The List Doesn’t Stop There
While this list of words is commonly mispronounced, it’s certainly not a complete list as many others can be added. Some hard to pronounce words in English can include:- Thorough
- Murderer
- Debt
- Exactly
- Successful
- Epitome
- Scissors
- Quinoa
- Ignominious
- Specific
- Temperature