Some English words are pronunciation nightmares. They look nothing like they sound, have silent letters, or stress patterns that defy logic. Here are 15 words that Spanish speakers almost always mispronounce—and exactly how to fix each one.
The Silent Letter Trap
1. Wednesday
Wrong: "Wed-NES-day" (3 syllables)
Right: "WENZ-day" /ˈwenzdeɪ/ (2 syllables)
The "d" in the middle is completely silent. Don't even try to pronounce it.
2. February
Wrong: "Feb-RU-a-ry" (4 syllables, pronouncing both R's)
Right: "FEB-yu-er-ee" /ˈfebjuˌeri/ OR "FEB-ru-er-ee" /ˈfebruˌeri/
The first R is often dropped in American English. Both pronunciations are acceptable, but the "FEB-yu-ary" version is more common in casual speech.
3. Salmon
Wrong: "SAL-mon" (pronouncing the L)
Right: "SA-mon" /ˈsæmən/
The L is completely silent. It's pronounced exactly like "SAM-un."
4. Receipt
Wrong: "re-CEIPT" (pronouncing the P)
Right: "re-SEET" /rɪˈsiːt/
The P is silent. Just like "deceit" and "conceit."
5. Subtle
Wrong: "SUB-tul" (pronouncing the B)
Right: "SUT-ul" /ˈsʌtl/
The B is silent. Think of it as "suttle."
The Syllable Reduction Problem
English loves to "eat" syllables. These words have fewer syllables than they appear to have.
6. Comfortable
Wrong: "com-for-TA-ble" (4 syllables)
Right: "KUMF-ter-bul" /ˈkʌmftərbəl/ (3 syllables)
The "or" nearly disappears. Native speakers say "KUMF-ter-bul" or even "KUMF-tuh-bul."
7. Vegetable
Wrong: "ve-ge-TA-ble" (4 syllables)
Right: "VEJ-tuh-bul" /ˈvedʒtəbəl/ (3 syllables)
The second syllable almost disappears. "VEJ-tuh-bul."
8. Chocolate
Wrong: "cho-co-LA-te" (4 syllables)
Right: "CHOK-lit" /ˈtʃɑːklət/ (2 syllables)
It's only two syllables! The "o-la" in the middle gets compressed into almost nothing.
9. Interesting
Wrong: "in-te-REST-ing" (4 syllables)
Right: "IN-trest-ing" or "IN-ter-est-ing" /ˈɪntrəstɪŋ/ (3-4 syllables)
The "e" after "t" often disappears in casual speech: "IN-trest-ing."
10. Family
Wrong: "fa-MI-ly" (3 equal syllables)
Right: "FAM-lee" /ˈfæmli/ (2 syllables)
The middle syllable disappears completely. It's "FAM-lee," not "fa-mi-lee."
The Stress Shift Problem
These words have stress patterns that differ from what Spanish speakers expect.
11. Hotel
Wrong: "HO-tel" (stress on first syllable, like Spanish)
Right: "ho-TEL" /hoʊˈtel/ (stress on second syllable)
Unlike Spanish, English stresses the second syllable: "ho-TEL."
12. Police
Wrong: "PO-lice" (stress on first syllable)
Right: "puh-LEECE" /pəˈliːs/ (stress on second syllable)
The first syllable is reduced to a schwa: "puh-LEECE."
13. Magazine
Wrong: "ma-ga-ZINE" (stress on last syllable)
Right: "MAG-uh-zeen" /ˈmæɡəziːn/ (stress on first syllable)
American English stresses the first syllable. British English may stress the last.
The Vowel Surprise
14. Colonel
Wrong: "co-LO-nel" (pronouncing as spelled)
Right: "KER-nul" /ˈkɜːrnəl/
This is one of English's most bizarre spellings. It's pronounced exactly like "kernel" (the seed part of corn).
15. Clothes
Wrong: "clo-THES" (two syllables, pronouncing TH-ES)
Right: "klohz" /kloʊz/ (one syllable, like "close")
Many native speakers pronounce this exactly like "close" (to shut). The TH is often barely audible or dropped entirely. At most, it's one syllable: "klohz" or "klohthz."
Bonus: Words With Unexpected Sounds
Choir
Wrong: "CHO-ir" (like "choice")
Right: "KWY-er" /ˈkwaɪər/
It sounds like "acquire" without the "ac." The "ch" makes a K sound.
Queue
Wrong: "kwe-WE" or "kwe-WU"
Right: "kyoo" /kjuː/
All those vowels, and it's just pronounced like the letter "Q."
Entrepreneur
Wrong: "en-tre-pre-NEUR" (pronouncing every syllable clearly)
Right: "on-truh-pruh-NUR" /ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr/
French loanword. The stress is on the last syllable, and the middle syllables are reduced.
Hierarchy
Wrong: "hi-er-AR-chy" (4 clear syllables)
Right: "HY-rar-kee" /ˈhaɪərɑːrki/ (3-4 syllables)
Stress the first syllable, and reduce "er" to almost nothing.
Practice Strategy
Step 1: Listen First
Before trying to say a word, listen to it multiple times. Use online dictionaries with audio (like Cambridge or Merriam-Webster).
Step 2: Break It Down
Count the actual syllables native speakers use—it's often fewer than the spelling suggests.
Step 3: Exaggerate
When practicing, exaggerate the correct pronunciation. Say "WENZ-day" really emphasizing that there are only two syllables.
Step 4: Record Yourself
Record yourself saying the word, then compare to a native speaker recording. Adjust and repeat.
Quick Reference Card
| Word | Wrong | Right | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Wed-NES-day | WENZ-day | Silent D |
| salmon | SAL-mon | SA-mun | Silent L |
| comfortable | com-for-TA-ble | KUMF-ter-bul | 3 syllables, not 4 |
| chocolate | cho-co-LA-te | CHOK-lit | 2 syllables only |
| vegetable | ve-ge-TA-ble | VEJ-tuh-bul | 3 syllables |
| clothes | clo-THES | klohz | 1 syllable like "close" |
| colonel | co-LO-nel | KER-nul | Sounds like "kernel" |
| receipt | re-CEIPT | re-SEET | Silent P |
| subtle | SUB-tul | SUT-ul | Silent B |
| hotel | HO-tel | ho-TEL | Stress on 2nd syllable |
Why English Spelling Is So Confusing
English spelling was standardized in the 1400s-1500s, but pronunciation kept changing. Plus, English borrowed words from dozens of languages (French, Latin, Greek, Norse) and often kept their original spellings. That's why "colonel" comes from Italian/French and is pronounced nothing like it's spelled.
The good news: once you learn these patterns, you'll start to recognize them in other words too.
Want to master more tricky English sounds? Explore our interactive pronunciation exercises.