Some English words look impossible to pronounce. But when you break them down syllable by syllable, they become much easier. This guide takes 40 of the most challenging words and shows you exactly how to say each one.
How to Use This Guide
For each word, you'll see:
- The word broken into syllables with a hyphen (-)
- The stressed syllable in CAPS
- The IPA pronunciation
- A practice card with audio
Practice each syllable separately, then put them together. Go slowly at first, then speed up.
3-Syllable Words
Words with Silent Letters
Wednesday: WENZ-day (2 syllables in speech!)
February: FEB-ru-er-y (the first R is often dropped: FEB-yoo-er-y)
vegetable: VEJ-tuh-bul (3 syllables, middle syllable very short)
comfortable: KUMF-ter-bul (3 syllables, not 4!)
Words with Unusual Spellings
colonel: KER-nul (sounds like "kernel"!)
thoroughly: THUR-uh-lee
4-Syllable Words
Common Everyday Words
interesting: IN-tres-ting or IN-ter-es-ting
temperature: TEM-per-uh-chur or TEM-pruh-chur
dictionary: DIK-shuh-ner-ee
necessary: NES-uh-ser-ee
chocolate: CHOK-lit (2 syllables in casual speech!)
aspirin: AS-per-in or AS-prin
Professional Words
entrepreneur: on-truh-pruh-NUR (stress on last syllable)
refrigerator: rih-FRIJ-er-ay-ter
5-Syllable Words
opportunity: op-er-TOO-nuh-tee
university: yoo-nuh-VER-suh-tee
communication: kuh-myoo-nuh-KAY-shun
pronunciation: pruh-nun-see-AY-shun (NOT pro-NOUN-ciation!)
refrigerator: rih-FRIJ-uh-ray-ter
administrative: ad-MIN-uh-stray-tiv
Tricky Food Words
Worcestershire: WUS-ter-shur (only 3 syllables!)
quinoa: KEEN-wah (2 syllables)
croissant: kruh-SONT or krwah-SON
salmon: SAM-un (the L is silent!)
Place Names and Proper Nouns
Edinburgh: ED-in-bruh (NOT Ed-in-BURG)
Greenwich: GREN-ich (2 syllables)
Medical and Scientific Terms
pharmaceutical: far-muh-SOO-tuh-kul
particularly: par-TIK-yoo-ler-lee
literally: LIT-er-uh-lee or LIT-ruh-lee
specifically: spuh-SIF-ik-lee
Master Reference Table
| Word | Syllable Breakdown | Spoken Syllables |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | WENZ-day | 2 |
| February | FEB-yoo-er-ee | 4 (or 3) |
| vegetable | VEJ-tuh-bul | 3 |
| comfortable | KUMF-ter-bul | 3 |
| interesting | IN-tres-ting | 3 |
| temperature | TEM-pruh-chur | 3-4 |
| chocolate | CHOK-lit | 2 |
| pronunciation | pruh-nun-see-AY-shun | 5 |
| Worcestershire | WUS-ter-shur | 3 |
| entrepreneur | on-truh-pruh-NUR | 4 |
Practice Strategy
- Break it down: Say each syllable separately
- Find the stress: Identify which syllable is loudest/longest
- Connect slowly: Put syllables together at half speed
- Speed up gradually: Increase to normal speed
- Use in context: Practice in full sentences
Common Syllable Reductions
In natural speech, many words lose syllables:
- probably: PROB-lee (not PROB-ab-lee)
- actually: AK-shlee (not AK-choo-uh-lee)
- different: DIF-rent (not DIF-er-ent)
- every: EV-ree (not EV-er-ee)
- camera: KAM-ruh (not KAM-er-uh)
Key Takeaways
- Break difficult words into syllables
- Identify the stressed syllable first
- Many words have fewer spoken syllables than written
- Silent letters are common in English
- Practice slowly, then speed up