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100 English Words Commonly Mispronounced by Filipinos
100 English Words Commonly Mispronounced by Filipinos
Mispronounced by Filipinos
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Philippines is an English-speaking country, but that doesnt mean every English speaker
in the world will understand everything we say. Using the language is one thing,
knowing the right way to pronounce English words is another.
Also Read: 6 English Words You Didnt Know Have Filipino Translations
Some blame it on a unique language called Philippine English and what they call
Filipino accent, while others think its just an excuse for not learning how to speak
English the right way. Regardless of what you believe, there is indeed a standard way
to speak the universal language, the mastery of which will give you an edge in both
local and international job markets.
Listed below are 100 English words commonly mispronounced by Filipinos (and how to
pronounce them the right way).
Pronunciation guide:
ei or EI Examples: bale = beil; whale = hweil
or Example: ban = bn
ee or EE Example: be = bee
igh or IGH Example: tie = tigh
i or I Examples: tip = tip
oh or OH Examples: code = cohd; soul = sohl; bowl = bohl
o or O Examples: law = lo; order = OR dur; chocolate = CHOK lit
au or AU Example: out = aut
yoo or YOO Example: duty = DYOO ti
oo or O Example: rule = rool
u or U Example: book = buk
oo or OO Example: moon = moon
ur or UR Example: curve = kurv
th or TH Example: thick or thik
Unaccented vowel uh Example: fistula = FISH chuh luh
zh or ZH Example: measure = MEZH ur
23. bamboo. bm BOO (not BM boo). Any of various woody mostly tall tropical
grasses including some with strong hollow stems used for building, furniture, or
utensils.
24. beneficiary. ben uh FISH ee er ee (not buh ne fish YAHR ee). Receiver of
benefits.
25. bicuspid. bigh KAHS pid (not BIGH kuhs pid). Having two points or cusps.
26. boutique. boo TEEK (not boh TEEK). A kind of specialty shop, now used to
describe also small hotels.
27. broccoli. BROK uh lee (not bro KOHL ee). A delicious vegetable.
43. debut. dei BYOO or DEI byoo (not di BOO). A first public appearance; the
formal presentation of a girl to society.
44. didnt. Use the inner part of the tongue for the second d to slide on to the n
(not dint). Contraction of did not.
45. douche. doosh. A jet of fluid (as water) directed against a part or into a cavity in
the body.
46. education. ej uh KEI shuhn (not ed yoo KEI shuhn). The process of learning.
47. embryo. EM bree oh (not em BRIGH yoh). An organism in its early
developmental stage, especially before it has reached a distinctively recognizable form.
48. entrepreneur. on truh pruh NUR (not en TUR puh noor). One who organizes,
operates, and assumes the risk in a business venture.
49. exciting. ik SIGHT ing (not eg SIGHT ing). Creating or producing excitement.
50. executive. ig ZEK yuh tiv (not ik SEK yuh tiv). Administrator or manager.
51. faux pas. foh PAH (not FOHX pas). French word for false step, figuratively
meaning social blunder.
52. gargantuan. gahr GN choo uhn (not gahr guhn TOO uhn). Immense in size
or volume.
53. genre. ZHAN ruh (not JEN re). Type or class.
54. gourmet. goor MEI or GOOR mei (not gor MEI). A connoisseur of good food
and drink.
55. hacienda. This is a Spanish word so the first letter must be silent. Country estate.
56. handsome. HN suhm with a silent d (not HND suhm). Pleasing and
dignified.
57. heinous. HEI nuhs (not HEE nuhs or HIGH nuhs). Grossly wicked or deserving
strong condemnation.
58. hippopotamus. hip uh PAHT uh muhs (not hee puh puh TAHM uhs). A large,
short-legged, chiefly aquatic African mammal.
59. humongous. hyuh MAHNG guhs (not hu MONG gohs). Extremely large.
60. idiot. ID ee uht (not EE juht). Mentally deficient person.
61. indigent. IN di juhnt (not in DIGH jent). Without means of subsistence;
impoverished.
62. ingenuity. in juh NOO i tee (not in JEN wi ti). Cleverness.
66. legume. LEG yoom (not LE joom). Any of a large family of plants having fruits
that are dry pods and split when ripe.
67. lettuce. LET uhs (not LET is). Vegetable that is best eaten fresh.
68. lip-synch. LIP sink (not LIP sing). To move the lips in synchronization with
recorded sound.
69. lychee. LEE chee (not LIGH chee). An oval fruit with a hard scaly outer covering
, a small hard seed, and edible flesh.
70. mahjong/mahjongg. mah ZHAHNG or mah ZHONG (not mah JONG). A
Chinese game.
71. maniac. MEIN yuhk (not MAHN yahk). Pervert.
72. mayonnaise. MEI uh neiz or mei uh NEIZ (not MAH yuh neiz). A dressing of
beaten egg yolk, oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings.
73. nuisance. NOO suhns or NYOO suhns (not NOOY sahns). Inconvenient or
vexatious; a bother.
74. nuptial. NAHP shuhl (not NOOP shuhl). Regarding wedding or marriage.
77. parachute. PAHR uh shoot (not PAHR uh kyoot). An apparatus used to retard
free fall in descending from an airplby ane or from a great height.
78. picture. PIK chuhr (not PICH uhr). A representation made by painting, drawing,
or photography.
79. Porsche. POR shuh (not porsh). A brand of an expensive sports car.
80. preface. PREF is (not PRI feis). Introductory statement or essay.
81. pseudonym. SOODn im (not SYOO duh nim). A fictitious name taken on by an
author; pen name.
82. Quaker Oats. KWEI kuhr ohts' (not KWAH ker ots). Brand name of a very
popular oat meal.
83. query. KWIR ee (not KWER ee). Request for information.
84. rendezvous. RAHN dei voo (not REN des voos). Meeting place.
85. salmon. S muhn (not SAHL muhn). Pronounced with a silent l. Food fish.
86. sauce. sos (not sohs). A flavorful liquid dressing or relish for food.
87. sergeant. SAHR juhnt (not SUR jent). A non-commissioned officer.
88. species. SPEE sheez (not SPE sees). A fundamental classification category in
biology.
89. suicide. SOO i sighd (not SWI sighd). Intentional killing of oneself.
90. tarantula. tuh RAHN chuh luh (not tah ruhn TOOL uh). Any of various large,
hairy tropical spiders capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.
91. thesis/theses. THEE sis (for singular) and THEE seez (for plural). A proposition
maintained by argument.
92. tortoise. TOR tuhs (not TOR tois). Turtle that lives only on land.
93. tourniquet. TOOR ni kit or TUR ni kit (not TOOR ni kei). A first aid device to
temporarily stop the flow of blood through an artery.
94. Tucson. TOO sahn (not TOOK suhn). City in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; brand
name of an SUV made in Korea.
95. turquoise. TUHR kwoiz (not TUHR kois). A blue or blue-green mineral valued in
the polished blue form as a gemstone.
96. typhus. TIGH fuhs (not TEE puhs). Any of several forms of an infectious disease
caused by a rickettsia microorganism carried by fleas, ticks, mites, or lice.
97. utensil. yoo TEN sil (not YOO ten sil). An implement or tool.
98. Worcestershire. WOOS tuhr shir (not wur CHES tuhr shighr). Trademark of a
piquant sauce of soy, vinegar, and spices.
99. worry. WUR ee (not WOR ee). To feel uneasy.