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21 Common Words You're (Probably) Saying All Kinds Of Wrong

Jeremy Hayes
·4 min read

English is anything but easy, so never mind trying to pronounce words that read as if someone were trying to play Scrabble for the first time. And sometimes, the most common words are the ones we mispronounce without even knowing it!

Close-up of a dictionary page highlighting the word "language" with pronunciation marks
Close-up of a dictionary page highlighting the word "language" with pronunciation marks

Here are 21 words you're (probably) saying wrong:

Hermione corrects Ron's pronunciation: "It's LeviOsa, not LeviosA."
Hermione corrects Ron's pronunciation: "It's LeviOsa, not LeviosA."

1.Accessory

Three people sit together with smiles and expressions suggesting excitement. The text reads, "New accessory on."
Three people sit together with smiles and expressions suggesting excitement. The text reads, "New accessory on."

It's pronounced "uhk-seh-sr-ee."

People put a lot of stank on the "ACCESS" part of the word, but it is not pronounced the same as "ak-ses."

2.Mischievous

The Grinch, a green animated character with a mischievous grin, turns his head side to side against a blue background
The Grinch, a green animated character with a mischievous grin, turns his head side to side against a blue background

Mischievous is pronounced "mis-chuh-vuhs."

This is an example of a word that does not sound as it is spelled. It is not "miss-chee-vee-us," as some pronounce it.

3.Quinoa

Close-up of cooked tri-color quinoa on a white plate, showing its texture and variety
Close-up of cooked tri-color quinoa on a white plate, showing its texture and variety

You'd pronounce quinoa simply as "keen-wa."

Many cafe trips have gone awry because of this word. Please don't hurt yourself trying to pronounce it. Simply remember "keen-wa" as you are about to order.

4.Cupboard

You would pronounce it 
You would pronounce it

You would pronounce it "kuh-brd."

The letters "c-u-p" are there but are not pronounced like the word cup.

5.Etcetera

etcetera
etcetera

The proper way to say etcetera is "et-set-uh-ruh."

There is no "ex" at the beginning of the word, yet it is often mispronounced that way. It also explains why some people (high school Jeremy) wrote "ect." instead of "etc."

6.Caramel

Cubed caramels sprinkled with sea salt
Cubed caramels sprinkled with sea salt

Although people pronounce it differently, only one way is correct: "keh-ruh-muhl."

The "a-r-a" is there for a reason, so pronouncing it "car-muhl" makes virtually no sense.

7.Coupon

Person on yacht tossing money into the air, captioned "FUN COUPONS!"
Person on yacht tossing money into the air, captioned "FUN COUPONS!"

It is pronounced "koo-paan."

Often mistaken as "cue-paan," the "cou-" is pronounced "koo."

8.February

Desk calendar displaying February 2025 with a plant in the background
Desk calendar displaying February 2025 with a plant in the background

"Feh-broo-eh-ree" is the proper pronunciation.

Some people say "Feb-U-ary," but the "r" is there for a reason.

9.GIF

Two people in casual shirts are having a lively conversation in a room with art on the walls
Two people in casual shirts are having a lively conversation in a room with art on the walls

Gif is pronounced "jiff."

Jif? I guess I'm gonna keep being wrong. Why the "G"?

10.Homage

Person smiling while saying "Lots of homage in this film."
Person smiling while saying "Lots of homage in this film."

The proper pronunciation for homage is "aa-muhj."

There is no emphasis on the "h" at the start of the word. Pretend it's not even there. Also, don't read the suffix "-age" as the word age.

11.Jewelry

Gold jewelry, including necklaces, rings, and gold bars, displayed on a smooth surface
Gold jewelry, including necklaces, rings, and gold bars, displayed on a smooth surface

Jewelry is only two syllables. "Jool-ree."

That's it. It's not "jool-er-ree" as some say it.

12.Oregano

A wooden spoon filled with dried oregano leaves rests on a wooden surface, with some leaves scattered around
A wooden spoon filled with dried oregano leaves rests on a wooden surface, with some leaves scattered around

For oregano, it is pronounced "uh-reh-ga-now."

You do not pronounce the "o" and instead say "uh."

13.Sherbet

Person enjoying shaved ice dessert with lemon slice on small plate, using a spoon
Person enjoying shaved ice dessert with lemon slice on small plate, using a spoon

Sherbet is pronounced "shur-buht" and not "sure bet." It's delicious, but it can be tricky to say.

14.Specific

A person sitting on a couch, smiling and saying, "That's so specific," in a humorous context
A person sitting on a couch, smiling and saying, "That's so specific," in a humorous context

A lot of people read the suffix as "fick." The right way to say it is "spuh-si-fuhk."

That's right. We're basically dropping the F-bomb each time.

15.Temperature

A vintage outdoor thermometer displays a temperature of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit
A vintage outdoor thermometer displays a temperature of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit

"Tem-pruh-chr" is the correct pronunciation of temperature.

There is no need to put so much stank on the "a" in temperature, but it probably explains why so many people spell it wrong, too.

16.Toward

Person in a red cap peering through binoculars, surrounded by onlookers and the text at the bottom reads, "AND TOWARD OUR CAR"
Person in a red cap peering through binoculars, surrounded by onlookers and the text at the bottom reads, "AND TOWARD OUR CAR"

This one is always tricky, but imagine toward is spelled "tord."

That's the correct pronunciation. Not "too-ward."

17.Boutique

A person working at a laptop behind a rustic counter in a cozy, plant-filled store with exposed brick walls and various home decor items displayed
A person working at a laptop behind a rustic counter in a cozy, plant-filled store with exposed brick walls and various home decor items displayed

BOO!

Gotcha. The pronounciation for boutique is "boo-teek."

18.Often

Man in casual jacket says, "I'd like to do that more often," with a thoughtful expression
Man in casual jacket says, "I'd like to do that more often," with a thoughtful expression

"Aa-fn" is the only way to pronounce the word often.

It is, and never will be, pronounced "off-10" or "of-ten."

19.Pseudonym

Person swiveling in an office chair, visibly frustrated, near a cluttered desk with maps and office supplies
Person swiveling in an office chair, visibly frustrated, near a cluttered desk with maps and office supplies

I don't blame anyone for this one. The word pseudonym is pronounced very simply as "soo-du-nim."

For me, it's the spelling. I've misspelled it so many times while writing this post.

20.Anyway

Man looking surprised with "Oh no!" text overlay
Man looking surprised with "Oh no!" text overlay

The proper pronunciation of anyway is "eh-nee-way." There is no "ann" at the front of the word, and it uses more of an "eh" sound at the start.

21.And lastly: Prestigious

Group of people in varied historical costumes react humorously to a statement with the words "Sounds prestigious" appearing on screen
Group of people in varied historical costumes react humorously to a statement with the words "Sounds prestigious" appearing on screen

"Pruh-sti-juhs" is how to correctly say prestigious.

It's common for people to add a "stee" in the middle of this word despite the pronunciation being pretty clear in the spelling. Accidentally saying "pre" is understandable since it is the prefix. English, man, what're you gonna do? Am I right?

Is there a word you or someone you know mispronounces? Comment below!

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