Top 10 Mispronounced Words

#10: Bruschetta
Common Mispronunciation: Broo-shetta
Correct Pronunciation: Broo-sketta
We’re guessing Italian waiters and waitresses worldwide are tired of English speakers adding a ‘sh’ to what should be a ‘skuh’ sound in this word, commonly calling it bruschetta. Referring to a popular antipasto dish comprised of garlic-rubbed bread covered with tomatoes and olive oil, bruschetta is a staple at Italian restaurants everywhere.
#9: Mischievous
Common Mispronunciation: Mis-chee-vee-us
Correct Pronunciation: Mis-chi-vus
Maybe some mischievous imp added an extra “I” to the pronunciation of this word at some point in history as a prank to see how far it got – and frankly, it got pretty far. Many people pronounce this word mischievious instead of mischievous, and somehow that adds extra emphasis to its meaning. Some theories suggest it’s because of more popular words like “previous” and a general lack of words ending in “-vous” that we feel the need to add the extra sound
#8: Foliage
Common Mispronunciation: Foil-uj
Correct Pronunciation: Fo-li-uj
It means the leaves of trees or plants, and it’s not a word you’d think would give people problems. But, in what is a classic case of metathesis – where the sounds or syllables of a word are rearranged – the position of the “L” and the “I” are often swapped to produce a vastly different sounding word. We now have FOILage not FOLIage and, although we know what you mean, that’s not the proper way of saying the word.
#7: February
Common Mispronunciation: Feb-yoo-ary or Feb-ree
Correct Pronunciation: Feb-roo-ary
A word that is used so much and said incorrectly so often that the correct pronunciation doesn’t even sound right. Who knew a simple calendar month could be so tricky? Simply saying Feb-ree or Feb-yoo-ary rolls of the tongue far better than the tricky Feb-roo-ary. So difficult is the correct pronunciation, in fact, that Britons voted it as the 12th most mispronounced word, ahead of words that are hardly ever be used like onomatopoeia. However, because “Feb-yoo-ary” is so common, it’s now widely accepted as correct. Shall we just do the month a favor and call it Febtember? Or Febtober?

#6: Nuclear
Common Mispronunciation: Noo-kyoo-lar
Correct Pronunciation: Noo-klee-ar
A word so commonly mispronounced that several dictionaries have addressed the discrepancy, the inconsistency between “nuclear” and “nucular” may be influenced by the pronunciation of common English-language words like ocular, particular and circular. While “nucular” is considered incorrect by authorities on the topic, we still hear it coming from the mouths of highly educated sources like scientists and even U.S. presidents – although some linguists suggest that men like George W. Bush use the term to appeal to the masses with his folksy-ness. This one’s a case of that pesky metathesis at work once again causing havoc in the English language.

#5: Mauve
Common Mispronunciation: Mawve
Correct Pronunciation: Mowve
The English language uses so many words adapted from different languages, and as a result parts of a word often get changed in translation or simply mispronounced. This is the case with mauve, as the ‘au’ often gets confused with an ‘aw’ sound. This actually makes logical sense, if following the example of words like cause and pause. However, this word is derived from Old French, and therefore it is pronounced “mow-ve.” It’s a light shade of purple so if you’re ever unsure, just say that instead.
#4: Ask
Common Mispronunciation: Ax
Correct Pronunciation: Ask
As soon as you reverse the “K” and “S,” many will wrongly peg you as poor or uneducated. However, this variation on the word “ask” has actually existed for over 1,000 years; it’s an alternative of the word that was used in one of the first English translations of the bible and by classic authors like Geoffrey Chaucer. Some linguists suggest that its use today in certain cultures, specifically by African-Americans, was adopted as almost an appropriation of language that had been forced on them. While it is still technically wrong in modern English, it remains a powerful indicator of identity.
#3: Supposedly
Common Mispronunciation: Supposably
Correct Pronunciation: Supposedly
It’s not that “supposably” is not a word, although it’s not; it’s that the fake word “supposably” has a different meaning to the word that people are actually attempting to say. “Supposedly” pertains to something that is generally believed or accepted as truth, whereas “supposably” means something that is possible. The fact that this mispronunciation has gotten so far that the phony word has earned its own meaning is pretty impressive.
#2: Espresso
Common Mispronunciation: Expresso
Correct Pronunciation: Espresso
#1: Quinoa
Common Mispronunciation: Kwin-oh-ah
Correct Pronunciation: Keen-wah
Kwinoah? Well, that has to be it, how else would you say it? Queen-o? Wait, what? It’s Keenwah? For those of you fluent in Quechuan, the native tongue of an indigenous populatio