Many everyday American words have unexpected pronunciation patterns. Incorrect pronunciations, to the untrained ear, are actually very common in American speech. Dictionaries and linguists provide the transcriptions you’ll see here. You’ll hear these words in TV, classrooms, and conversations nationwide. Famous people also utter them sometimes unexpectedly. The list provides reliable source-based examples to demonstrate how each word should be pronounced.
Chassis
The word “chassis” is one that a lot of people stumble over. You’re likely to hear “chass-is” or “chase-is” in everyday speech. Standard American English has it as CHASS-ee. The spelling makes it seem longer than it is, which confuses folks. Word mix-ups happen on car shows and reviews as well.
Nuclear
The correct pronunciation of “nuclear” is NEW-klee-er. When you say it like “nu-cu-lar,” you are mispronouncing it. However, it is easy to understand why most people pronounce it that way. Many famous public figures, including a couple U.S. presidents, have even used that pronunciation on television. Exposure at the highest levels of leadership certainly made the mispronunciation stand out, but as far as formal American English is concerned, NEW-klee-er is the only correct pronunciation.
Espresso
The correct pronunciation of “espresso” is es-PRESS-oh. “Ex‑presso” is very common in the U.S., but it’s wrong according to Merriam-Webster, the Oxford American Dictionary, and pretty much every other dictionary. It’s so common that a lot of baristas and coffee shops will pronounce it as “ex‑presso,” helping to perpetuate the error in casual usage.
Clothes
“Clo-thes” does in fact show up as a hypercorrect or careful pronunciation, as well as in some slow speech, but a great many Americans will say something closer to “klohz” or even “kloz.” As you can see by looking at the audio files in major dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster and Cambridge, both pronunciations are given, with the “th” being optional or reduced. Linguists view this as a natural result of the fact that combinations such as /ðz/ are phonetically awkward and are therefore simplified during regular speech.
Mischievous
The pronunciation of “mischievous” given in Merriam‑Webster is three syllables: MIS‑chə‑vəs (MIS‑chuh‑vus). Some speakers pronounce the word with four syllables: mis‑CHEE‑vee‑əs. However, Merriam‑Webster marks this pronunciation as nonstandard. Most speakers and style guides consider this four-syllable pronunciation to be incorrect in formal usage.
Library
Library is frequently shortened in everyday speech to “lie-berry.” Most Americans simply omit or slurr over the middle syllables without even considering it. The correct pronunciation is LIE-brer-ee, with all the syllables enunciated. Linguists note that this sort of abbreviation is commonplace in relaxed conversation. It is not incorrect in speech, but it is not the formal pronunciation you’d hear in careful conversation or reading.
Quinoa
Many Americans still pronounce quinoa as “quin-oh-ah” or “kwin-o-ah”. The pronunciation is KEEN-wah with the emphasis at the start. People often guess how to pronounce quinoa based on its spelling despite its widespread presence on today’s menus.
Hyperbole
Lots of Americans read this word and automatically say “HYPER‑bowl.” The preferred pronunciation is “hye‑PER‑buh‑lee” with the emphasis on the second syllable and the ‑ee at the end sounding more like ‑buh‑lee.
Epitome
It looks like it should rhyme with “tome,” so many Americans assume and say “EH‑pit‑ome.” The pronunciation, however, is ih‑PIT‑uh‑mee. This word is a Greek loanword taken through Latin where its spelling does not match its current pronunciation.
Ragout
Have you ever heard of a “ragout”? In French, it’s the name of a good, slow-cooked stew. In English, people are often guilty of pronouncing the word as “rag-out,” with each syllable distinctly pronounced. The correct French pronunciation is more fluid: “rah-goo.” Lexicographers (dictionary writers) call this a “familiar culprit” word, one many people stumble over.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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