6 Simple Words You’re Probably Pronouncing Wrong

No, “gyro” is not pronounced like “gyroscope.”

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Decrease graph chart on blackboard
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Decrease

According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, if you use it as a verb, then you should emphasize the second syllable, whereas the noun takes the emphasis on the first. Good luck finding someone pedantic enough to call you on it, though!

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Greek lamb gyro
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Gyro

It may have the same root word as “gyroscope,” but this Greek sandwich deserves a proper Greek pronunciation: “yee-roh.”

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George W. Bush
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Nuclear

George W. Bush isn’t the only person who has struggled to wrap their tongue around this word. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary lists both “noo-clear” and “nyoo-clear,” but “noo-kyoo-lar” isn’t recognized.

Here are the 10 Hardest English Words to Pronounce, according to non-native speakers.

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Quinoa salad
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Quinoa

This trendy South American grain looks like it could be pronounced “kin-oh-ah,” but because it’s derived from Quechuan via Spanish, you should say “keen-wah.”

Check out 10 Amazing Words We No Longer Use (But Should).

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North Korean army
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Regime

Borrowed from la belle langue, this word retains a French pronunciation (“ray-geem,” not “reh-geem”)—at least for the time being.

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Charcuterie board
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Victuals

This dated term for food rhymes with “whittles,” not “rituals.”

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Reader's Digest Canada
Originally Published in Reader's Digest Canada

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