Food Words Pronounced Differently
Next time you sit down for a meal, listen to how everyone pronounces these common foods. Depending on their accent or the region they come from, they may sound a little different than what you’re used to. Tomato Tuh-MAH-toh Tuh-MAY-toh Potato Poh-TAY-toh Puh-TAH-toh Pecan Pee-CAN Peh-CAHN Apricot APP-rih-caht APE-rih-caht Bagel BAY-guhl BAH-guhl (Midwest) Caramel CAH-ruh-mell KAHR-mell Syrup SIHR-up SEER-up (Northeast) Almond AL-muhnd AHL-muhnd Cauliflower CAHL-ih-flour-ehr CAW-lee-flou-ehr Groceries GROH-sehr-eez GROH-shreez Water WAH-tehr WOOD-ehr (Philadelphia) Sherbet Shuhr-BEHT Shuhr-BIHRT Bologna Buh-LOH-nee Buh-LOH-nya Mayonnaise MAN-ayze MAY-uh-nayze Salmon SAM-uhn SAM-ihn Acai Ah-sah-EE Ah-SIGH Egg EHGG EYGG (Northwest) Pasta PAHS-tuh PASS-tuh Coffee KAH-fee KAW-fee Espresso Ehss-PRESS-oh Ehx-PRESS-oh
Object Words Pronounced Differently
Whether they’re around your home or something you see in everyday life, the words for these items can sound different from person to person. Data DAY-tuh DAH-tuh Handkerchief HAYN-kehr-chiff HAYN-kehr-cheef Crayon CRAY-ahn KRAN Coupon COOP-ahn CYOO-pahn Jewelry JOO-ehl-ree JOOL-ree Envelope EHN-vel-oahp AHN-vel-oahp Drawer Drahw-ihr DROAHR Poem POHM POH-ehm Mirror MEER MEER-uhr MIHR-uhr Vase VAYSS VAHS Bag BAHG BAYG (Wisconsin) Insurance IHN-shur-ense Ihn-SHUR-inse Iron EYE-urn ARHN (Pittsburgh, PA) Advertisement ADD-ver-tize-ment Ad-VER-tiss-ment Aluminum Al-OO-min-uhm Uh-LOO-muh-num Prescription PREH-skrip-shun PER-skrip-shun Vehicle VEE-hick-ull VEE-ick-ull Lever LEHV-er LEEV-er Vitamin VEYE-tuh-mihn VIHT-uh-mihn
Places Pronounced Differently
Whenever you’re traveling, check how people say the name of the location you’re in. City and state names might be pronounced differently around the area than they are anywhere else. Garage GUH-rahj GAIR-ihj Foyer FOY-ihr Foy-AY Roof ROOF RUHF Creek KREEK CRICK Museum Myooz-EE-uhm MYOO-zahm Downtown DOWHN-towhn DAHN-tahn (Pittsburgh) New Orleans New OHR-Lihnz (Louisiana) New Ohr-LEENZ Oregon OAHR-ihg-ahn OAHR-ihg-ihn Illinois Il-uh-NOY Il-uh-NOISE Texas TEKS-iss TEKS-iz Nevada Nehv-AHD-uh Nehv-ADD-uh Caribbean Ca-rihb-EE-ihn Cuh-RIHB-ee-ihn
Words for People That are Pronounced Differently
Depending on where you live, you may hear some variations on these words referring to specific people. Adult AH-duhlt Uh-DUHLT Realtor REEL-tuhr REEL-uh-tuhr Aunt ANT AHNT Celtic SELL-tick KELL-tick Our OW-ihr AHR
Verbs with Different Pronunciations
How these action words sound can vary depending on your accent or where you’re located. Try sounding out the words below to see which way you pronounce them! Been BIHN BENN Tour TOOR TOO-ur Schedule SKEHD-yoo-uhl SHEHD-yoo-uhl Flourish FLUH-rihsh FLOO-rihsh Route RAWHT ROOT Process PRAH-sess PROH-sess Progress PRAH-gress PROH-gress Cache CASH CATCH
Adjectives & Adverbs Pronounced Differently
Descriptors like adjectives and adverbs add a lot of detail to a sentence, and you might hear any of these pronunciations depending on who’s talking and where they’re from. Often OFF-tehn OFF-in Either EE-thehr EYE-thehr Mauve MOHV MAHV Et cetera EHT-seht-ihr-uh Eht-SEHT-ruh Mischievous Miss-CHEEV-ee-uhs Miss-CHIV-uhss Neither NEE-ther NIGH-ther Mobile MOH-buhl MOH-baihl MOH-beel Niche NEESH NITCH Really REEL-ee RILL-ee REE-ihl-ee Interesting IHNT-ehr-est-ing IHN-nehr-est-ing Nuclear NOOK-leer NOO-klee-er NOO-cyoo-ler Huge HYOOJ YOOJ (Northeast) Comfortable CUHM-fer-tuh-bull CUHMF-ter-bull Semi SEHM-eye SEHM-ee Anti AN-tie AN-tee
More Words Pronounced Differently
Try sounding out these less-common words phonetically. While both pronunciations are correct and common across the country, you probably prefer using one more than the other. Horror HOAR-er HAHR-er Leisure LEE-szuhr LEH-szuhr Tournament TOOHR-nuh-mehnt TIHR-nuh-mehnt Miracle MIH-ruh-cuhl MEER-cuhl (Northeast) GIF JIHF GIHF Coyote Kai-OH-tee Kai-OHT (Colorado and Wyoming) Kilometer KIL-oh-mee-ter Kil-AH-meh-ter Gala GAH-lah GAY-lah
Southern Accent Pronunciation
The Southern accent is known for its laid-back drawl and long vowels. American accent coach Adrian Lin states, “A lot of English dialects are just created by substituting certain vowels for other vowels.” Southern accents tend to use the same vowel sounds in words like “pen” and “pin,” and other vowels get more drawn out for a more unique sound. Get: GIHT instead of GEHT Pen: PIHN instead of PEHN Oil: OLL instead of OY-ill Pajamas: Puh-JAHM-uhz instead of puh-JAM-uhz Florida: FLAH-rihd-uh or FLOH-rihd-uh instead of FLOR-ihd-uh Lawyer: LAWH-yerr instead of LOY-ehr Caught: CAHT instead of CAWHT Monday: MUN-dee instead of MUN-day Picture: PIT-chuhr instead of PICK-tuhr
British Accent Pronunciation
Some English words have different pronunciations in a British accent. While speaking with a British accent can already make words sound different, some words have small changes from their American pronunciation as well. Aluminum: Al-oo-MIHN-ee-um instead of Ah-LOO-mihn-um Scone: SKON instead of SKOHN Herb: HURB instead of ERB Basil: BAH-zil instead of BAY-zil Dynasty: DIN-uh-stee instead of DIE-nuh-stee Figure: FIHG-err instead of FIHG-yer Zebra: ZEBB-ruh instead of ZEE-bruh Privacy: PRIH-viss-ee instead of PREYE-viss-ee Sloth: SLOHTH instead of SLAWTH Yogurt: YOGG-urt instead of YO-gurt
Regional Variations of Words
Soft drinks If you’re in the northern United States, when you ask for a sweet, fizzy drink, most people will call it a pop. In the west, east, and central regions of the country, you’ll hear people say soda instead. In the South, you may hear someone call it a Coke no matter what type of drink you ordered.
Drinking fountains In most regions of the United States, the fountains you drink water from are simply called drinking fountains or water fountains. However, if you’re in Wisconsin or some areas around Rhode Island, you may hear the term bubbler instead.
Groups of people When you’re referring to more than one person, a majority of Americans use the phrase you all or you guys, even if there are people of different genders. If you’re talking to someone from the South or in Southeast states, you’ll probably hear the more casual y’all.
Crawfish These small lobster-like crustaceans have different names depending on where you are in the country. In Louisiana, they’re most commonly called crawfish. In other areas of the South and in the western side of the country, they’re called crawdads or even mud bugs. In Northern states, you’ll probably hear them called crayfish instead.
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