100 English Words Commonly Mispronounced by Filipinos

Philippines is an English-speaking country, but that doesnt mean every English speaker in the world will
understand everything we say. Using the language is one thing, knowing the right way to pronounce
English words is another.
Of course, we have to forgive ourselves if we sometimes commit mistakesafter all, Filipino is our national
language. But then again, it shouldnt be a hindrance for you to improve your English speaking skills.
Also Read: 6 English Words You Didnt Know Have Filipino Translations
Some blame it on a unique language called Philippine English and what they call Filipino accent, while
others think its just an excuse for not learning how to speak English the right way. Regardless of what
you believe, there is indeed a standard way to speak the universal language, the mastery of which will
give you an edge in both local and international job markets.
Listed below are 100 English words commonly mispronounced by Filipinos (and how to pronounce them
the right way).

Pronunciation guide:
ei or EI Examples: bale = beil; whale = hweil
or Example: ban = bn
ee or EE Example: be = bee
igh or IGH Example: tie = tigh
i or I Examples: tip = tip
oh or OH Examples: code = cohd; soul = sohl; bowl = bohl
o or O Examples: law = lo; order = OR dur; chocolate = CHOK lit
au or AU Example: out = aut
yoo or YOO Example: duty = DYOO ti
oo or O Example: rule = rool
u or U Example: book = buk
oo or OO Example: moon = moon
ur or UR Example: curve = kurv
th or TH Example: thick or thik
Unaccented vowel uh Example: fistula = FISH chuh luh
zh or ZH Example: measure = MEZH ur

1. abalone. b uh LOH nee (not AH buh lohn). A delicious seafood.
2. accessory. k SES uh ree (not k ses SOH ree). Subordinate part.
3. acknowledge. k NAH lij (not k NOH lej). Admit; give credit to.
4. acoustic. uh KOOS tik (not uh KOHS tik). Pertaining to hearing.
5. admirable. D muhr uh buhl (not d MIR uh buhl). Worthy of admiration.
6. adolescence. adl ES ens pronounced minus the o (not uh DOL luh sens). Period between youth
and maturity.
7. advocacy. D vuh kuh see (not uhd VO kuh see). Active support, especially for a cause.
8. affidavit. f i DEI vit (not f i D vit). A sworn statement in writing.
9. allegedly. uh LEJ id lee (not uh LEJD lee). Supposedly.
10. almond. M uhnd (not L muhnd). A delicious nut.
11. alms. ahmz (You dont pronounce the l). Money or goods given in charity.
12. alumnae. uh LAHM nee (not uh LAHM nei). Feminine of alumnus.
13. amoebiasis. m uh BIGH uh sis (not uh mib YAH sis). Infection caused by the amoeba
Entamoeba histolytica.
14. analgesic. n uhl JEE zik (not n uhl JE sik). Pain reliever.
15. any. EN ee (not EY nee). One chosen at random.
16. applicable. P li kuh buhl (not ahp LEE kuh buhl). Able to be applied; appropriate.
17. appreciate. uh PREE shee eit (not AHP ree sheit). To recognize the quality, significance, or
magnitude of something or someone.
18. associate. uh SOH shee eit (not AH soh sheit). Colleague.
19. asthma. AHZ muh (not AHST muh). A respiratory illness often arising from allergies.
20. attach. ah tuh SHEI (not ah TAT chee). One assigned to the staff of a diplomatic mission to serve
in a given capacity.
21. attorney. uh TURN nee (not uh TOR nee). A legal agent qualified to act for persons in legal
proceedings.
22. awardee. uh wor DEE (not uh WAHR dee). One that receives an award.

23. bamboo. bm BOO (not BM boo). Any of various woody mostly tall tropical grasses including
some with strong hollow stems used for building, furniture, or utensils.
24. beneficiary. ben uh FISH ee er ee (not buh ne fish YAHR ee). Receiver of benefits.
25. bicuspid. bigh KAHS pid (not BIGH kuhs pid). Having two points or cusps.
26. boutique. boo TEEK (not boh TEEK). A kind of specialty shop, now used to describe also small
hotels.
27. broccoli. BROK uh lee (not bro KOHL ee). A delicious vegetable.
28. bury/burial. BER ee/BER ee uhl (not BUHR ee/BUHR ee uhl). Inter/internment.
29. busy. BIZ ee (Pronounced with a z). Filled with activity.

30. category. KT uh go ri (not kuh TE go ri). Class.
31. cement. si MENT (not seh MENT). Bond.
32. cemetery. SEM i ter ee (not se MEN tuh ree). Burial grounds.
33. chocolate. CHOK lit or CHOK uh lit (not CHO kuh leit). A food prepared from ground roasted
cacao beans.
34. cleanliness. KLEN lee nis (not KLEEN li nes). State of being clean.
35. climb. Pronounced with silent b. To ascend using the hands and feet.
36. comfortable. KAHM fuhr tuh bl or KAHMF tuh buhl (not kuhm FOR tuh bl). Providing comfort or
security.
37. condolence. kuhn DOHL ens (not KON doh lens). An expression of sympathy with a person in
grief.
38. confirm. kuhn FURM (not kuhn FEERM). To verify.
39. Connecticut. kuh NET i kuht (Silent c). A US state.
40. controversy. KAHN truh vur see (not kon TRO vur see). A dispute characterized by the
expression of opposing views.
41. corps. kor or kohr. A group of people with special training, organized for working together, or
associated under a common direction.
42. coupon. KOO pahn or KYOO pahn (not KOO p0n). A detachable slip.

43. debut. dei BYOO or DEI byoo (not di BOO). A first public appearance; the formal presentation of
a girl to society.
44. didnt. Use the inner part of the tongue for the second d to slide on to the n (not
dint). Contraction of did not.
45. douche. doosh. A jet of fluid (as water) directed against a part or into a cavity in the body.

46. education. ej uh KEI shuhn (not ed yoo KEI shuhn). The process of learning.
47. embryo. EM bree oh (not em BRIGH yoh). An organism in its early developmental stage,
especially before it has reached a distinctively recognizable form
48. entrepreneur. on truh pruh NUR (not en TUR puh noor). One who organizes, operates, and
assumes the risk in a business venture.
49. exciting. ik SIGHT ing (not eg SIGHT ing). Creating or producing excitement.
50. executive. ig ZEK yuh tiv (not ik SEK yuh tiv). Administrator or manager.

51. faux pas. foh PAH (not FOHX pas). French word for false step, figuratively meaning social
blunder.

52. gargantuan. gahr GN choo uhn (not gahr guhn TOO uhn). Immense in size or volume.
53. genre. ZHAN ruh (not JEN re). Type or class.
54. gourmet. goor MEI or GOOR mei (not gor MEI). A connoisseur of good food and drink.

55. hacienda. This is a Spanish word so the first letter must be silent. Country estate.
56. handsome. HN suhm with a silent d (not HND suhm). Pleasing and dignified.
57. heinous. HEI nuhs (not HEE nuhs or HIGH nuhs). Grossly wicked or deserving strong
condemnation.
58. hippopotamus. hip uh PAHT uh muhs (not hee puh puh TAHM uhs). A large, short-legged,
chiefly aquatic African mammal.
59. humongous. hyuh MAHNG guhs (not hu MONG gohs). Extremely large.


60. idiot. ID ee uht (not EE juht). Mentally deficient person.
61. indigent. IN di juhnt (not in DIGH jent). Without means of subsistence; impoverished.
62. ingenuity. in juh NOO i tee (not in JEN wi ti). Cleverness.

63. journal. JUR nuhl (not JOR nuhl). Diary.

64. knowledge. NAHL ij (not NOH lej). Understanding gained by actual experience.
65. Kuwait. kuh WEIT (not kweit). An Arab country in Western Asia.

66. legume. LEG yoom (not LE joom). Any of a large family of plants having fruits that are dry pods
and split when ripe.
67. lettuce. LET uhs (not LET is). Vegetable that is best eaten fresh.
68. lip-synch. LIP sink (not LIP sing). To move the lips in synchronization with recorded sound.
69. lychee. LEE chee (not LIGH chee). An oval fruit with a hard scaly outer covering , a small hard
seed, and edible flesh.

70. mahjong/mahjongg. mah ZHAHNG or mah ZHONG (not mah JONG). A Chinese game.
71. maniac. MEIN yuhk (not MAHN yahk). Pervert.
72. mayonnaise. MEI uh neiz or mei uh NEIZ (not MAH yuh neiz). A dressing of beaten egg yolk,
oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings.

73. nuisance. NOO suhns or NYOO suhns (not NOOY sahns). Inconvenient or vexatious; a bother.
74. nuptial. NAHP shuhl (not NOOP shuhl). Regarding wedding or marriage.

75. orange. AH rinj (not OH reinj). A citrus fruit.
76. orator. OR uh tuhr (not oh REI tuhr). One who makes an oration.

77. parachute. PAHR uh shoot (not PAHR uh kyoot). An apparatus used to retard free fall in
descending from an airplby ane or from a great height.
78. picture. PIK chuhr (not PICH uhr). A representation made by painting, drawing, or photography.
79. Porsche. POR shuh (not porsh). A brand of an expensive sports car.
80. preface. PREF is (not PRI feis). Introductory statement or essay.
81. pseudonym. SOODn im (not SYOO duh nim). A fictitious name taken on by an author; pen
name.

82. Quaker Oats. KWEI kuhr ohts (not KWAH ker ots). Brand name of a very popular oat meal.
83. query. KWIR ee (not KWER ee). Request for information.

84. rendezvous. RAHN dei voo (not REN des voos). Meeting place.

85. salmon. S muhn (not SAHL muhn). Pronounced with a silent l. Food fish.
86. sauce. sos (not sohs). A flavorful liquid dressing or relish for food.
87. sergeant. SAHR juhnt (not SUR jent). A non-commissioned officer.
88. species. SPEE sheez (not SPE sees). A fundamental classification category in biology.
89. suicide. SOO i sighd (not SWI sighd). Intentional killing of oneself.

90. tarantula. tuh RAHN chuh luh (not tah ruhn TOOL uh). Any of various large, hairy tropical spiders
capable of inflicting a painful but not seriously poisonous bite.
91. thesis/theses. THEE sis (for singular) and THEE seez (for plural). A proposition maintained by
argument.
92. tortoise. TOR tuhs (not TOR tois). Turtle that lives only on land.
93. tourniquet. TOOR ni kit or TUR ni kit (not TOOR ni kei). A first aid device to temporarily stop the
flow of blood through an artery.
94. Tucson. TOO sahn (not TOOK suhn). City in Phoenix, Arizona, USA; brand name of an SUV
made in Korea.
95. turquoise. TUHR kwoiz (not TUHR kois). A blue or blue-green mineral valued in the polished blue
form as a gemstone.
96. typhus. TIGH fuhs (not TEE puhs). Any of several forms of an infectious disease caused by a
rickettsia microorganism carried by fleas, ticks, mites, or lice.

97. utensil. yoo TEN sil (not YOO ten sil). An implement or tool.

98. Worcestershire. WOOS tuhr shir (not wur CHES tuhr shighr). Trademark of a piquant sauce of
soy, vinegar, and spices.
99. worry. WUR ee (not WOR ee). To feel uneasy.

100. zucchini. zoo KEE nee. A European vegetable.