English Words You’re Probably Mispronouncing ❌Difficult English Pronunciation | Rachel’s English

Do you ever wonder which English words you’re mispronouncing? In this video I’ll show you the most commonly mispronounced words and how to correct any mistakes you’re making. I’ll help you hear and master the correct pronunciation using IPA and real-life examples. I will show you how these difficult English pronunciation challenges can be solved, allowing you to incorporate the correct pronunciation into your American English accent. You’ll learn how to sound more like a native English speaker and have a lot of fun too!
Here’s my video on the word PROBABLY: • How to Pronounce PROBA...
Get my FREE Sounds of American English Cheat Sheet: rachelsenglish.com/cheat-sheet
New to Rachel's English? Where to Start Playlist: • Where to Start
Get Rachel's Book: RachelsEnglish.com/book
SUBSCRIBE!: bit.ly/RE_sub,
Fan! bit.ly/RE_FB
Follow! / rachels_english
I'm also on Instagram :) / rachelsenglish
Improve your American Accent / spoken English at Rachel's English with video-based lessons and exercises. Rachel uses real life English conversation as the basis for teaching how to speak English and how to sound American -- improve listening comprehension skills. Study English vocabulary and English phrases such as phrasal verbs, as well as common expressions in English. Learn American idioms and American slang.

[@rachelsenglish]

😮Want to work hard on your spoken English but don't know where to start? 🤔 *www.RachelsEnglishAcademy.com* 👀 If you're a serious student, enroll today and let's get to work!

[@marcocarneiro1777]

Kudos to you Rachel ! You had me improving my English a lot !

[@kbtzr8429]

Found some 5 years old shadowing videos in your channel and I'm glad to see you still rocking with quality content. Thanks!

[@m.manifi9132]

motif, motive debris and cliche. ☺

[@txal8358]

@@shojo8708 well, it's like mirror... natives pronounce it in different ways, with two syllables or even one syllable... then there's always "rural juror" :)

[@rap3208]

You native speakers can dictate how words should be pronounced right, it's your language after all. But following you guys will destroy reading since the way you pronounce them is veering away from conventional reading or spelling. There'll come a time when you can't read a word right unless you've heard it before or someone taught you. English spelling is so full of inconsistencies that the inconsistencies ar now the majority. In your example, you cut a syllable or two from conventional reading of the words, so now even if one knows how to read, it turns out that that someone can't read right at all. Another example would be the verb "read", both present and past tenses are spelled the same, yet the past tense is pronnounced different. Maybe it's high time that english is overhauled so that the way you spell the words is also the way you say them.

[@emilyp4264]

“I guarantee you’re not saying these words correctly” Me, a native born American: what am I doing here?

[@aNeighbour]

Me too. Turns out I don't say "interesting" like everyone else though haha

[@jacobfrye2534]

that’s exactly what i’m doing

[@wagnersilva9344]

LOL

[@boohendricksen866]

Same 😂

[@prim16]

"You've been pronouncing these words wrong your whole life" **me, who has been speaking English since I was born** "Well boys, I can't speak English, thanks for teaching me my own language..." (note: I only pronounce comfortable and interesting in the "long" way)

[@theorganism7941]

As a native English speaker from the US, I actually pronounce both “comfortable” and “interesting” the long way. I switch between the short and long for “family”, and I always say “vegetable” the short way. I hear the short versions a lot more often. I just talk slower than most people.

[@Stallya]

I lived in NC as a kid and I'm pretty sure family was consistently pronounced with three syllables there. Rest is exactly as she said it, though. Maybe it's a regional thing?

[@mush1145]

same

[@paulbradford6475]

I think of Artie Shaw on the old "Laugh-In" series when he said "veeeerrry Eeenteeresting."

[@user-xd8dp9zr5f]

Hello!!! Wellcome to our English practice chat: vk.me/join/AJQ1d/TNhxro7zgisrlAvhUv

[@zeezee-314]

@@paulbradford6475 Artie Johnson!

[@sealand000]

When I'm traveling on business, I always dream of bringing my family along. We'd have to go our separate ways though, as they'd probably get bored listening to endless discussions about money and interest. My favorite activity is actually taking my camera, along with several lenses and a large memory card, and visit different Catholic churches. When the temperature drops, we could go to a comfortable restaurant and order every natural vegetable dish that looks interesting, and have some chocolate cake for dessert. Now, if only I can win the lottery!

[@snehassanthosh4995]

It's interesting man🥳

[@tinhkaka]

can't upvote this comment enough

[@timsgta]

Not random at all OP...

[@tncookies]

This is a great pronunciation test. I read the paragraph out loud in my normal Queens, New York accent. I pronounced seven of the example words the longer way: traveling, family, probably, listening, memory, restaurant, and natural. I think most Americans are comfortable with hearing some of these words pronounced both ways. I'm confident that just about every American English speaker would agree that nobody says "lott-ry".

[@ralphweber5628]

9999999999999999999999999999999999999909999999999999999099999999099909999⁹999909990999999099999099999990009999990999999009909090099009900099990000000909009900909009999090999000099999900000999999999999900000990900900099909099909909990909009990900009909009999099009990099099990090990999999999099999999099⁹⁹999990999999999999009909090909999900900090900009909000900909909099909990900999009099990⁹9⁹0999000090009909009990990990999009090999099090009999909990909099909099990999099990009099990099099999999909099999099990909999999999999909999999909999999999999999999999990999909999990999999999999990999099990009000000009909999990990909999999999999999999999999999900999999999999999999999099999900090009000099999999999999999990999900999999999999999999909099999999099999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999990099990999999999999990999900990909999990099099999099000999900999999999990

[@Ben-lz2fp]

I really want to thank Rachel for the time and effort she puts into each of her videos. I've learnt more from her than all of my English teachers from kindergarten to college combined. Thank you!

[@rachelsenglish]

Happy to hear that Bibin! You're very welcome!

[@jlpack62]

FWIW, Americans will say (and spell) learned instead of learnt.

[@Mimi-mw5eh]

@@jlpack62 both work tho so it doesnt matter

[@RobertHollander]

Yes, she is really awesome.

[@patrickhodson8715]

I find these so interesting even though I’m American lol

[@aNeighbour]

Same haha

[@NikeAirJordans]

Intresting

[@jacobfrye2534]

me too

[@ccgb92]

@Hermano Antonio AHAHHA

[@redlemur7944]

I say FAM IL LEY. Other than that, I say the other words the short version

[@timsvea5980]

I am born and raised in the USA and usually pronounce these words in the longer form with all the syllables. Nothing wrong with that!

[@ASMRyouVEGANyet]

Same. I'm very proper with my pronunciation.

[@HollywoodF1]

@@ASMRyouVEGANyet You're literal, not proper. The Queen uses syncope, and she defines proper.

[@mickjmcflynnington3406]

Nerd ; )

[@sycamorevalley8580]

I do both, depending on the circumstances. Usually the short was I suppose.

[@black_horse_lover2655]

Me too.

[@IvyANguyen]

Native English speaker from Philly here. I grew up in this city in the 1980s/90s and my teachers usually taught us to say the words with both pronunciations the 'longer' way, despite also being native English speakers. From my understanding, it's more of a 'school vs home' thing. The trick to make the longer way work is to make sure that deleted syllable is not stressed and said quickly.

[@Blahhhhh777]

In Hong Kong here , most teachers from kindergarten and primary schools never learned phonetic. They didn’t pronounce the words right and all students just simply followed it. Not till I came to US to study and I finally knew how to say vegetable right 😊

[@ishouldhavetried]

I'm American, I was born here, and I've been speaking English since I could speak. I've always pronounced the I in family as an "uh", and barely saying it, but it is said.

[@PockASqueeno]

Same.

[@zodiacsagittarius344]

But she's still right tho. As a non-native English speaker I would always hear "fa-MI-lee" like there's an emphasis on the "-mi-" part. Even though Americans would pronounce the 'i' part it still sounds different bc it's more abrupt.

[@jameskirchner]

Then you're unusual.

[@ishouldhavetried]

@@jameskirchner To be fair, I also pronounce roof "ruff", and I've been told that's wrong, many times.

[@gammergames3322]

@@zodiacsagittarius344 do you mean like faMEELEE?

[@DennysFrancisco]

I love when she says: "Say that with me!"

[@user-xd8dp9zr5f]

Hello!!! Wellcome to our English practice chat: vk.me/join/AJQ1d/TNhxro7zgisrlAvhUv

[@sprite4885]

Meanwhile students in Slovakia: *pronouncing comfortable as comfort table*

[@ragdolls333]

🤧😆😆😆😆😂😂😂🙏

[@nottheordinarytype2797]

Hahaha not just in Slovakia We used to pronounce it like this in High School here in Morocco

[@frandyjoseph482]

😳😳😳

[@grimbea_jow]

We spanish natives pronounce the same thing😂 and vege table

[@giselle_avila]

Hahah is normal at first 😂

[@Alice-fw4cu]

My favorite thing about shortened pronunciations is that there's actually a time and a place for the longer ones when used by native speakers, since they're used for emphasis or to create a more negative connotation even though the word choice is the same. If I say something is "Interesting" the long way I'm more likely communicating annoyance or stress, but if something is "Intresting" it's more likely to be genuine. If you're told to get "comftorble" it's hospitality, but if you say "comfortable" the long way it's either a threat or an indication of a long wait to come. "I'm listning" is an indication of interest, but "I'm listening" is an indication it's time for the speaker to get on with it.

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks for sharing Alice!

[@heatherburg344]

I agree.

[@MB20fangirl]

Thank you! This explains what I do. I’m sitting here at first thinking “oh my god I’m saying everything wrong I’m not a native lol” but I kept saying in different situations and your example of when we do that is spot on!

[@YourEternalSoul666]

Elliott Smith did this in his song "Between the Bars." The lyric I'm thinking of is "...separate from the rest, where I like you the best," which he pronounces "seh-pa-rate." I think this gives the lyric a kind of disturbing and uncanny quality, like something is wrong here.

[@RicardoMartinez-oh9sq]

@@MB20fangirl I hear native speakers here in Ohio making he same mistakes, I hear "innerestin' " a lot.

[@caremell]

" say that with me !" i straightened up my body rushed into repeating words exactly. Yes mam. Fam-ly

[@bronwynberman7401]

You should pick and choose what you wish to learn not just do what she says.

[@jaives]

the fact that you even state that the words have two pronunciations already means that neither is a mispronunciation

[@jandypimpson]

Do you want to sound like you belong and fit in or not? I think that is the point of the American English pronunciation lessons she is offering.

[@jaives]

there's no such thing as "fitting in". you don't go about neutralizing a southern or cali accent. removing drawls. telling bostonians they're wrong. if the pronunciation variations can be found in webster's, then they're all correct in my book. spoken english should follow descriptivism.

[@jonahlynx94]

You clearly didn't watch the video, my guy.

[@txal8358]

I'm, no... there is a stressed pronunciaron, which native speakers don't normally use, and the relaxed pronunciation, which native speakers use, even the ones who swear up and down that they don't

[@MunkeeFWRrng]

Just because there’s two pronunciations ≠ they’re both used in equal frequency. Americans almost in all cases use the less stressed pronunciation. Some of the more stressed pronunciations of certain words usually reflect the British way of pronouncing the word. Take for example the word “marry.” British people pronounce it as marry (mah-ree) whilst Americans pronounce it as merry. The a” isn’t stressed. It gets replaced by a softer and shorter “a” and the “r” isn’t as stressed either. To show the opposite take the word “butter.” Brits pronounce it as “buh-tuh” whilst Americans pronounce it as “but-ter.” Notice the stress of the double “t” and the stress on the “er.”

[@deevnn]

The word "wrong" has a pejorative interpretation which makes most people defensive whereas the word incorrect can be used with no implied negative consequences.

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks for sharing!

[@SuperRufero]

What a teacher! She's so precise and clear.

[@rachelsenglish]

Thank you!

[@Col_MULLY]

You're leaving off one important point, the USA is a HUGE country. People in Boston don't pronounce things the same way the people in Seattle do. I'm from Kentucky. 3 of your 4 I use the long pronunciation. Second language learners, unless you are messing things up so horribly that the word can't be understood, don't worry about it.

[@stillwatersfarm8499]

I grew up in Southern Indiana. I use 3 of the 4 I use the long too.

[@user-rw6rd7le8v]

She talked about American English which is used by the majority

[@Grace4ever22]

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!!! appreciate your input!!!

[@NYD666]

@@user-rw6rd7le8v but it ain't. Dont tell us Americans how america is.

[@nofreedomspeech6918]

@@NYD666 哈哈

[@pandaxiongmao1650]

After reading the comments, I found that I really understand the underlying implication of Rachel in this video, but I don't know why the native speakers here are making negative comments about this vid when it is really helpful. You clearly miss out on what I saw from this, or maybe I am missing out on what you are seeing in this video. But as a non-native speaker, I find it hard and struggle most of the time to pronounce all the words in English in their full sound. "Like. I. will. literally. sound. like. how. you. are. reading. this. applying. the. stops. from. the. periods.". But after learning the tips across a lot of Rachel's videos, I then realized "Oh, so that's why natives speak in a smooth fluid way, you apply 'efficiency' methods in pronouncing words most of the time." I love the most, the American Accent. Plain, simple, informative and I really think it sounds humble but rich, compared to other accents. Hahahaha

[@phosphorus4]

There are different types of "efficiency". And there is such thing as too efficient…

[@avicennaacademyjhang8330]

very useful and informative kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIGzaJiXirN3hrs

[@mikeshawn5298]

Maybe some of the push back by native speakers is that Rachel is pushing standardized English, not native English. You need to understand that America, and the world, has been corrupted and homogenized by radio, movies, and television. The capability of early sound equipment was fairly limited and a mid-west accent (which was mostly atonal and flat) was best for recording and replay. Thus, the mid-west accent (or lack of) became the official standard to the detriment of regional dialects and accents. Prior to this standardization of American accent, one could easily distinguish which state or part of the country someone came from. People with a very good ear could often guess which city you were from. Most of this regional accent is gone, or heavily attenuated due to media saturation and a Federalized school system that only teaches standardized English.

[@bronwynberman7401]

Then why don’t you practice instead of taking the lazy way out? But it all depends on whether you wish to speak correct English or English with an American dialect which you probably do.

[@juanmanuelmoramontes3883]

@@bronwynberman7401 "Lazy way out" what the h*ck is the lazy way out? Do you even know what are this person's resources to practice English?

[@thegreedy211]

This is the first time I noticed I dont know much english pronunciation UNTIL NOW, sweet sister. Every day we're learning new things. Thanks a lot for teaching this.

[@jorger5777]

"Wednesday" is another good example.

[@JoaoVictor-dw2ci]

Exactly

[@dfxdfx5368]

I didn't know a website such as youglish existed. It's an incredible tool.

[@BlackHat0100]

You can even choose between American, British or Australian pronunciation.

[@danhayek]

As a native speaker I use all of those versions depending on the context/setting/audience/mood.

[@bronwynberman7401]

Exactly. But why is this woman saying she is teaching the English language when she is actually teaching an American dialect.

[@Camm3l]

@@bronwynberman7401 Because if you ever decide to learn a new language you will not be able to learn every possible accent, as one can with his/her native language. Specially at the beginning you have to focus on an accent that most people with understand.

[@CHCCwords]

@@bronwynberman7401 That's why she called her channel "Rachel's English". Nothing wrong.

[@brendajerez2235]

@@Camm3l Standard USA English?

[@Camm3l]

@@brendajerez2235 Could you please include a verb on your sentence? Your actual question is not understandable under standard international grammar.

[@brittany427]

I’m a native English speaker, but I love your channel. I find it so fascinating when I learn things that I didn’t quite know.

[@geoculus5606]

It's fascinating to see your native language talked about in third person I think.

[@Hongsen]

Since many years I have been pronouncing comfortable wrongly however now I can pronounce it like native thanks a lot teacher .

[@rachelsenglish]

Well done!

[@redaamer2254]

Your're the best English trainer I've ever seen.

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks so much PM!!! What was most helpful for you in the video?

[@seancrowe3353]

Midwestern American English teacher you mean :)

[@Amit42415]

Completely agree.

[@trebordmusic]

@allen Thompson Careful, intelligent people are listening.

[@ccgb92]

Interesting is a cool word, because you can prolong the "interrrrrr" part in your tone of voice dependent on how interesting it is!

[@mickjmcflynnington3406]

And cool is an interesting word. Cooooooool

[@jeffharrison1090]

@@mickjmcflynnington3406 All words are dependent on the temperament of the person saying the word. Are they being condescending, or flip, or insulting, etc. "what are you doing" enunciating each word properly could indicate irritation. Where generally, "wha cha doing" at ease happy!

[@user-it7cv5rh4j]

The longer I listen to you speaking English the faster my mind understands you , that means you ,your English accent , and your speaking speed have become so familiar to me . thank you very much for your efforts.

[@robertobenavides8675]

Thank you for this awesome lesson teacher Rachel. I knew how to pronounce some of these words already but there were new ones I was not saying naturally as it should be. This video got a 5 🌟 and it is worth watching every single second.

[@noi5emaker]

I've been speaking English for over 50 years. Yes, I'm that old. I was born in the UK but spent nearly half my life on the other side of the Atlantic and could probably be deemed a little pedantic. I have heard both pronunciations and never thought either was wrong, only different. If anyone is watching this trying to learn English, they should ignore and move on. Use whichever one you like and you will still be understood, which is the point.

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

"non native speakers almost always do the long one" *rolls eyes in British*

[@lizzy4827]

Wasn't she specifically speaking about the American accent tho? You usually take different classes for American English and British English depending on which one you wanna learn cause it's very different for us non native speakers

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

@@lizzy4827 It was a joke. I'm poking fun at the idea that the way to sound more like an American is to mispronounce the words

[@jameskirchner]

Well, it's interesting, because when I taught from UK English books from Cambridge University Press, when I was in Europe, the British authors explicitly dealt with pronunciation of the words she's talking about, and for all of them their pronunciation coincided with the American pronunciation. It would be bizarre to meet an Englishman who pronounced those words the long way.

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

@@jameskirchner Bizarre? I don't think I can name anyone I know that uses the short. Maybe I just haven't noticed it.

[@erikarussell7939]

@@jameskirchner Irish person here, and we say most of these words the long way. In fact if they said it the short way it would be a sure sign they are American.

[@fvgoya]

This woman is THE BEST!!!! She makes so easy to learn pronunciation.

[@vithayasridara7626]

It's useful for a non-native speaker since we've been taught the long way the whole life through and perhaps have always failed to recognize the shorter version and worse still, thought of it as a whole new word. Thank you.

[@BentigiriIsCewl]

The only time English speaker really uses all syllables is when they are emphasisizing something, often out of annoyance. Or at least in my area they do that.

[@juanmanuelmoramontes3883]

It's common, is remarkable the difference of importance between saying "you can't" and "you CANNOT", as in long forms.

[@Lesaly]

Use of all syllables for emphasis is quite common in native English speakers; however, it is not the “only time” English speakers pronounce all of the syllables in the words presented in the above video.

[@BentigiriIsCewl]

@@Lesaly Well, I wouldn't be surprised, though I've never seen them emphasisized anytime else.

[@marisadam12]

@@juanmanuelmoramontes3883 But that example has a different writing. All the others are the same word pronounced differently.

[@kurtbuschmeier541]

This is the overall truely correct reply. 👍

[@rykloog9578]

I natively pronounce it in-ter-est-ing when I’m putting emphasis on the word or whenever I feel like pronouncing it that way. The two pronunciations of in-ter-est-ing and in-chrest-ing can be thought of as synonyms for me

[@dmr7302]

As a ESL student I been in this country for 11+ years and your video are so helpful. I am always listening to native Americans speaking to me. I closely listen how they pronounce things so I can help myself in pronouncing words correctly. Thank you.

[@bronwynberman7401]

OMG now you are missing whole words, not just syllables. Is it catching?

[@zoilaalvarez3352]

Thank you to Rachel for this video. I like the inputs native speaker give because it still broadens the subject and learning from each other.

[@TheBepisCan]

Her: You listen to it that many times and think, "Wow, this *is* what native speakers do." Me: I listened to it that many times and now it doesn't sound like a word to me anymore

[@txal8358]

well you can do that with any word on the including your name

[@PeterPan-dz7mu]

Yep, that's a thing. It's called semantic satiation.

[@XcanaryinacoalmineX]

spatula spatula spatula spatula spatula was... the weirdest word in the english language... now, doesn't have any meaning

[@rosiemarn4842]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@hollyskinner6867]

okay i heard family so many times it doesn’t even sound like a word anymore

[@angelinamcconnell8057]

Ikr it doesnt even seen like a word anymore

[@claireusilton4066]

Holly Skinner 😂

[@user-rw6rd7le8v]

Like "hold the door", "hold the door", "hol e door", "hol door", "hodor"?

[@milaalekseeva1238]

@@user-rw6rd7le8v 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👌🏻

[@rmdodsonbills]

"Off-en"! Thank you! I feel like I'm the only one who still does a silent "t" in the middle of "often." Thank you thank you thank you!

[@zeynepbilge6376]

All of your lessons are helpful and you are an amazing teacher! Thank you for all your efforts 😊

[@julesjaay822]

I don’t agree with some of these words being chopped so severely, but this lesson will help non-native speakers get it just about right.

[@wannawatchu66]

Then you'd hate the way maritime words are "chopped," as you put it. You'll cringe when you hear how words like "gunswail" and "boatswain" are pronounced; it's not at all like how they're spelled. Gunswail is pronounced "gun'l" and boatswain is pronounced "bosun."

[@julesjaay822]

Oh I’m aware. There are countless words - coxswain, Greenwich, Worcestershire, sukiyaki (the Japanese pronounce it more like “skee AH kee”) et al. But really, fam-lee? Prob-lee? But hey, it’s a free country, do as you like.

[@johnd.obrien6838]

In my experience, it would be more accurate to say that native speakers tend to alternate between the different pronounciations, depending on context and other things.

[@nonyabidness5708]

THIS. It really does change back and forth! Sometimes I say "conf-trabel" and other times it's "com-fort-able". I don't think about it in advance... Just happens. Same with 'interesting'.

[@fidelifulu7014]

You have that particular touch (dexterity) of yours in breaking down American pronunciation ! Thanks a bunch, Rachel! You cannot imagine how much you've been helpful and useful... I appreciate. Shalom

[@rachelsenglish]

Hi Fidel! Glad to hear that the Academy content is helpful and thanks for watching!

[@avennui]

Adding to the many comments that’s say something like “I’m an American, and native English speaker, but I still love watching these videos.” Your voice is clear, soothing, and it’s nice to re-affirm and fortify my English skills.

[@therealchickentender]

The Rick Steves bit was interesting (see what I did there) - his pronunciation of *many* words is often different because he travels so much and converses with non-native English speakers in casual settings. My own pronunciations shift in these settings as well, the result of slowing down and speaking clearly within accents, you're much more likely to be understood more quickly.

[@lindasun5178]

My Tuesday morning routine is coffee with Rachel's English before getting up.

[@meganable123]

This is part of my after work night routine :)

[@imocarneiro7537]

You're amazing, Rachel. Thank you for explaining this kind of stuff I always looked for understand, but wasnt able to

[@ChameleonTheatre]

you're nailing it sister! I learned a lot from you. Congrats on an awesome channel.

[@LifeExplanatory]

As a native British English speaker I find this absolutely fascinating! Have been trying to say it the way you do and it is not that simple 😂

[@androidnetbook4351]

it's just disgusting

[@geoculus5606]

You'll get there. Just takes practice to get to a more advanced form of the language. (j/k)

[@mohamedmohamud2336]

@@geoculus5606 haha my friend if you dont speak like King Charles you aint Native

[@akinisik9574]

Thank you so much Rachel! This is a very useful lesson for English speaking foreigners.

[@jshuster42]

I like your course a lot. My four grandparents all immigrated to the US from central Europe around 1900. Their lives were limited partially because they struggled with learning native-sounding American English. The people you are helping will find more success because the language skills you give them.

[@shannonsantoro6876]

I am absolutely fascinated. I’m American but I discovered your videos a couple of days ago and I’ve been binge watching them all. As somebody who teaches special education English language arts I work with students who sometimes really struggle with reading. Believe it or not your discussion of different syllables and pronunciation are extremely helpful and practical for me. I also think it’s really interesting (in-ter-es-ting… lol!) not only to think about how I slow down and speak more deliberately in my classroom to students who have speech and language disorders as well as different dialects of English and how they might pronounce things differently. Also? As a singer I received a lot of diction training as a child and into my young adulthood. As a result I have a lot of people tell me that I pronounce things more precisely than other people. Regardless, I find your videos fascinating and I’m sure that your students truly appreciate all the work that you put into helping them sound like native English speakers thank you for all you do.

[@irisfeng6554]

Thank you so much for this, Rachel! I learned a lot as a non-native speaker.

[@bebenino8911]

The sentence that has all of the mispronounced words (in this video): Every day I cook vegetables for my family and it's so interesting, we sat at the lounge and it is comfortable.

[@phillipleblanc7823]

Why do you start in the present tense and finish in the past?

[@idontevenknow2444]

Sat (past) is (present) Sounds weird bro We sat IN (at sounds wrong) the lounge and it was comfortable

[@rosshoover6986]

I'm American and I learn so much from you that I never paid attention to before.

[@jiyanadaoud3164]

OMG I have been pronouncing these words wrong for 20 years. Thank you so much for this helpful video. You are awesome!

[@100000delL]

I really love your classes, Rachel. You teach very well, thank you

[@rachelsenglish]

Thank you Evelin!

[@skybaby444]

I gave your comment a like just because you used a correct adverb, which is a dying skill.

[@smoorej]

Wow. I’m 67, US born and raised, never lived outside the US. Can someone tell me why I found this video absolutely fascinating? I couldn’t stop watching. Never even knew syncope had a meaning other than loss of consciousness. I’m going to subscribe, even though it seems a bit odd to do so.

[@annatrombin9028]

Ditto!

[@soniamayrink3295]

I've been a serious, dedicated and eager to learn more and more, Ms. Rachel, since I was 12 . I'm 78 and I have this urge to study this rich and beautiful language because, you know, "the more we study the more we realize the less we know". Unfortunately, I can't afford to be one of your students......anyway, I'll always have your lessons on the internet. Incidentally, you are and awesome teacher! ( Brazil, December,, 2020) A million thanks for your lessons!

[@rachelsenglish]

Wow! You're very much welcome Sonia and thanks for your support!

[@djibrilbigirimana2309]

I’m an international student in China, I’m amazed by this video. Thank you Rachel 😊

[@rachelsenglish]

You're welcome Djibril!

[@djibrilbigirimana2309]

@@rachelsenglish 😢 It must be a dream. I won't forget this day

[@djibrilbigirimana2309]

I'm going to be a good student not only a big fan

[@PythonPlusPlus]

I’ve learned how to sound American from this: Drop syllables like they are out of fashion.

[@kingo_friver]

I'v lrn hut oun Amrc cfum is:Do slbe li thur ot fashn

[@chichisandoval]

Please don’t lol. We are sadly judgmental here in USA. Just speak it properly.

[@PythonPlusPlus]

@@chichisandoval This video is just painful to watch, as she butchers the poor English language. I though that this is just how Americans speak, which is why it’s so hard to understand Americans.

[@bronwynberman7401]

Yes, massacre the English language.

[@dj-murasame]

@@PythonPlusPlus actually American English is easier to understand than British. Feels more natural the way I also speak my native tongue.

[@uranus4511]

I"v been struggling with "family"sound for a long time!Thank you so much!😍

[@rachelsenglish]

My pleasure Gillian!

[@fatanefarazan2923]

You are the best teacher in American English pronunciation.🙏🙏🙏

[@endy1173]

Wow. This is such a discovery to me. Big thanks to Rachel for the effort! Plus, I like the way a series of evidences are massively shown with no interval. That makes your explanation even more reasonable.

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks for this great feedback - it's always great to hear positive things Endy! :)

[@josephramos980]

Thanks for these teacher rachel you're such a blessing to us. I've learned a lot to these segment what a wonderful topic you had discussed.❤️🇵🇭🇺🇸greetings from the Philippines

[@64imma]

13:35 I personally tend to pronounce it with 2 syllables when saying it as an adjective, as in "those are separate ideas", though as a verb it tends to keep 3 syllables, as in "we need to separate the blocks". I think this is a common trend for this word

[@davidborton8653]

There a lot of examples like this, where the adj is pronounced one way, and the verb another, like corporate (adj) and incorporate (v).

[@nosesmasher]

I'm 54 yo, from an (former Communist) European country. Many decades ago, when I was in school, I had French and - for fkin ideological reasons - Russian as foreign languages. Never studied English at school, but I learned it by myself, at home, without any teacher, because I loved it so much. I had just a dictionary and a grammar book. I nailed every word listed here - with an exception: family. Until now, I didn't realized that the correct way is saying it in two syllables "fam-ly". Sometimes I was saying it in 3 syllables "fam-i-ly", sometimes in two "fam-ly". Hey, I learn something new every day. Thanks, Rachel, great videos. What I'd like to find: it's "pronouncing" or "pronunciation"?

[@xpluscollectorscrew]

I'll keep pronouncing my syllables...it makes phonetic sense. it feels lazy to drop syllables. But sometimes I pronounce them differently depending on the context of it's use. whether in a formal or informal setting. This isn't "wrong" though it's just how the language has evolved locally.

[@0MVR_0]

The word 'family' actually stems from the Latin word 'familia' used to refer to servants of a household. Offering the pronunciation of the /i/ should be considered correct despite drifts between the audition and grapheme, since this origin utilized all vowels. The same is true of the other Latinate words 'vegetable/vegetabilis', 'interesting/interesse', and 'comfort/conforto'. When non-natives defer to visual representations when expressing words instead of the arbitrary way in which natives produce the idiosyncrasies, this should be considered correct.

[@gb6159]

I think multiple pronunciations should be considered correct. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@boringpolitician]

Yeah, no. I think you are right on the original way of pronouncing some words. But you are missing, she states in the beginning that this is the way that Americans pronounce these words, correct or not. In British English most of these words would be pronounced the longer, correct, way. I think she should have put more emphasis on that, so more people would catch on to it.

[@ralphcrewe374]

No American is going to call the long pronunciation incorrect, but they will immediately and subconsciously identify the speaker as non native. If your goal is to speak American English as close to natively as possible, getting hung up on the ‘correctness’ of long pronunciation is not helpful. I think it isn’t very useful to argue about what ‘should’ be considered correct, just worry about the way most native speakers actually do it.

[@txal8358]

idiot. this is English, not Latin

[@txal8358]

@@ralphcrewe374 most intelligent comment here

[@lucretiuscaro]

In the UK sometimes people do not drop the unstressed syllable, so "comfortable" can be pronounced as /ˈkʌmfətəbəl/, or "camera" as /ˈkamərə/.

[@DimiDzi]

you British people are weird why are you queueing for the loo just go and do it in a bush

[@lucretiuscaro]

@@DimiDzi I am a Spaniard, but I have been living in the UK for more years than I dare to remember :)

[@Juan_rivera]

I'm glad you recognized that there are multiple pronunciations of things because a lot of times people and esp teachers act like language is stringent isn't constantly evolving

[@semingstonesangma5694]

I think you are the best teacher .Everyone will easily understand your english teaching because you teach english pronunciation and linking english words,I think. Teaching english with movies makes me more interesting. Thank you Madam

[@doriinseattle1816]

I have never found out I have misprnounced those words!! I'm literally in linguistic shocker now 😨Thanks for this video, Rachel🥰

[@rachelsenglish]

Great! In my book, "linguistic shockers" are so much fun!!!! I'm curious, what was the most helpful part of this video for you?

[@doriinseattle1816]

Rachel's English I found the reptitive examples helpful for me! I have never noticed the details how the native speakers actually pronounce these words since I used to stick to pronounce as the phonetic alphabet says. Overall, It was such an enlightening video for me🤭

[@jurgenfischer7683]

l ol That means, you've never been taught by good english teachers.😄

[@txal8358]

@@jurgenfischer7683 well,not necessarily... not all EFL/ESL teachers can be experts on every facet of the language. English is an enormous beast. I have an MA in TESOL and have taught for three decades and I'm still learning things and improving my skills

[@jurgenfischer7683]

Tx Al This is, why we are all here. We all want to learn more, cause learning should not stop when you are older. I am owner of a language school were older people can learn p.e. English in a better way. My English is only up to Level B1/B2 . So, to get a higher level I have to continue learning. One of the best on KZbin for me is mmmenglish.

[@pumpkinoligarchy6626]

As a native speaker, I just realized that I actually interchange my pronunciations of the words. I only ever say ‘vegetables’ the long way when I’m joking but other than that, I unconsciously interchange my pronunciation of the word

[@txal8358]

exactly, these rules (or ways of pronunciation) are largely unknown to natives, who speak this way unconsciously-even those jumping up and down and saying they don't

[@RicardoMartinez-oh9sq]

After three decades, and college, struggling with English pronunciation from my native Spanish (I live in Ohio), you have clarified all the doubts I still had, like "inneresting" versus "Incherestin'," great teaching! You are the very best.

[@rachelsenglish]

Happy to help Ricardo!

[@jcmiami78]

I live in USA for about 20 years, I am from Venezuela. Absolutely true about the way to pronounce correctly each words. I am so glad I had found you. By the way I don’t know how old you are, but looking great.

[@marmasias9863]

Thank you, Rachel for sharing this video. I have been watching your videos and they are very helpful. I am teaching ESL students and I also shared those tips to my students. They were very happy. More power! More videos!

[@rachelsenglish]

You're very welcome Mar and thanks for sharing too! :)

[@emailtoalex]

Thank you for the great video! Looking up "syncope" in the dictionary I found another example: library The words basically, physically, etc are also commonly mispronounced but not sure if they're syncope.

[@rachelsenglish]

You're welcome Alex!

[@patrickhodson8715]

I think words ending in -ically isn’t considered syncope because it’s not just a shortening of the word, it’s actually not pronounced with a vowel between the C and L. Idk though. I just learned about syncope today lol

[@juanperezmaturana3675]

I see that it has been interesting for many English speakers, but more interesting is for non-native speakers of English, because we want to be sure which way is CORRECT, and not necessarily the way natives do it.

[@elizabethstevens4261]

Great time practice with you Rachael. Thank you.

[@diegorhoward8413]

I just moved to The United States and it’s been difficult to me to understand some of the pronunciations of most of the words that I thought I was pronouncing correct! You’re an angel sharing this videos with us ♥️ You have a new subscriber now

[@adamcarson5311]

Hey Diego, welcome to America. I hope you have a great time and enjoy your stay. If you wanted to check out some more videos that will help you with English while you are in America, you should check out out channel. We post helpful videos with tips for improving your English. I will leave a link to our channel below, and if any of the videos help you, please feel free to subscribe to the channel as well. Thanks and good luck! kzbin.info/door/EnzkfgwHyDFVxJcmKk-V7w

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks a lot Diego!

[@bon3262]

Dialects. My husband dies laughing when a “warsh” slips out when I am doing the “wash”. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@liviabarbosa8626]

I do enjoy your classes. I am Brazilian and I happily bask in your detailed explanations.

[@azkiaauliafadhila6603]

hi, Rachel. you help me a lot! simple, basic but it's soooo important that always my teacher forget the basic one, very useful. thank you anyway

[@raqad4642]

You’re right I used to mispronounce those words you helped me to learn and to pronounce right thanks you’re the best teacher ever💕💕💕💕🌹🌹🌹

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks for watching Siham!

[@friedaneumann511]

very interesting point: I do believe that we learn more words from reading than actually hearing them. as a polyglott i mispronounce lots of words in several languages/ there are many words that look identical, BUT are pronounced differently, depending on the language. I really have a hard time with the English way of pronouncing certain french words, notably 'deja vu' and i will stick to the French pronunciation, even if speaking English. Colonel comes from the French and is NOT pronounced as 'kernel' in French. I used to pronounce Salmon with an L till my friends made so much fun of me, that i dropped the L.

[@inafridge8573]

Even among native american english speakers you'll find people fully pronouncing words like salmon or even the W in sword. Just not so common

[@lavenderoh]

Right, just like how the French pronunciation of English words is incorrect. It's almost like people have different accents in different places and it makes them sound different, but idk that's just my theory...

[@RicardoMartinez-oh9sq]

I am also knowledgeable of other European languages: None, not even German, is as hard to pronounce as English.

[@TxlerDurdxn]

You are terrific teacher! Thank you so much!

[@idadho]

I think some of us have a higher bit rate of hearing than others. I hear interesting in some of the YT that she claims are saying intresting. It is like a half syllable of er. It often changes based on speaking speed. Speakers go from 140 wpm to 210 wpm. Faster speech drops many sounds or says them faster than we can hear them. There is a difference between spoken/conversational words and saying words as we read them.

[@Bebela1ms]

Everyone needs to watch Rachel’s classes for real. She’s amazing I really wish I had her as my English tutor, I would be speaking so much better

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks a lot!

[@watzup62]

I do hear the extra syllables for most of these words quite a bit in American popular music though. A good example of this is the Pointer Sisters hit "We Are Family".

[@user-xd8dp9zr5f]

Hello!!! Wellcome to our English practice chat: vk.me/join/AJQ1d/TNhxro7zgisrlAvhUv

[@WERALL1]

I believe the key word is "music". For the sake of rythm unnatural places get accentuated, all sounds pronounced to extend a word.

[@habibasarkarsara6353]

Ma'am, I'm from Bangladesh. Iam 14 years old girl. I love English so much. I enjoy your classes very much. Thanks, thanks a lot my dear.

[@rachelsenglish]

Awesome! You're welcome and thanks for watching! :)

[@animelandland8495]

I love this a lot, I want to get rid of my Latin accent when I'm speaking English and your videos are really helpful, especially now that I'm working for a call center, people understand what I'm saying but they are just rude to me because of my accent.

[@kaymgee08]

One of my favourites is 'in a minute fasting' for 'intermittent fasting'!

[@helenaots1808]

You helped me with the family part to learn english. I'm glad I have watched so many english videos that i know how to say simple words haha

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks for watching!

[@ramzy-6566]

This video more the amazing. Thank you Mrs. Rachel.

[@adrianaaparecidadelima5612]

I'm Brazilian and I have a little problem with these words. Thank you so much for this video.

[@joemama613]

I know I am late to the game, as this is an older video, but when you got to the word SEPARATE, you might have pointed out the totally different meaning of the other "separate" (spelled the same), meaning to break up or split up, which is actually the three syllable version. LOVE your videos, and sorry for the nit picking.

[@patterson167]

That's cool, I was already pronouncing these words correctly!

[@rachelsenglish]

Thanks for watching!

[@mariaeugeniacaraballo4472]

Im loving your videos. The videos are helping me to improve my English as my second language, always on the look to speak it better every day 💪🏼

[@rachelsenglish]

Happy to hear that Maria! :)