19 Of The Hardest English Words To Say – Even for English Speakers!Making English Fun

While picking up the basics of English can be a (sometimes) straightforward task, there are words in English that seem also designed to catch people out.

We are not talking about students of English, but also who have English as their first language. We have listed 19 of the most tricky and hard to say English words for even English speakers below.

In this article, we are going to show you that even English speakers can have trouble with their language! Hopefully not to scare you if you are an English student, just to show you that there is always something more to learn!

…and if you are a Native English speaker, well jump in and try to say some of these most difficult to say words in English and see how you do!

19 Of The Hardest English Words To Say - Even for English Speakers!

1. Rural

The word ‘rural’ trips many with its rolling ‘r’s and unusual vowel placement. The difficulty lies in transitioning smoothly between the two ‘r’ sounds, a feat not even all native speakers find easy.

The trick is in the soft pronunciation of ‘ru,’ almost like a purr, followed by a quick ‘l’ to finish.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Rural	Pertaining to the countryside or less populated areas.	Focus on softening the ‘ru,’ like a gentle purr, followed by a light ‘l’. The transition between ‘r’ sounds is key.

2. Squirrel

This cute woodland creature’s name often becomes a linguistic hurdle, especially for non-native English speakers.

The blend of ‘squ,’ a quick ‘ir,’ and a closing ‘l’ demands agility of the tongue. The key is to emphasize the ‘skw’ sound, followed by a softer ‘irl’, ensuring the word doesn’t end up sounding like ‘squirl’ or ‘squirel’.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Squirrel	A small, agile tree-dwelling rodent.	Start with a pronounced ‘skw’ sound, followed by a softer ‘irl’. The ‘ir’ should be quick, avoiding the common mispronunciations like ‘squirl’ or ‘squirel’.

3. Otorhinolaryngologist

A true behemoth of a word, ‘otorhinolaryngologist’ refers to a specialist in ear, nose, and throat disorders.

Its length and the jumble of syllables make it a pronunciation nightmare.

Break it down to ‘oto-rhino-laryn-gologist’ and practice each segment before attempting the whole word. It’s a mouthful but can be mastered with patience and repetition.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Otorhinolaryngologist	A medical doctor specializing in ear, nose, and throat disorders.	Break it down: ‘oto-rhino-laryn-gologist’. Practice each segment separately, then combine them gradually.

4. Worcestershire

This word, a geographical name and a popular sauce, confounds many due to its counterintuitive pronunciation.

It’s not ‘Wor-ces-ter-shire’ as one might guess, but ‘Woos-ter-sheer.’

The key is to remember that in English, place names often have abbreviated pronunciations.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Worcestershire	Referring to a county in England or a type of sauce.	Pronounce it as ‘Woos-ter-sheer’. Remember, English place names often don’t follow their spelling logically.

5. Specificity

The word ‘specificity’ can be a tongue-twister with its alternating ‘s’ and ‘c’ sounds. It’s a common stumble for many, given the need for precise articulation.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Specificity	The quality of being specific.	Emphasize each ‘s’ and ‘c’ distinctly. Practice the word slowly, focusing on the ‘spe-ci-fi-ci-ty’ progression.

6. Sixth

‘Sixth’ brings a mix of ‘s’, ‘i’, ‘x’, and ‘th’ sounds together, making it surprisingly challenging.

The key is in the smooth transition between these sounds.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Sixth	The ordinal number following fifth.	Pronounce it as ‘siks-th’, ensuring a clear ‘x’ sound followed by a soft but distinct ‘th’.

7. Anemone

‘Anemone’, especially in the context of sea creatures or flowers, often trips up speakers due to its unusual sequence of vowels and consonants.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Anemone	A type of flower or sea creature.	Focus on the ‘a-ne-mo-ne’ pronunciation, with emphasis on the ‘ne’ and a soft ‘mo’.

8. Isthmus

‘Isthmus’, a geographic term, is tricky due to its silent ‘t’ and the uncommon ‘thm’ combination, which is rare in English.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Isthmus	A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas.	Pronounce it as ‘is-mus’, completely ignoring the ‘t’ and focusing on the smooth ‘is-mus’ transition

9. Synecdoche

‘Synecdoche’ is a figure of speech often used in literature.

Its Greek origin and unfamiliar phonetic combination make it a challenging word for many.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Synecdoche	A figure of speech where a part represents the whole.	Pronounce it as ‘si-nek-duh-kee’, emphasizing each syllable clearly, especially the ‘nek’ and ‘kee’.

10. Posthumous

Lastly, ‘Posthumous’ is a word that often confuses speakers with its silent ‘h’ and the pronunciation of ‘t’.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Posthumous	Occurring or published after someone’s death.	Pronounce it as ‘pos-chuh-mus’. The ‘t’ is silent, and the focus is on the ‘pos’ and ‘chuh’ sounds.

11. Colonel

The word ‘Colonel’ is notorious for its pronunciation that completely defies its spelling, a result of its French and Italian origins.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Colonel	A military rank.	Pronounce it as ‘ker-nul’. Remember, the ‘l’ is silent and the ‘r’ sound is key.

12. Penguin

The word ‘Penguin’ might seem straightforward, but it’s often mispronounced, influenced by various media portrayals.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Penguin	A flightless bird found in colder regions.	Pronounce it as ‘pen-gwin’. The focus is on a clear ‘pen’ sound followed by ‘gwin’.

13. Onomatopoeia

‘Onomatopoeia’ is a literary term that’s as challenging to pronounce as it is interesting in meaning, representing words that imitate sounds.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Onomatopoeia	A word that phonetically imitates a sound.	Pronounce it as ‘on-o-mat-o-pee-a’. Focus on each syllable, particularly the ‘mat’ and ‘pee’ parts.

14. Quinoa

Despite its recent popularity, ‘Quinoa’ often confuses speakers with its pronunciation, which stems from its Quechua roots.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Quinoa	A type of grain known for its health benefits.	Pronounce it as ‘keen-wah’. The key is to ignore the misleading ‘qui’ and focus on the smooth ‘keen-wah’ sound.

15. Gif (or Jif)

The word ‘Gif’, short for Graphics Interchange Format, has sparked debates about its pronunciation. Is it a hard ‘g’ as in ‘gift’ or a soft ‘g’ as in ‘giraffe’?

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Gif	A file format for image compression.	It’s pronounced either ‘gif’ with a hard ‘g’ or ‘jif’ with a soft ‘g’. Both pronunciations are widely accepted.

16. Phenomenon

‘Phenomenon’ is a word that combines ‘ph’, ‘n’, and ‘m’ sounds, making it a bit of a puzzle for many speakers.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Phenomenon	An extraordinary event or occurrence.	Pronounce it as ‘fuh-nom-uh-non’. The emphasis is on the ‘nom’ part, with a softer ‘ph’ and ‘non’ at the end.

17. Segue

‘Segue’ is another word that often catches speakers off guard, mainly due to its Italian origin and unexpected pronunciation.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Segue	To transition smoothly from one thing to another.	Pronounce it as ‘seg-way’. The key is to focus on the ‘seg’ and smoothly transition to ‘way’.

18. Meme

The word ‘Meme,’ often encountered in digital culture, can be misleading in pronunciation due to its spelling and frankly for a good number of years i was , even though i am English and an English teacher, pronouncing it mee-mee.

We are always learning i guess!

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Meme	An idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.	Pronounce it as ‘meem’. It’s a single syllable that rhymes with ‘cream’.

19. Sesquipedalian

‘Sesquipedalian’ is not just a mouthful to say but also ironically describes what it means – the use of long words.

Word	Meaning	Pronunciation Tips
Sesquipedalian	Characterized by long words; long-winded.	Pronounce it as ‘ses-kwi-pi-day-li-an’. Emphasize each syllable, particularly the ‘pi’ and ‘day’.

Difficult words for speakers of other Languages.

We also have some examples of difficult words for speakers of other languages and while there is some overlap, there are certain sounds in English that can provide problems for speakers of languages like French Spanish, Japanese and Chinese.

You can check out the links below!

10 Hardest English Words to Pronounce for French Speakers

Conclusion:

These nineteen challenging English words, can be a challenge to say, even for those who have grown up speaking the language.

But it’s important to remember that learning to pronounce these words is less about perfection and more about understanding and learning. English, like any language, changes and adapts over time.

So, whether you’re a native speaker or learning English as a second language, view these pronunciation challenges fun ways to test yourself, and definitely not judge yourself,

Even here at Making English Fun, we only get half right half the time!