II Pronunciation 41 IISilent

letters are also sometimes called mute letters.)

a is silent in head, bread, deaf, meant
b is silent in debt, lamb, bomb, tomb
c is silent in muscle, blackguard, yacht, indict
d is silent in wednesday, handkerchief, handbag
e is silent in pirate, more, have, give
f is silent in stijJ; cujJ; scoff
9 is silent in gnaw, gnome, phlegm, straight
h is silent in honour; heir; ghost, night
i is silent in business, fashion, cushion
k is silent in k~ knee~ knock~ blackguard
1 is silent in talk~ folk~ salmon~ colonel
m is silent in mnemonic
n is silent in hymn
o is silent in leopard~ jeopardy
p is silent in psalm~ pneumatic~ cupboard~ receipt
q(u) is silent in lacquer
r is silent in myrrh~ catarrh
s is silent in isle~ aisle~ viscount~ mess
t is silent in often~ thistle~ fasten~ mortgage
u is silent in build~ guild~ plague
w is silent in whole~ write~ sword
y is silent in praye1j mayor
z is silent in rendezvous
MisPRONOUNCEd WORds

Spoken English

II

Some words in the English language are often mispronounced

when spoken. Here are a few commonly mispronounced words
with their correct pronunciations and most common mispronunciations.
across (a-CROSS) - Incorrect: (a-CROST)
athlete (ATH-leet) - Incorrect: (ATH-a-leet)
Arctic (ARC-tic) - Incorrect: (AR-tic)
comfortable (COM-fort-a-ble~ COMF-ta-ble) - Incorrect:
(COMF-ter-ble)
electoral (eh-LEK:-tor-al) - Incorrect: (eh-lek-TOR-al
espresso (ess-PRESS-oh) - Incorrect: (ex-PRESS-oh)
February (FEB-roo-air-y) - Incorrect: (Feb-yoo-air-y)
figure (FIG-yer) - Incorrect: (fig-er)
forte (FORT) - Correct only as the music term: (for-TilT)
insouciant (in-SOO-see-ant) - Incorrect: (in-SOO-shant)
lambaste (lam-BASTE) - Incorrect: (lam-BAST)
library (LIBE-rare-ee) - Incorrect: (LIBE-air-ee)
menstruation (men-stroo-A-shun) - Incorrect: (men-STRAYshun)
minuscule (MIN-uh-skyool) - Incorrect: (MIN-ih-skyool)
nuclear (NUKE-lee-ar) - Incorrect: (NUKE-yoo-lar)
nuptial (NUP-shul) - Incorrect: (NUP-shoo-al)

 often (OFF-en) - Incorrect: (OFT-en)

percolate (PERC-o-late) - Incorrect: (PERC-u-late)
plenitude (PLEN-i-tude) - Incorrect: (PLENT-i-tude)
probably (PROB-ab-ly) - Incorrect: (PRAH-bal-ly, PROB-ly)
pronunciation (pro-NUN-see-A-shun) - Incorrect: (pro-NO UNseeA-shun)
supposedly (sup-POSE-ed-ly) - Incorrect: (sup-POSE-ab-ly)
taut (TAUT) - Incorrect: (TAUNT)
toward (TOW-ward) - Incorrect: (TOR-ward)

The following table will give a general idea of these changes: faar aof (far off) faa faadha (farther).
hoer oun (her own) hoe hoed (heard).
fliOriq (fearing) fiia fiiad (feared).
aeariq (airing) aea aead (aired).
muuariq (mooring) muua muuad (moored).
flaoriq (flooring) flaoa flaoad (floored).
faiariq (firing) faia faiad (fired).