How to Pronounce 4 Commonly Mispronounced Words in British English

Here are four commonly mispronounced words in British English:

We’re often asked how to pronounce these words properly with a British accent, so we thought we’d let you know once and for all.

1. iron /aɪən/

Meaning: This refers both to the metal and the action of ironing clothes. 

As you can hear with a standard British accent, it’s not pronounced as it looks. 

Firstly, the /r/ isn’t said at all. 

The first syllable is the stressed syllable ‘i’, and the ‘o’ becomes a schwa vowel ’u’ and is the de-stressed syllable. 

In a sentence: My iron doesn’t have any iron in it.

 

2. receipt /rɪˈsiːt/

Another word that isn’t said is how it looks. 

The /re/ says /ri/ and in the second syllable the ‘ei’ says the long ‘ee’. 

The second syllable is the main stressed syllable. 

The special trick in this word is that the /p/ is silent. Do not say the /p/.

So, in British English, it’s said, /riseet/.

In a sentence: Do you want a receipt?

 

3. boss /bɒs/

This word is actually said as it is spelled, but the ‘o’ has to be a British ‘o’, not an ‘or’ sound. 

Say the ‘o’ vowel twice as in /hot/.

Don’t put your lips forward for the ‘o’. 

In a sentence with lots of ‘o’ sounds: My boss was cross because he lost his sock.  

 

4. environment /ɪnˈvaɪ.rən.mənt/

The main stressed syllable is /vi/ so it’s said the longest. 

The main tricky part is to hold the /n/ on slightly longer while you get your mouth ready for the /m/. 

Don’t forget that the ‘o’ is said as a schwa, short ‘u’. Not /ron/ but /rən/.

In a sentence: I prefer to work in a quiet environment.

 

If you found this helpful, feel free to share it with your friends, family, and peers.

For more pronunciation tips, check out this video lesson on the main tips to speak with a British accent.

 

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