25 Hard English Words to Pronounce for Foreigners

If you’ve ever hesitated before saying a word in a meeting—then repeated yourself because someone misheard it—you’re not alone. Many learners and professionals struggle with hard English words to pronounce, especially when English isn’t their first language. English can be tricky because spelling often doesn’t match sound, some pronunciations use unfamiliar mouth positions, and word stress can change what listeners think they heard.

These factors create common English pronunciation challenges in everyday communication—especially in global teams where English isn’t the first language for many people. When you combine hard English words to pronounce with a wide range of accents, the same word can sound different from speaker to speaker, increasing the chance of mishearing. In professional settings, what matters most is shared understanding, particularly in meetings where speed and accuracy matter. (See our guide, Why Do People Have Different Accents, for a scientific explanation).

Why this matters in practice:

• Misheard words can slow conversations
• Pronunciation differences can affect meeting clarity
• Global professionals need shared understanding

This guide explains why English pronunciation is difficult, introduces difficult words to pronounce in English, especially for foreigners, and shows how pronunciation differences influence communication in meetings. It also explores practical ways teams can improve clarity without changing how anyone speaks.

Why Some English Words Are Hard to Pronounce

English spelling is inconsistent because the language evolved from multiple sources, primarily Germanic roots, with strong influences from Latin, French, and other languages, and its sounds changed over time while spellings often remained fixed. As a result, many words are hard to predict from their written form, creating ongoing English pronunciation challenges for learners and global professionals. This makes spoken English harder to recognize and reproduce accurately in everyday communication.

The main reasons include:

• Spelling and pronunciation don’t match

English words are not always pronounced as they are written. The same letter combination can produce different sounds (through, tough, though), which makes pronunciation hard to predict. In addition, word stress plays a key role: placing stress on the wrong syllable can make a word harder for listeners to recognize, even if the individual sounds are mostly correct. In meetings or fast conversations, this can lead to confusion, missed information, or the need for clarification.

• 44+ sounds but only 26 letters

English uses more than 44 speech sounds but only 26 letters to represent them. Multiple sounds share the same spelling patterns, which leads to confusion.

• Silent letters

Some letters appear in writing but are not spoken (knife, queue, colonel). These forms often come from older versions of the language.

• Stress patterns change meaning

The syllable you emphasize affects how words are understood. Incorrect stress can make a word harder for listeners to recognize, even when the individual sounds are close to correct. In meetings or fast conversations, this can reduce clarity, slow communication, and increase the need for repetition or clarification.

• Some sounds do not exist in other languages

Sounds like the “th” in think or this are unfamiliar for many speakers, so people naturally use similar sounds from their native language.

• Historical changes in pronunciation

English pronunciation evolved over centuries, but spelling often stayed the same. This created many irregular patterns.

• Borrowed vocabulary from other languages

English includes words from French, Latin, Greek, and Germanic languages. These words often keep their original pronunciation rules.

Because of these factors, English pronunciation is not intuitive, and certain words frequently cause confusion in everyday communication. Understanding these patterns helps explain why some terms are difficult to recognize or reproduce accurately. Now, let’s look at the words that cause the most confusion in practice.

25 Hard English Words That Often Cause Confusion

Now that we’ve explained why English pronunciation can be difficult, let’s look at some common examples. Below is a list of frequently mispronounced words that often challenge global professionals and learners. Scan for recurring patterns and focus on the terms that appear in your work vocabulary—understanding why they are difficult helps improve clarity in everyday conversations.

1. Through

• Why it’s challenging: Complex vowel combination + silent letters.
• Variation: Pronounced /θruː/, not “thro-ugh.”
• Conversation impact: Often confused with though, thought, and tough.

2. Though

• Why it’s challenging: Same spelling pattern as other words but different sound.
• Variation: Pronounced /ðoʊ/.
• Conversation impact: Easily mixed with through or thought.

3. Thought

• Why it’s challenging: Different vowel sound despite similar spelling.
• Variation: Pronounced /θɔːt/.
• Conversation impact: Confusion between similar-looking words.

4. Tough

• Why it’s challenging: Same letter pattern, completely different sound.
• Variation: Pronounced /tʌf/.
• Conversation impact: Misunderstanding in fast speech.

5. Sixth

• Why it’s challenging: Difficult consonant cluster (ks + th).
• Variation: Final sounds often simplified.
• Conversation impact: Numbers may be misheard.

6. Strengths

• Why it’s challenging: Multiple consonants together.
• Variation: Some sounds dropped in speech.
• Conversation impact: Reduced clarity in professional discussions.

7. Squirrel

• Why it’s challenging: Complex syllable structure + R sound.
• Variation: Different vowel emphasis.
• Conversation impact: Often repeated for clarity.

8. Rural

• Why it’s challenging: Repeated R sounds.
• Variation: Sounds merged or simplified.
• Conversation impact: Hard to recognize in conversation.

9. World

• Why it’s challenging: L and R combination.
• Variation: Sounds reordered or softened.
• Conversation impact: Meaning unclear in global meetings.

10. Clothes

• Why it’s challenging: Consonant blending (th + z).
• Variation: Often pronounced “close.”
• Conversation impact: Can cause misunderstanding.

11. Comfortable

• Why it’s challenging: Spoken form differs from spelling.
• Variation: Often pronounced “comf-tur-bul.”
• Conversation impact: Unclear syllable count.

12. Vegetable

• Why it’s challenging: Reduced syllables.
• Variation: “vej-tuh-bul” instead of full spelling.
• Conversation impact: Recognition difficulty.

13. Brewery

• Why it’s challenging: Repeated R clusters.
• Variation: Sounds compressed in speech.
• Conversation impact: Hard to articulate clearly.

14. Schedule

• Why it’s challenging: US vs UK pronunciation differences.
• Variation: “sked-jool” vs “shed-yool.”
• Conversation impact: Variation across international teams.

15. Iron

• Why it’s challenging: Silent letters and reduced sounds.
• Variation: Pronounced “eye-ern.”
• Conversation impact: Spelling does not guide pronunciation.

16. Colonel

• Why it’s challenging: Non-phonetic pronunciation.
• Variation: Pronounced “kernel.”
• Conversation impact: Unexpected pronunciation.

17. Choir

• Why it’s challenging: Unusual vowel combination.
• Variation: Pronounced “quire.”
• Conversation impact: Spelling confusion.

18. Queue

• Why it’s challenging: Multiple silent letters.
• Variation: Pronounced simply “cue.”
• Conversation impact: Major spelling-pronunciation mismatch.

19. February

• Why it’s challenging: First “r” often dropped.
• Variation: “Feb-yoo-air-ee.”
• Conversation impact: Date confusion.

20. Statistics

• Why it’s challenging: Stress placement changes meaning.
• Variation: Different syllable emphasis.
• Conversation impact: Misinterpretation in business contexts.

21. Particularly

• Why it’s challenging: Consonant sequencing.
• Variation: Sounds reduced in fast speech.
• Conversation impact: Hard to follow in meetings.

22. Literally

• Why it’s challenging: Syllable reduction.
• Variation: Often shortened to “lit-er-lee.”
• Conversation impact: Meaning lost in fast conversation.

23. Entrepreneur

• Why it’s challenging: French-origin pronunciation rules.
• Variation: Stress placement varies.
• Conversation impact: Common in business vocabulary.

24. Hierarchy

• Why it’s challenging: Complex vowel sequence.
• Variation: Syllable stress confusion.
• Conversation impact: Hard for non-native speakers.

25. Temperature

• Why it’s challenging: Spoken syllable reduction.
• Variation: Often “tem-pra-chur.”
• Conversation impact: The shortened form can make the word harder to recognize in fast conversation. This is one of many difficult words to pronounce in English, where natural speech patterns differ from written form.

Beyond individual words, pronunciation differences are also shaped by how certain sounds vary across accents. Understanding these variations helps explain why the same word may be pronounced differently in global communication contexts.

Common English Sounds That Vary Across Accents

English pronunciation varies because every language uses its own sound system. People learn the sound patterns of their first language early in life, and these patterns naturally influence how they speak English. This is a normal part of communication in global environments, which is why understanding accents is an important part of effective communication (Read more in our guide Understanding Accents in Meetings). 

Some English sounds do not exist in many languages, so speakers naturally substitute the closest equivalent from their native sound system. These predictable substitutions can make words harder to recognize and may lead to mishearing, especially in fast conversations or meetings.

Below are common English sounds that often vary across accents.

The “TH” Sound

English has two “th” sounds:

• Voiced → this, that
• Voiceless → think, three

Many languages do not include this sound, which explains why “th” is difficult for many speakers. It requires specific tongue placement between the teeth, which may not exist in other sound systems.

Common substitutions:

• Think → “tink” or “sink”
• This → “dis” or “zis”

Substitutions can change the meaning or slow down conversations when key words must be repeated.

R and L Contrast

English separates “r” and “l” using different tongue positions. Some languages use one similar sound instead, which explains the common r and l pronunciation difference for many speakers.

• Light vs right
• Collect vs correct

Short I vs Long E

English distinguishes between two close vowel sounds.

• Short i → ship, live

• Long e → sheep, leave

Some languages do not separate these vowel sounds clearly. Changing the vowel changes the word entirely, which can affect accuracy in conversation.

V vs W Distinction

These sounds use different mouth positions. 

• V → upper teeth touch lower lip (vest)
• W → rounded lips (west)

Some languages use one similar sound for both letters. Confusion may affect names, locations, or product terms in global teams.

Consonant Clusters in English

English often combines multiple consonants together without vowels. These combinations are known as consonant clusters in English, and they can be difficult to produce or recognize in fast speech.

Examples:

• Strengths
• Sixth
• World

Many languages add vowels between consonants or simplify clusters. Complex clusters are harder to pronounce and recognize in fast speech, which can affect clarity in meetings.

How Native Languages Influence English Pronunciation

Pronunciation patterns across languages are predictable. Understanding them helps teams recognize differences faster and clarify meaning quickly in conversations and meetings.

Why Pronunciation Differences Matter in Global Meetings

Pronunciation differences matter most in fast, high-stakes meeting moments—when discussing numbers, decisions, names, or action items. Even small variations in speech can affect how information is received, processed, and confirmed, making collaboration more difficult. A 2023 study published in SAGE Journals found that language-related misunderstandings at work can affect performance, interaction quality, and workplace outcomes.

Pronunciation differences shape how information is received, processed, and confirmed during meetings.

Where problems show up in real meetings? 

• Misheard numbers and data

Dates, budgets, and measurements may be interpreted incorrectly.

• Product or brand name confusion

Small sound differences change how names are recognized.

• Repetition fatigue

Frequent clarification interrupts meeting flow.

• Slower discussions

Extra time is needed to confirm the meaning.

• Reduced participation

Some participants speak less when communication feels difficult.

• Confidence impact

Communication barriers influence willingness to contribute.

Global teams bring different speech patterns and linguistic backgrounds. This diversity is normal, but it can create accent communication challenges if teams lack shared clarity strategies.

A Smarter Approach: AI Accent Understanding

By improving how speech is heard, it directly addresses common meeting challenges such as misheard numbers, unclear names, and repeated clarification.

In modern workplaces, communication tools should adapt to global teams — not the other way around. One example is AI Accent Understanding by Krisp — a real-time speech clarity technology designed for global communication.

• Real-time speech clarity enhancement

The system helps listeners understand accented speech during meetings instantly, without interrupting the conversation.

• Preserves voice identity

Speakers talk naturally. Their voice and speaking style remain unchanged.

• Reduces repetition and misunderstandings

Clearer speech reduces the need to ask for clarification and helps conversations flow more smoothly.

• Improves comprehension in meetings

The AI analyzes pronunciation patterns in real time and makes speech easier for the listener to understand. When combined with AI Meeting Transcription, teams can also review accurate written records after meetings

How Accent AI works?

• The speaker talks normally with no installation or behavior change.
• AI processes speech on the listener’s side in real time.
• The listener hears clearer audio while the speaker’s voice remains authentic.

This approach supports inclusive communication by adapting technology to language diversity instead of expecting speakers to adjust their pronunciation.

AI Accent Understanding improves how participants hear each other — without changing how anyone speaks.

Conclusion 

English pronunciation varies because of its structure, history, and global use. These differences can affect how key information—numbers, names, and decisions—is understood in fast conversations and meetings. What matters in professional communication is not accent reduction, but shared clarity.

By recognizing predictable pronunciation patterns, teams can reduce misunderstandings, confirm meaning faster, and improve meeting efficiency. Practical strategies, combined with tools that support speech clarity, help global teams communicate more effectively without changing how anyone speaks.

Clearer communication leads to better collaboration, faster decisions, and more confident participation across international workplaces.

Frequently Asked Questions