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Same spelling, two pronunciations: How to Pronounce Them
Heteronyms: words spelled the same way that change sound with meaning. In many noun and verb pairs the noun is stressed first and the verb last. Press play to hear each word, or open its page for British audio, syllables and meaning.
- record · REK-erd · /ˈrɛkɚd/
Noun: 'REK-erd' (a record). Verb: 'rih-KORD' (to record). - present · PREZ-unt · /ˈprɛzənt/
Noun or adjective: 'PREZ-unt'. Verb: 'prih-ZENT'. - object · OB-jekt · /ˈɑbdʒɛkt/
Noun: 'OB-jekt'. Verb: 'ub-JEKT' (to object). - project · PROJ-ekt · /ˈprɑdʒɛkt/
Noun: 'PROJ-ekt'. Verb: 'pruh-JEKT'. - produce · pruh-DOOS · /prəˈdus/
Noun (fruit and vegetables): 'PROH-dooss'. Verb: 'pruh-DOOSS'. - permit · per-MIT · /pɚˈmɪt/
Noun: 'PUR-mit'. Verb: 'per-MIT'. - conduct · KON-dukt · /ˈkɑndəkt/
Noun: 'KON-dukt'. Verb: 'kun-DUKT'. - contract · KAHN-trakt · /ˈkɑnˌtrækt/
Noun: 'KON-trakt'. Verb (to shrink or catch): 'kun-TRAKT'. - desert · DEZ-ert · /ˈdɛzɚt/
The dry place is 'DEZ-ert'. To abandon is 'dih-ZURT', said like dessert. - refuse · rih-FYOOZ · /rɪˈfjuz/
Verb (to say no): 'rih-FYOOZ'. Noun (trash): 'REF-yooss'. - lead · LEED · /lid/
To guide rhymes with need. The metal rhymes with bed. - read · REED · /rid/
Present tense rhymes with need. Past tense rhymes with red. - tear · TEER · /tɪr/
From your eye, it rhymes with near. To rip, it rhymes with bear. - wind · WIND · /wɪnd/
Moving air rhymes with pinned. To turn or coil rhymes with find. - wound · WOOND · /wund/
An injury rhymes with moon-d: 'woond'. The past of wind rhymes with sound. - live · LIV · /lɪv/
Verb: rhymes with give. Adjective (a live show): rhymes with five. - bass · BAYS · /beɪs/
The low sound or instrument rhymes with face. The fish rhymes with mass. - bow · BOW · /baʊ/
Bending forward rhymes with cow. The ribbon or weapon rhymes with go. - close · KLOHS · /kloʊs/
Verb (shut) ends with a z sound: 'klohz'. Adjective (near) ends with s: 'klohss'. - minute · MIN-ut · /ˈmɪnət/
The unit of time is 'MIN-it'. Tiny is 'my-NOOT'. - row · ROH · /roʊ/
A line or rowing a boat rhymes with go. An argument rhymes with cow. - dove · DUHV · /dʌv/
The bird rhymes with love. The past tense of dive rhymes with drove. - invalid · IN-vuh-lud · /ˈɪnvələd/
Not valid: 'in-VAL-id'. A sick person: 'IN-vuh-lid'. - content · KON-tent · /ˈkɑntɛnt/
Noun (what is inside): 'KON-tent'. Adjective (happy): 'kun-TENT'. - excuse · ik-SKYOOS · /ɪkˈskjus/
Noun ends with an s sound ('ik-SKYOOSS'). Verb ends with a z sound ('ik-SKYOOZ'). - separate · SEP-uh-rayt · /ˈsɛpəˌreɪt/
Adjective: 'SEP-rit'. Verb: 'SEP-uh-rayt'. - estimate · ES-tuh-mut · /ˈɛstəmət/
Noun: 'ES-tuh-mit'. Verb: 'ES-tuh-mayt'.
More tricky word lists
Silent letters
Letters that are written but never spoken. Most are leftovers from older spellings or from Latin and Greek roots.
Borrowed from French
English kept many French words close to their original sound, so the last letters are often silent and the stress lands late.
Food and drink
Dishes and ingredients from Italian, Spanish, Japanese and other languages, often said very differently from how they look.
Said differently in the US and UK
Words where American and British speakers move the stress or change a vowel. Neither is wrong; pick the one that matches your audience.
Stress in an unexpected place
Words that are easy to spell out but easy to get wrong, because the strong syllable is not where you would guess.
Spellings that mislead
Everyday words whose letters point you toward the wrong sound.
Often mispronounced
Common words that pick up an extra sound, lose one, or swap two.