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Stress in an unexpected place

Stress in an unexpected place: How to Pronounce Them

Words that are easy to spell out but easy to get wrong, because the strong syllable is not where you would guess. Press play to hear each word, or open its page for British audio, syllables and meaning.

hyperbole · hy-PUR-buh-lee · /haɪˈpɝbəˌli/
Four syllables, ending in 'lee': 'hy-PUR-buh-lee'. It does not rhyme with bowl.
epitome · ih-PIT-uh-mee · /ɪˈpɪtəmi/
Four syllables: 'ih-PIT-uh-mee'. The final e is spoken.
hegemony · hee-JEM-uh-nee · /hiˈdʒɛməni/
Stress the second syllable: 'hih-JEM-uh-nee'.
comparable · KAHM-puh-ruh-bul · /ˈkɑmpərəbəl/
Stress the first syllable: 'KOM-per-uh-bul', not 'kum-PAIR-uh-bul'.
preferable · PREF-uh-ruh-bul · /ˈprɛfərəbəl/
Stress the first syllable: 'PREF-er-uh-bul'.
photographer · fuh-TAH-gruh-fer · /fəˈtɑɡrəfɚ/
The stress jumps to the second syllable: 'fuh-TOG-ruh-fer', unlike PHO-to-graph.
catastrophe · kuh-TAS-truh-fee · /kəˈtæstrəfi/
Four syllables, ending in 'fee': 'kuh-TASS-truh-fee'.
apostrophe · uh-PAH-struh-fee · /əˈpɑstrəˌfi/
Four syllables: 'uh-POSS-truh-fee'. The final e is spoken.
anemone · uh-NEM-uh-nee · /əˈnɛməni/
Four syllables: 'uh-NEM-uh-nee'.
archipelago · ar-kuh-PEL-uh-goh · /ˌɑrkəˈpɛləˌɡoʊ/
The ch is a k sound: 'ar-kuh-PEL-uh-goh'.
albeit · awl-BEE-it · /ɔlˈbiɪt/
Three syllables: 'all-BEE-it'.
giraffe · juh-RAF · /dʒəˈræf/
Stress the second syllable: 'juh-RAF'.
mosaic · moh-ZAY-ik · /moʊˈzeɪɪk/
Three syllables: 'moh-ZAY-ik'.
rationale · rash-uh-NAL · /ˌræʃəˈnæl/
Stress the end, which rhymes with pal: 'rash-uh-NAL'.
hypothesis · hy-POTH-uh-sus · /haɪˈpɑθəsəs/
Stress the second syllable: 'hy-POTH-uh-sis'.
ibuprofen · eye-byoo-PROH-fun · /ˌaɪbjuˈproʊfən/
Four syllables: 'eye-byoo-PROH-fen'.
metamorphosis · met-uh-MOR-fuh-sus · /ˌmɛtəˈmɔrfəsəs/
Stress the third syllable: 'met-uh-MOR-fuh-sis'.
choreography · kor-ee-AH-gruh-fee · /ˌkɔriˈɑɡrəfi/
The ch is a k sound: 'kor-ee-OG-ruh-fee'.
develop · dih-VEL-up · /dɪˈvɛləp/
Stress the second syllable: 'dih-VEL-up'.
economics · ek-uh-NOM-iks · /ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪks/
Stress the third syllable: 'ek-uh-NOM-iks' or 'ee-kuh-NOM-iks'.
hotel · hoh-TEL · /hoʊˈtɛl/
Stress the end: 'hoh-TEL'.
cement · suh-MENT · /səˈmɛnt/
Stress the second syllable: 'sih-MENT'.
police · puh-LEES · /pəˈlis/
Stress the second syllable: 'puh-LEESS'.
guitar · ghih-TAR · /ɡɪˈtɑr/
Stress the second syllable: 'gih-TAR'.
event · ih-VENT · /ɪˈvɛnt/
Stress the second syllable: 'ih-VENT'.

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.

Spellings that mislead

Everyday words whose letters point you toward the wrong sound.

Same spelling, two pronunciations

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.

Often mispronounced

Common words that pick up an extra sound, lose one, or swap two.