English is one of the most challenging languages to learn. People studying English often get confused by the language’s many linguistic inconsistencies.

The English language features a massive vocabulary, tricky pronunciation, and grammatical rules that seem kind of random.

Even super intelligent native English Speakers unknowingly get words wrong from time to time. Here are ten commonly mispronounced words and how to say them correctly so you can improve your level of communication.

Acai

First up is acai. I didn’t even know where to begin in tackling this word. It seemed utterly unpronounceable. Is it ah-KAI or ah-SIGH?

Nope. It’s ah-sigh-EE. When acai bowls became an Instagram sensation, you better believe we all finally learned how to pronounce it accurately.

Foyer

English speakers borrowed this word from the French. Of course, when it’s a French word, people tend to try to jazz it up and say it like foy-AY.

But truthfully, it’s actually pronounced just how it looks: FOY-ur.

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Mischievous

I have heard this word spoken incorrectly so many times in my life, even by teachers and other educated professionals.

People always throw in an additional I at the end. But don’t make the same mistake. It’s MIS-chiv-ous and not anything else.

Sherbet

I can bet you that this isn’t pronounced with a second “r” at the end of the word. The right way to say it is Sher-BET.

Hyperbole

No, it’s not “hyper bowl.” That’s only three syllables, and hyperbole has four. You say it like, hy-PER-ba-lee.

Status

This word is actually pronounced STAY-tus, not STAH-tus. Sorry, I won’t be changing my ways with this one.

Larvae

Larvae is derived from Latin, so it’s LAR-vee, not LAR-vay. So, unfortunately, your science teacher probably got it wrong.

Espresso

There’s no “x” in espresso. Your barista has probably been too polite to correct you. But for future reference, don’t say EX-press-o anymore.

Applicable

This one was news to me, honestly. It’s supposed to be said like APP-lic-able, with emphasis on the first three letters.

Cache

You might’ve seen a notification on your phone telling you to clear the cache or storage on your phone. Cache is pronounced just like “cash.” Nothing fancy there!

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