Common Mispronunciations in English You Should Know

When learning English, we often strive to master standard pronunciation,

but in reality, even native speakers may not always be very “standard”.

Today’s lesson will teach you about words that Americans often “mispronounce”.

Is it I can or I can’t?

In English, some words have spellings that do not quite match their pronunciation:

For example, Americans often pronounce “can” quickly, making it sound like “kin”:

The “t” sound at the end of “can’t” is often weakened to almost nothing, making it sound like “can”.

In this case, you can understand the meaning based on the situation and context:

When expressing willingness, saying “yes, I can” may seem a bit forced, so people usually say “sure” or “cool”.

When expressing inability, it’s common to add words like “sorry” or “I’m afraid” to convey attitude.

Prepositions in Spoken Language

Prepositions in spoken language are often quickly slurred, and their pronunciation differs from the original:

of → uh

to → tuh

for → fer

an → en

Commonly Mispronounced Words

Pay attention to the pronunciation of these words in spoken language:

Weakening the “l” in the word makes it sound very much like “all”

Sounds like “mere”.

Do not pronounce it as “to-wel” or “tow-er”.

The Pronunciation of