Learning a new language is an exciting journey, but it comes with its fair share of challenges. For French speakers venturing into the world of English, there are some specific words that prove particularly tricky. 

We’ve already created a comprehensive guide focusing on English Pronunciation for French Speakers. In this article, we'll explore the 25 most difficult English words for French speakers to pronounce, shedding light on the pronunciation challenges, mouth and tongue positioning, and tips to overcome these hurdles.

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1. Squirrel

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Definition: an agile tree-dwelling rodent with a bushy tail, typically feeding on nuts and seeds.

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Sounds Like: skwur-ul

Pronunciation Challenge: The "sq" cluster is challenging for French speakers, and is often mistakenly replaced with a simple “S” sound.

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Practice the "sq" combination by starting with the "SK" sound as in "sky" and then smoothly transitioning to a "W" sound by rounding your lips.

Tip: Isolate the "sq" cluster and practice it separately before incorporating it into the full word.

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2. Thorough

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Definition: complete with regard to every detail; not superficial or partial.

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Sounds Like: thur-oh

Pronunciation Challenge: The "th" sound can be challenging for French speakers. The "th" sound is often replaced with a "T" or "S" sound, resulting in pronunciations like "tur-oh" or "sor-oh."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Place the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth for the "th" sound.

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Tip: Break down the word into syllables and focus on perfecting each part before combining them.

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3. Hedgehog

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Definition: a small nocturnal  mammal with a spiny coat and short legs, able to roll itself into a ball for defense.

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Sounds Like: hej-hawg

Pronunciation Challenge: The "H" sound is often omitted, resulting in pronunciations like "edge-awg."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Emphasize the initial "H" by exhaling gently before saying the rest of the word.

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Tip: Practice words with "H" to develop a habit of pronouncing it, making sure to produce a small burst of air each time.

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4. Rarely

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Definition: not often; seldom.

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Sounds like: rair-lee

Pronunciation Challenge: The "R" sound might be replaced with a guttural sound or omitted, leading to pronunciations like "ghare-lee."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Focus on slightly bunching the tongue (without curling) and slightly rounding the lips, maintaining a relaxed jaw and slightly open mouth.

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Tip: Keep in mind that for this sound, the tip and the back of the tongue are relaxed and won’t touch any part of the roof of the mouth.

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5. Focus

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Definition: the center of interest or activity; pay particular attention to; the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition.

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Sounds like: foh-kus

Pronunciation Challenge: Vowels, particularly the "OH" sound, can be challenging. The "OH" sound can be replaced with a more closed vowel sound and the word might be pronounced as "fuhkis."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Practice the "OH" sound by rounding your lips and keeping the tongue relaxed.

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Tip: Use tongue twisters with the "OH" sound to improve articulation, like "Joe rows his boat to the coast."

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6. Peach

Definition: a round stone fruit with pinkish-yellow skin.

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Sounds Like: peech

Pronunciation Challenge: The vowel might be pronounced more abruptly, leading to variations like "pitch."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Extend the vowel sound by keeping the mouth open and the tongue relaxed. The vowel should be pronounced "EE" and not "IH."

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Tip: Practice elongating vowel sounds in isolation to develop a smoother pronunciation.

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7. Jewelry

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Definition: personal ornaments, such as necklaces, rings, or bracelets, that are typically made from or contain jewels and precious metal.

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Sounds Like: jool-ree

Pronunciation Challenge: The "LR" may be simplified to just "L" or "R" resulting in pronunciations like "jew-lee" or "jew-ry."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: To make the "LR" sound, begin with the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper front teeth. Then, allow the sides of your tongue to touch the upper side teeth and create sound.

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Tip: Break down the word into syllables and practice the "LR" combination separately.

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8. Rural

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Definition: in, relating to, or characteristic of the countryside rather than the town.

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Sounds Like: rur-ul

Pronunciation Challenge: The "R" sound may be difficult, leading to pronunciations like "yur-ul."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Focus on a clear, non-guttural “R” sound. Practice transitioning smoothly to the vowel.

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Tip: Use tongue twisters with multiple instances of the "R" sound to improve articulation, like "Robby rode a rocket to reach the stars."

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9. Clothes

Definition: items worn to cover the body.

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Sounds Like: klohz

Pronunciation Challenge:  The voiced "TH" sound in this word might confuse native French speakers, as this sound is not as common in the French language. This can result in mispronunciations that make the word sound like "cloths."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: To make the correct "TH" sound, place your tongue between your top and bottom teeth. Release some sound in that position. If it feels stuck, separate your teeth so more air can pass through. You should feel a buzz in your throat as you make this sound.

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Tip: Practice your pronunciation in front of a mirror, ensuring that you maintain the correct mouth positioning.

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10. Manuever

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Definition: a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care.

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Sounds Like: muh-noo-ver

Pronunciation Challenge: Native French speakers may have a tendency to pronounce the end of this word as "vair," which is closer to a common French pronunciation. However, the end of this word is pronounced "ER," which is a very common American sound.

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: To properly make the "ER" sound, make sure the sides of your tongue are touching the top back teeth. Sometimes it helps to gently round your lips.

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Tip: Practice words with "er" endings to get accustomed to the American "ER" sound.

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11. Hungry

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Definition: feeling or displaying the need for food.

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Sounds Like: hung-gree

Pronunciation Challenge: The initial "H" may be dropped by native French speakers, resulting in pronunciations like "ung-gree."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Exhale through your mouth loudly. You'll feel a slight tensing in the muscles of your throat. That's H!

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Tip: Emphasize the "H" sound at the beginning of the word without blending it into the following sound.

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12. Particularly

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Definition: to a higher degree than is usual or average.

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Sounds Like: par-tik-yuh-ler-lee

Pronunciation Challenge: The "R" and "L" sounds may be blended or replaced, leading to variations like "paticul-yar-lee."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Practice each consonant sound separately, ensuring a clear distinction between "R" and "L." For "R," it's the sides of the tongue that move. They will curl up like in a taco shape, and touch your top side teeth.

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For "L," it's the tip of the tongue that will touch the spot behind your upper front teeth. As the tongue presses, the air flows around the sides of the tongue and out the mouth.

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Tip: Stand in front of a mirror and say the word “really.” If you’re watching your mouth, you should NOT see the tongue tip when you start the word with the "R" sound, but when you make the "L" sound, the tongue tip will jump up and press the spot behind your upper front teeth.

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13. Hierarchy

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Definition: a system or organization in which people or groups are ranked one above the other according to status or authority.

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‍Phonetic Spelling: hahy-uh-rahr-kee

Pronunciation Challenge: Challenges may arise in pronouncing the "H" sound, navigating "R" sounds, and handling vowels, resulting in variations like "high-arky."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: For the "R" sounds in this word, keep your lips relaxed and slightly apart. Keep your lips relaxed and slightly apart. Curl the tip of your tongue upward and slightly backward, but don't let it touch the roof of your mouth.

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Tip: Break down the word into syllables and focus on each component separately before integrating them.

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14. Three

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Definition: equivalent to the sum of one and two

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Sounds Like: three

Pronunciation Challenge: The "th" sound may be replaced with a straightforward "T," resulting in pronunciations like "tree."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Practice the "th" sound by placing the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth.

Tip: Use minimal pairs exercises to distinguish between "th" and "T" sounds, for instance, “three” and “tree.”

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15. Iron

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Definition: a strong, hard magnetic silvery-gray metal

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Sounds Like: eye-ern

Pronunciation Challenge: Vowels may be mispronounced, leading to variations like "eye-ron."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: For the "ER" sound at the end of the word, make sure the sides of your tongue are touching the top back teeth. Sometimes it helps to gently round your lips.

Tip: Practice vowel sounds with similar minimal pairs to refine pronunciation accuracy.

16. Threshold

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Definition: a strip of wood, metal, or stone forming the bottom of a doorway and crossed in entering a house or room; the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result, or condition to occur.

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Sounds Like: thresh-ohld

Pronunciation Challenge: The "th" sound may be replaced with a simple "T," resulting in pronunciations like "tresh-old."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Focus on placing the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth for the "th" sound at the beginning.

Tip: Break down the word into syllables and practice the "th" sound separately.

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17. Although

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Definition: in  of the fact that; even though.

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Sounds Like: awl-thoh

Pronunciation Challenge: The voiced"TH" sound may be substituted with a "D," leading to pronunciations like "awl-doh."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Emphasize the "TH" sound at the beginning without blending it into the following sound.

Tip: Practice minimal pairs with voiced "TH" and "D" sounds to distinguish between them, for example, “there” and “dare.”

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18. Hotel

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Definition: an establishment providing accommodations, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.

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Sounds Like: hoh-tel

Pronunciation Challenge: The initial "H" may be skipped, resulting in pronunciations like "otel."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Emphasize the "H" sound at the beginning without omitting it, making sure to produce a short burst of air.

Tip: Practice words with initial "H" sounds to develop the habit of pronouncing them.

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19. Fix

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Definition: to repair; mend.

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Sounds Like: fiks

Pronunciation Challenge: The vowel may be pronounced longer than necessary, leading to variations like "feeks."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Keep the "IH" vowel sound short and crisp, without unnecessary elongation.

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Tip: Practice short vowel sounds in isolation to avoid over-pronunciation.

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20. Bilingual

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Definition: speaking two languages fluently

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Sounds Like: bahy-ling-gwuhl

Pronunciation Challenge: The "i" sound may be pronounced longer than required, leading to variations like "beelingual."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Keep the "ai" sound short and distinct, avoiding unnecessary lengthening. All you have to do is move your jaw from open to almost closed. Then spread your lips slightly toward your ears. That will make the "ai" sound you want.

Tip: Practice minimal pairs with short and long vowel sounds for accurate pronunciation.

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21. Difficult

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Definition: needing much effort or skill to accomplish, deal with, or understand; characterized by hardships.

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Sounds Like: dih-fuh-kult

Pronunciation Challenge: The "i" sounds are often lengthened, resulting in pronunciations like "deefeecult."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Keep the "IH" sound short and distinct, avoiding unnecessary lengthening.

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Tip: Focus on maintaining a consistent rhythm when pronouncing each syllable.

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22. Colors

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Definition: the ways an object reflects or emits light

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Sounds Like: kuhl-ers

Pronunciation Challenge: The final "S" is often omitted by French speakers, as French typically doesn't pronounce final "S" in words.

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Emphasize the final "S" sound without blending it into the previous sound. To do that, keep the tip of your tongue behind your bottom teeth. Slightly curl the sides of your tongue up to your top back teeth. Allow the middle of your tongue to touch the top of your mouth. Finally, release a thin stream of air in this shape.

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Tip: Practice words with final "S" sounds to develop the habit of pronouncing them. Over-enunciate the “S” to make sure it’s pronounced, before reducing the emphasis to produce a more natural pronunciation.

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23. Refrigerator

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Definition: an appliance or compartment which is kept cool and used to store food and drink.

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Sounds Like: ri-frij-uh-rey-ter

Pronunciation Challenge: Stress may be placed on the wrong syllable, leading to variations like "refrigerATor" rather than the correct “reFRIGerator.”

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: For the "F" sound in the beginning of the word, bring the bottom lip up to your top front teeth. Release some sound through that shape. If it feels stuck, relax your lip so more air can pass through.

Tip: Break down the word into syllables and practice the correct stress pattern. Record yourself as you practice to pinpoint errors and keep track of your progress.

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24. Thanksgiving

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Definition: a North American holiday that commemorates a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621, and is held in the US on the fourth Thursday in November.

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Sounds Like: thangks-giv-ing

Pronunciation Challenge: The initial "th" sound might be challenging and the "i" in "giving" is often incorrectly lengthened, resulting in variations like "tanksgeeving."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: Place your tongue between your teeth and lightly exhale to produce the voiceless "th" sound, and be sure to keep the "IH" short and distinct, avoiding unnecessary lengthening.

Tip: Practice minimal pairs with short and long vowel sounds for accurate pronunciation. Use all resources at your disposal, including our blog featuring Thanksgiving Words That You’re Probably Mispronouncing.

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25. Model

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Definition: a system or thing used as an example to follow or imitate.

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Sounds Like: mahd-l

Pronunciation Challenge: Stress may be misplaced, leading to pronunciations like "mahd-EL."

Mouth/Tongue Positioning: To make the correct "AH" vowel sound, drop your jaw open first. Then make as much space as you can between the back of your tongue and the roof of your mouth.

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Tip: Practice recognizing and stressing the correct syllable in various words to develop a natural rhythm. Listening to native speakers through media or conversation will help you to pick up on the cadence of American English stress.

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Achieve Native-Level Pronunciation with BoldVoice

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Mastering the pronunciation of challenging English words is a transformative endeavor that goes beyond language proficiency. It is a catalyst for heightened confidence and enriched social interactions. Accurate pronunciation fosters a sense of assurance, empowering individuals to express themselves with clarity and navigate social situations with ease. This newfound confidence not only enhances personal relationships but also contributes to a positive self-image.

In professional contexts, precise pronunciation also becomes a distinguishing factor, signaling professionalism and a commitment to effective communication. It plays a pivotal role in shaping how one is perceived in meetings, presentations, and networking events. Colleagues and superiors often equate clear pronunciation with credibility, making it a critical skill for career advancement and success.

To expedite the journey toward impeccable pronunciation, BoldVoice proves to be an invaluable resource. This app offers tailored exercises, pronunciation guides, and video demonstrations, providing a comprehensive toolkit for language learners. By integrating these tools into your routine, you not only refine your pronunciation but also lay the foundation for a more confident, perceptive, and successful language-learning experience. Embrace the challenge, commit to improvement, and witness the transformative impact of precise pronunciation on your personal and professional life. Start your journey to master the American accent today with the BoldVoice app.