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If English wasn't your first language, maybe if you learned English later in life, were there any words that you had a really hard time learning how to pronounce? Do you think that had to do with the sounds made in your first language?

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[-] sireuz@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 days ago

Queue, schedule, vehicle - struggles of my life lol

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 days ago

Queue is just the name of the letter "Q".

But it "kyoo" might not be an easy sound depending on your mother tongue

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[-] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Schedule (sk- or sh-) differs between countries/regions. So you're good either way.

[-] ving_thor@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

"Subtle". I can not pronounce it in a way that it sounds different to "saddle".

[-] _skj@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Subtle is spelled weird, but rhymes with muddle. Do you also pronounce "mad" and "mud" the same way? With my accent they have the same first vowel sounds as saddle and subtle

[-] CannonFodder@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Pretty sure subtle rhymes with shuttle.

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[-] pipes@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

According to the Macmillan they are [ˈsʌt(ə)l] vs [ˈsæd(ə)l], so the vowel changes slightly, but it depends on the speaker; I'm not native but I say saddle with a more open "a". But they're otherwise almost identical to me (in the British pronunciation included in the dictionary I hear a "t" both times, in the American one a "d" both times - which is how I say it too)

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[-] pedz@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago

Genuine. I still wonder if I pronounced it correctly every time I use the word.

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[-] danciestlobster@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 days ago

I've heard "rug" is weird for many Europeans

[-] Lumidaub@feddit.org 3 points 3 days ago

"Three" and "thread". Not because of the th, that's never been a problem (I learnt the basics very early in life when pronunciation was easy to learn), but because my mouth somehow wouldn't go from "th" to "r". It was only a few years ago when it suddenly clicked. Weirdly, I never had an issue saying "through" and "threat".

[-] kambusha@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)
[-] reaper_cushions@hexbear.net 2 points 3 days ago

I tie my mouth into knots trying to pronounce world without sounding overly posh.

[-] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 days ago

For some reason I always trip up when saying "I appreciate it"

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

I feel like a lot of people just drop the "I a" and say "'preciate it!", lol

(That's assuming you're using it like "thank you", and aren't just starting a sentence)

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this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2025
87 points (98.9% liked)

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