© Shutterstock

Forte -

Music buffs might pronounce this one as for-TAY, which is correct if you're talking about a composer's note. But if reading sheet music, then there's no second syllable required.

© Shutterstock

GIF -

An acronym for "graphics interchange format," people usually pronounce it with a hard g. But its inventor, Steve Wilhite, was adamant about pronouncing it like Jif.

© Shutterstock

Genre -

The "g" is soft, like "jh," and the emphasis is on the first syllable, which rhymes with "on." So it's jhon-ruh.

© Shutterstock

Mischievous -

This word is often pronounced as mis-CHEEV-i-ous. But it's actually MIS-chiv-ous.

© Shutterstock

Pronunciation -

Ironically, pronunciation isn't always pronounced correctly! The right way to say it is pro-NUN-see-a-shun.

© Shutterstock

Triathlon -

These long-distance races aren't called tri-ATH-a-lons. If you want to say it right, then it's tri-ATH-len.

© Shutterstock

Caramel -

Kah-ruh-mull is the original pronunciation. However, kar-mull, which was once a Midwestern regional pronunciation, is also acceptable.

© Shutterstock

Liable -

Liability, which means being responsible for something, is different from libel, a defamatory statement. It's pronounced LIE-a-ble.

© Shutterstock

Applicable -

This adjective starts like the apps on your phone. So it's pronounced APP-lic-able, not a-PLICK-able.

© Shutterstock

Suite -

Don't even think about saying sue-TAY. Your suite is pronounced as "sweet."

© Shutterstock

Arctic -

Don't forget about that first "c." Some people skip the "arc" and pronounce it ART-ick, instead of ARC-tic. The same goes for Antarctic.

© Shutterstock

Scone -

Scots and others in the northern British Isles pronounce it to rhyme with "cone," but other English-speaking regions rhyme it with "gone."

© Shutterstock

February -

February shouldn't sound like January. The impulse to drop the first "r" is called dissimilation. So it should be pronounced FEB-ru-ar-ee.

© Shutterstock

Clique -

A word used to describe your gang, it’s tempting to pronounce it with the French-sounding "eek." But it’s actually pronounced click.

© Shutterstock

Foyer -

This is another word you might be tempted to pronounce in a French way. But you shouldn't welcome your guests into your foy-AY. Instead, it's a FOY-ur.

© Shutterstock

Mauve -

Whether you like this purple shade or not, it doesn't rhyme with stove. It's simply pronounced as mawv.

© Shutterstock

Often -

Believe it or not, pronouncing the "t" in often is actually a no-no. The "t" in the word is silent, and it's pronounced as off-en.

© Shutterstock

Gala -

If you're attending a fancy ball, it isn't a GAL-uh, but a GAY-luh!

© Shutterstock

Kayak -

You may pronounce it like "kay," but it's actually more like "kye," which rhymes with tie. Take your kye-yak out on the water!

© Shutterstock

Library -

Just like February, the two "r" sounds in library make proper pronunciation especially hard. You should be saying LIE-brare-ee.

© Shutterstock

Status -

If you've been mispronouncing this as STAH-tus your whole life, you're not alone. But it's actually STAY-tus.

© Shutterstock

Meme -

Years before we knew about memes, a British scientist invented the word as "a unit of cultural transmission" in 1976. While you read it more than you speak it, remember that it's pronounced as meem, not mee-mee or may-may.

© Shutterstock

Niche -

While "neesh" is accepted, "nitch" is the older and more popular way to refer to a specific place or role.

© Shutterstock

Nuclear -

Most people have messed up this adjective by switching the adjacent sounds, which is a linguistic phenomenon called metathesis. The correct way to say it is NEW-clear.

© Shutterstock

Prelude -

While you may be in church when listening to a prelude, the first syllable doesn't sound like "pray." Instead, it's PREL-yood.

© Shutterstock

Regime -

No matter its political leanings, it's not a RUH-geem, but a RAY-geem.

© Shutterstock

Spherical -

Meaning having the form of a sphere or of one of its segments, it's sferr-i-kal, and not sfeer-i-kal.

© Shutterstock

Transient -

Meaning fleeting or temporary, transient can refer to a mood, visit, or job. But don't mistakenly say tran-ZEE-ent. It's TRAN-shent.

© Shutterstock

Valet -

You might be surprised, but this word actually sounds more British than the Frenchified val-AY. It's simply VAL-it.

Sources: (Good Housekeeping) (Reader's Digest)

See also: The craziest tongue twisters you need to try!

© Shutterstock