muhamedr
09-07-2010, 06:39 PM
Certain words cause confusion due to faulty pronunciation. A few of them are given below. Note that the correct pronunciation is indicated by adding a well-known word in brackets which rhymes with the word whose pronunciation is often confused.
Floor (noun) [door] - part of the building on which one walks
Flour (noun) [shower] - finely ground cereal grains
Flower (noun) [shower] - coloured part of plants
She sat on the floor.
Biscuit is made of wheat flour.
Weak (adjective) [leak] - not strong or fit
Week (noun) [leak] - a period of seven days
Wick (noun) [sick] - a string or piece of fabric that draws fuel to the flame in a candle or oil lamp
A candle needs a wick.
He was too weak to stand up.
There are fifty-two weeks in a year.
Heir (noun) [air] - legal inheritor of something
Hair (noun) [care] - fine flexible strands growing on the head or body
Hare (noun) [care] - a fast running animal that resembles a rabbit
He is the heir to the throne.
Hair grows on our heads
A hare looks like a big rabbit.
Wonder (noun) [plunder] - amazed admiration, something marvelous
Wander (verb) [yonder] - travel without destination, leave a fixed path
Gypsies wander over the country.
I wonder why I failed to pass.
Advice (noun) [nice] - recommendation about action
Advise (verb) [eyes] - offer advice
I am tired of listening to advice.
The doctor advised him to quit smoking.
Leave (verb) [deceive] - depart
Live (verb) [give] - reside in a particular place
I leave home for work at 9 o'clock.
My parents live abroad.
Quite (adverb) [white] - entirely
Quiet (adjective or noun) [diet] - peaceful, making little noise, free from trouble
You are quite right.
I would like to lead a quiet life.
A sick man needs a quiet room.
Price (noun) [nice] - cost of something bought or sold
Prize (noun) [eyes] - award for winner
What is the price of that bag?
She got this bag as a prize.
Lose (verb) [choose] - fail to win, have something taken away
Loose (verb) [goose] - free, not fastened
Loose (adjective) [goose] - not tight or fitting
You will lose your dog, if you don't tie it up.
When he loosed his dog it ran away.
This knot is loose and it will soon come undone.
Taste (verb) [waste]
Test (verb) [nest]
The fish tasted awful.
He tested the food in the science laboratory.
Pore (noun) [door] - tiny openings in the skin through which sweat passes.
Pour (verb) [door]
Poor (adjective) [tour] - not rich
Many people in Africa are very poor.
He poured oil into the fire.
Holes in your skin are called pores.
Latter (adjective) [matter] - the second of two already named
Later (adverb) [waiter] - after a particular period of time
Letter (noun) [better]
A is tall, and B is short but the latter is stronger.
I will see you later.
The Post Office handles letters.
Bath (noun) [path]
Bathe (verb) [lathe]
We have a bath to clean our bodies.
We bathe to enjoy ourselves with no thought of cleanliness.
Floor (noun) [door] - part of the building on which one walks
Flour (noun) [shower] - finely ground cereal grains
Flower (noun) [shower] - coloured part of plants
She sat on the floor.
Biscuit is made of wheat flour.
Weak (adjective) [leak] - not strong or fit
Week (noun) [leak] - a period of seven days
Wick (noun) [sick] - a string or piece of fabric that draws fuel to the flame in a candle or oil lamp
A candle needs a wick.
He was too weak to stand up.
There are fifty-two weeks in a year.
Heir (noun) [air] - legal inheritor of something
Hair (noun) [care] - fine flexible strands growing on the head or body
Hare (noun) [care] - a fast running animal that resembles a rabbit
He is the heir to the throne.
Hair grows on our heads
A hare looks like a big rabbit.
Wonder (noun) [plunder] - amazed admiration, something marvelous
Wander (verb) [yonder] - travel without destination, leave a fixed path
Gypsies wander over the country.
I wonder why I failed to pass.
Advice (noun) [nice] - recommendation about action
Advise (verb) [eyes] - offer advice
I am tired of listening to advice.
The doctor advised him to quit smoking.
Leave (verb) [deceive] - depart
Live (verb) [give] - reside in a particular place
I leave home for work at 9 o'clock.
My parents live abroad.
Quite (adverb) [white] - entirely
Quiet (adjective or noun) [diet] - peaceful, making little noise, free from trouble
You are quite right.
I would like to lead a quiet life.
A sick man needs a quiet room.
Price (noun) [nice] - cost of something bought or sold
Prize (noun) [eyes] - award for winner
What is the price of that bag?
She got this bag as a prize.
Lose (verb) [choose] - fail to win, have something taken away
Loose (verb) [goose] - free, not fastened
Loose (adjective) [goose] - not tight or fitting
You will lose your dog, if you don't tie it up.
When he loosed his dog it ran away.
This knot is loose and it will soon come undone.
Taste (verb) [waste]
Test (verb) [nest]
The fish tasted awful.
He tested the food in the science laboratory.
Pore (noun) [door] - tiny openings in the skin through which sweat passes.
Pour (verb) [door]
Poor (adjective) [tour] - not rich
Many people in Africa are very poor.
He poured oil into the fire.
Holes in your skin are called pores.
Latter (adjective) [matter] - the second of two already named
Later (adverb) [waiter] - after a particular period of time
Letter (noun) [better]
A is tall, and B is short but the latter is stronger.
I will see you later.
The Post Office handles letters.
Bath (noun) [path]
Bathe (verb) [lathe]
We have a bath to clean our bodies.
We bathe to enjoy ourselves with no thought of cleanliness.