Why these ten words?
Many A2 learners know what a word means and how to spell it, but still feel unsure when they say it. English spelling does not always match sound, and some English sounds do not exist in Arabic. This article gives you ten common everyday words. Each one has a meaning, a simple sound guide, two example sentences and a note about a typical mistake.
How to read the sound guides
We write the sounds with simple English letters. The stressed part is in capital letters. The guide is only an approximation, so listen to a recording from a good dictionary as well.
- Capital letters show the strong, longer syllable.
- A hyphen separates syllables.
- When British and American speakers differ, we say so.
The ten words
1. comfortable
Meaning: pleasant to sit in, wear or use.
Say it: KUMF-tuh-bul. In natural speech it has three syllables.
Examples: This chair is very comfortable. / I wear comfortable shoes to work.
Watch out: Do not say com-for-ta-ble with four clear syllables. The second syllable almost disappears.
2. Wednesday
Meaning: the day after Tuesday.
Say it: WENZ-day. The d in the middle is normally silent.
Examples: We have English class on Wednesday. / My brother arrives next Wednesday.
Watch out: A common mistake is Wed-nes-day with three syllables.
3. vegetable
Meaning: a plant that we eat, such as a carrot.
Say it: VEJ-tuh-bul. Three syllables. For the v, touch your top teeth to your bottom lip.
Examples: I eat a vegetable with every meal. / Carrots are my favourite vegetable.
Watch out: Do not say veg-e-ta-ble with four syllables, and do not replace v with f or b.
4. police
Meaning: the organisation that protects people and keeps order.
Say it: puh-LEES. The stress is on the second syllable.
Examples: Call the police if you see an accident. / The police are outside the building.
Watch out: Do not stress the first syllable, as in POH-lees. Also remember that police takes a plural verb: The police are here.
5. village
Meaning: a very small town in the countryside.
Say it: VIL-ij. The ending is a short j sound, not a clear a.
Examples: My grandparents live in a small village. / The village has one shop and one school.
Watch out: Start with a real v. Do not say fillage.
6. pepper
Meaning: a spice for food, or a vegetable used in cooking.
Say it: PEP-er. American speakers pronounce the final r; British speakers usually end with a weak uh.
Examples: Please pass the salt and pepper. / This soup needs more pepper.
Watch out: Arabic has no p sound, so many learners say b and produce bebber. Press your lips together, then release a small puff of air without using your voice.
7. people
Meaning: more than one person.
Say it: PEE-pul. The first vowel is long, and both p sounds have a small puff of air.
Examples: Many people walk in the park. / How many people are in your family?
Watch out: Do not say beeble. Remember that people is plural and takes a plural verb: People are kind here.
8. enough
Meaning: as much as you need.
Say it: ih-NUF. The letters gh at the end sound like f.
Examples: I have enough time to help you. / Is the water hot enough?
Watch out: Do not pronounce the gh as g. The stress is on the second syllable.
9. island
Meaning: land with water all around it.
Say it: EYE-lund. The s is silent.
Examples: We visited a beautiful island last summer. / The island is small, but the beach is very clean.
Watch out: A frequent mistake is is-land, with the s pronounced.
10. chocolate
Meaning: a sweet food or drink made from cocoa.
Say it: British CHOK-lut, American CHAWK-lut. Both usually have two syllables.
Examples: She likes hot chocolate in winter. / I bought a bar of chocolate for my sister.
Watch out: Do not say cho-co-late with three clear syllables. The middle one is very weak or missing.
Three patterns to help you remember
Instead of memorising each word alone, look for these patterns:
- Silent letters: the d in Wednesday and the s in island are not pronounced.
- Shortened syllables: comfortable, vegetable and chocolate have fewer syllables than the spelling suggests.
- Sounds missing from Arabic: p and v need special practice, as in pepper, people, village and vegetable.
Common mistakes and corrections
| Word | Common mistake | Better pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Wed-nes-day | WENZ-day |
| vegetable | veg-e-ta-ble | VEJ-tuh-bul |
| police | POH-lees | puh-LEES |
| pepper | bebber | PEP-er |
| island | is-land | EYE-lund |
| enough | ih-NUG | ih-NUF |
Practice task
Answer the questions, then check the answer key.
- Which syllable is stressed in police?
- How many syllables does vegetable usually have in natural speech?
- Is the s in island pronounced?
- What is the last sound in enough?
- Is the d in Wednesday normally pronounced?
- Read aloud: The people in the village like pepper.
Answer key
- The second syllable: puh-LEES.
- Three syllables: VEJ-tuh-bul.
- No, the s is silent: EYE-lund.
- The sound f: ih-NUF.
- No, it is said WENZ-day.
- Check that the p in people and pepper has a small puff of air, that the v in village uses teeth and lip, and that people, village and pepper each have two syllables.
A simple daily routine
Take two words each day. Listen to the word in an audio dictionary, repeat it slowly three times, then say it inside the two example sentences. Record yourself on your phone and compare your voice with the recording you heard. Short, regular practice works better than one long session, and each small improvement makes your speech clearer.