Words that sound nothing like they look

1. 1
   colonel/ˈkɜːrnəl/

   noun

   A senior army officer, ranking just below a general.
2. 2
   yacht/jɑːt/

   noun

   A large private boat used for pleasure trips or racing.
3. 3
   choir/ˈkwaɪər/

   noun

   A group of singers who perform together at a religious service.
4. 4
   epitome/ɪˈpɪtəmi/

   noun

   A perfect example of a type of thing.
5. 5
   subtle/ˈsʌtəl/

   adjective

   So slight or faint that it is easy to miss.
6. 6
   queue/kjuː/

   noun

   A line of people waiting for their turn.
7. 7
   indict/ˌɪnˈdaɪt/

   verb

   To formally charge someone with a crime.
8. 8
   gnaw/nɔː/

   verb

   To bite and chew at something over and over.
9. 9
   sew/soʊ/

   verb

   To join pieces of cloth with a needle and thread.
10. 10
    though/ðoʊ/

    adverb

    Used at the end of a sentence to add something that goes against what was just said.

The sentences

1. The colonel saluted and marched his troops onto the parade ground.

2. They rented a yacht for the whole weekend.

3. The choir sings just before the reading starts.

4. She's the epitome of calm under real pressure.

5. There's a subtle difference between these two colors.

6. We stood in the queue for almost an hour.

7. They plan to indict him for tax fraud.

8. The puppy loves to gnaw on my shoes.

9. I need to sew this hem before tomorrow.

10. I'd still like to try it, though.

Pronunciation

• colonel/ˈkɜːrnəl/

  Two syllables, stress on the first, and it comes out sounding like 'kernel'.

• yacht/jɑːt/

  The ch is silent; it rhymes with 'hot'.

• choir/ˈkwaɪər/

  Starts with a kw sound and rhymes with 'wire'.

• epitome/ɪˈpɪtəmi/

  Four syllables, stress on the second, and it ends in 'mee' — not 'tome'.

• subtle/ˈsʌtəl/

  The b is silent: 'suttle'.

• queue/kjuː/

  One syllable — it sounds exactly like the name of the letter Q.

• indict/ˌɪnˈdaɪt/

  The c is silent; it rhymes with 'invite'.

• gnaw/nɔː/

  The g is silent, so it starts like 'no'.

• sew/soʊ/

  Sounds like 'so', not 'sue'.

• though/ðoʊ/

  The gh is silent; it rhymes with 'go'.

Questions

How do you pronounce 'colonel'?

It's two syllables, stress on the first, and it comes out sounding like 'kernel'.

What does 'epitome' mean?

A perfect example of a type of thing, as in 'She's the epitome of calm under real pressure.'

What do you say to add something that goes against what you just said?

Use 'though' at the end of the sentence, like 'I'd still like to try it, though.'