Words for when spelling and sound don't match

1. 1
   pronounce/prəˈnaʊns/

   verb

   To say a word or a sound in a certain way.
2. 2
   mispronounce/mɪsprəˈnaʊns/

   verb

   To say a word in a way that is not the accepted one.
3. 3
   pronunciation/proʊˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/iAlso said prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən.

   noun

   The way a word is normally said by the people who speak that language.
4. 4
   spelling/ˈspelɪŋ/

   noun

   The letters that make up a word, in the right order.
5. 5
   syllable/ˈsɪləbəl/

   noun

   A single beat of sound inside a spoken word.
6. 6
   silent/ˈsaɪlənt/

   adjective

   Written down but given no sound when the word is said.
7. 7
   borough/ˈbɜːrˌoʊ/

   noun

   One of the parts a large city is divided into for local government.
8. 8
   castle/ˈkæsəl/

   noun

   A big old building with thick walls, built to hold off attackers.
9. 9
   shire/ʃaɪr/

   noun

   An old English district, much like a county.
10. 10
    wrong/rɔːŋ/

    adverb

    In a way that is not correct.

The sentences

1. How do you pronounce the name of this town?

2. I always mispronounce this one, so please correct me.

3. Is that the local pronunciation, or the one on the sign?

4. The spelling looks nothing like the way it sounds.

5. Do people drop the middle syllable when they say it?

6. So the middle part is silent when you say it?

7. Which borough of the city does this bus stop belong to?

8. Does this bus go past the old castle?

9. The name ends in shire, but nobody says it that way.

10. I've been saying it wrong all week, apparently.

Pronunciation

• pronounce/prəˈnaʊns/

  Stress lands on the second syllable, and the first one is a quick weak puh.

• mispronounce/mɪsprəˈnaʊns/

  Stress falls on the last part, mis-pruh-NOWNCE.

• pronunciation/proʊˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/

  The middle is nun, not nown: proh-nun-see-AY-shun.

• borough/ˈbɜːrˌoʊ/

  Ends in an oh sound, like burrow, and the stress is on the first part.

• castle/ˈkæsəl/

  The t is silent: KASS-ul.

• shire/ʃaɪr/

  On its own it rhymes with fire.

• wrong/rɔːŋ/

  Starts on the r, and the vowel is long: RAWNG.

Questions

What do you say when the pronunciation of a place doesn't match its spelling?

You can say "the spelling looks nothing like the way it sounds," or ask "is that the local pronunciation, or the one on the sign?"

How do you ask someone to correct your pronunciation?

Say "I always mispronounce this one, so please correct me."

What does borough mean?

A borough is one of the parts a large city is divided into for local government.