Ten that trip you up

Les dix mots10 mots, 0 phrases

1. 1
   thorough/ˈθɜːroʊ/iSe dit aussi ˈθɔːroʊ.adjectiveComplete with regard to every detail; not superficial.Two syllables, not three, and it is not 'through'.
2. 2
   rural/ˈrʊrəl/adjectiveRelating to the countryside rather than the town.Two r-sounds back to back with only a weak vowel between them.
3. 3
   colonel/ˈkɜːrnəl/nounA senior officer in an army, above a lieutenant colonel.Sounds identical to 'kernel'. The 'l' in the spelling is silent.
4. 4
   comfortable/ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/adjectiveProviding physical ease and relaxation.Natural speech drops a syllable: KUMF-ter-bul, not com-for-ta-ble.
5. 5
   squirrel/ˈskwɜːrəl/nounA small tree-dwelling rodent with a bushy tail.The 'skw' cluster runs straight into an r-coloured vowel.
6. 6
   clothes/kloʊðz/iSe dit aussi kloʊz.nounItems worn to cover the body.One syllable. The 'ðz' ending is what makes it hard, not the vowel.
7. 7
   sixth/sɪksθ/adjectiveConstituting number six in a sequence.Three consonants close the word: k, s, then th.
8. 8
   entrepreneur/ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr/iSe dit aussi ˌɑːntrəprəˈnʊr.nounA person who sets up a business, taking on financial risk.Borrowed from French, so the stress lands on the final syllable.
9. 9
   schedule/ˈskedʒʊl/iSe dit aussi ˈskedʒuːl.nounA plan listing events and the times at which they happen.American 'sked-jool'; British speakers say 'shed-yool'.
10. 10
    February/ˈfebjəˌweri/iSe dit aussi ˈfebruːˌeri.nounThe second month of the year.The first 'r' is routinely dropped, even by native speakers.