Don't say it like that!

Most times, when you don't pronounce a word correctly, you simply confuse your listener. However, sometimes, a mispronunciation can be insulting--or even downright rude.

Many times, a word in one of the columns is pronounced like a word in the other. This can cause problems, because the words have completely different meanings.

pull (pul) pool (pul)

not (nɑht) note (noht)

feet (feet) fit (fɪht)

ask (ask) axe (aks)

kitchen (KIH chuhn) chicken (CHIH kuhn)

joke (johk) yoke (yohk)

yes (yes) Jess (jehs)

ship (shihp) sheep (sheep)

with (wihth) width (wihdth)

hit (hiht) heat (heet)

cat (kat) cut (kuht)

boat (boht) but (buht) bat (bat) bought (baht)

comma (KAH muh) coma (KOH muh)

bird (burd) beard (beerd)

as (az) ass (as) us (uhs)

If you mispronounce the words in blue, you might confuse your listener, but if you mispronounce them so they sound like the words in red, you could make them angry.

sheet (sheet) shit (shiht)

folk (fohk) fuck (fuhk)

teeth (teeth) teet (teet)

beach (beech) bitch (bihch)

Something to remember:

Pronouncing a group of consonants in one word, like "fifth," "width," "thrash," or "breakfast" can be very hard to do, so it's a good idea to practice saying all the letters in words like these.