Advanced Spelling and Vocabulary: Literature - Difficult Word Pronunciation List

According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, "not all educated speakers pronounce words the same way."

Lesson Track Time Signature Spelling Word Pronunciation on CD An Alternate Pronunciation Notes
One 2, 3 0:23, 0:28 apothegm uh-pŏth-ə-jəm ap-uh-them  
One 2, 3 1:37. 2:09 dithyramb dĭth-ee-ram dĭth-ĭ-ram  
One 2, 3 2:26, 2:48 fustian fuh-stee-uhn fuhs-chuhn  
Two 5 3:43 didacticism    

The word is correctly spelled on the page; when he orally sequenced the word on the CD, however, Dr. Webster misspelled it. This has been fixed on newer discs.

Three 7 5:49 onomatopoeia ŏn-ō-ma-tō-pee-uh ah-nə-mah-tə-pee-uh  
Four 8, 9 0:48, 1:10 soliloquy suh-lil-uh-kwey suh-lil-uh-kwee  
Four 8, 9 6:23, 5:50 encomium ěn-kŏm-ee-uhm ěn-koh-mee-uhm  

The bold syllable indicates a word's primary stress.

Back to main page

Live Chat with IEW