How do you learn to pronounce difficult English words?

Speakers can learn how to pronounce difficult English words by understanding how different sounds work, sounding out the words and using a talking dictionary such as HowToPronounce.com for assistance. English has many words with similar vowel combinations but different pronunciations, such as "through" and "rough." Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to memorize a word's pronunciation.

Speakers can use the following steps to learn how to pronounce difficult English words:

1. Learn how to make specific sounds

Learn how to pronounce the more common English sounds, such as the sounds of the five vowels. Learning how to make specific sounds will help speakers recognize the sounds in larger, more difficult words.

2. Sound out the words

Try to sound out the difficult words by piecing together familiar sounds and spellings.

3. Listen to the sound in a talking dictionary

Go to an online talking dictionary, such as HowToPronounce.com, and enter the word in the search box. Listen to the pronunciation to verify whether it is being pronounced correctly. If not, sound out the word until it is correct.

4. Memorize the pronunciation

Memorize the pronunciation of the word by using it when speaking English. The more speakers can use the sounds of a difficult word, the more they will become comfortable with its pronunciation.