Page 587 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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In many English words, the spelling is different from the pronunciation. This is mainly because our pronunciation has changed a good deal over the last few hundred years, while our spelling system has stayed more or less the same. Here is a list of some difficult common words with their pronunciations.
usually two syllables, not three
The letters in brackets are usually not pronounced.
asp(i)rin bus(i)ness choc(o)late dijf(e)rent
usually three syllables, not four
The letters in brackets are usually not pronounced.
com/(or) table
int(e)resting
secret(a)ry (ArnE four syllables)
silent letters
temp(e)rature us(u)ally veg(e)table
The letters in brackets are not pronounced.
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clim(b) com(b) dum(b) dou(b)t de(b)t
mus(c)le
han(d)kerchie/ san(d)wich We(d)nesday champa(gJne /orei(gJn si(gJn
bou(gh)t cau(gh)t ou(gh)t thou(gh)t borou(gh)
dau(gh)ter hei(gh)t hi(gh) li(gh)t mi(gh)t nei(gh)bour ni(gh)t ri(gh)t strai(gh)t throu(gh) ti(gh)t wei(gh)
w(h)at w(h)en w(h)ere w(h)ether w(h)ich w(h)ip w(h)y
and similarly in other words beginning wha, whe or whi. (Some speakers use an unvoiced /w/ in these words.)
(h)onest (h)onour (h)our
(k)nee (k)nife (k)nob (k)nock (/c)now
and similarly in other words beginning kn.
ca{l)m cou{l)d ha(l)/ sa{l)mon shou(l)d ta(l)k wa{l)k
wou{l)d autum(n) hymen)
(p)neumatic (p)sychiatrist (p)sychology (p)sychotherapy
(p)terodactyl and similarly in other words beginning pn, ps or pt. cu(p)board /,kAbad/
i(r)on (British pronunciation /alan/)
i(s)land i(s)le
cas(t)le Chris(t)mas /as(t)en lis(t)en o/(t)en whis(t)le (Often can also be pronounced /,uftan/.)
g(u)arantee g(u)ard g(u)errilia g(u)ess g(u)est g(u)ide g(u)ilt g(u)itar g(u)y
spelling (10) : spelling and pronunciation 565
565 spelling (10): spelling and pronunciation
ev(e)ry
ev(e)ning
marri(a)ge
med(i)cine (ArnE three syllables)
(w)rap (w)rite (w)rong
(w)/w (w)hom (w)hore (w)hose (w)hole
4 a=lei
any many Thames /ternz/
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om(e)lette rest(au)rant sev(e)ral
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