Social Media Means
Photo by Anna Tarazevich Pexels Logo Photo: Anna Tarazevich

What's the hardest English word to say?

The Most Difficult English Word To Pronounce Rural. Otorhinolaryngologist. Colonel. Penguin. Sixth. Isthmus. Anemone. Squirrel. More items... •

Why did Squid games take 12 years to make?
Why did Squid games take 12 years to make?

Thirteen years ago, the South Korean filmmaker was told his script (at the time feature-length) was too unrealistic and violent to be commercially...

Read More »
What is the 8 second rule in marketing?
What is the 8 second rule in marketing?

With only eight seconds to capture a person's attention, retail and e-commerce brands need to recognize that consumers are scanning the information...

Read More »

Before we get too deep into the search for the world’s most difficult word to pronounce, we’ll have to start with a bit of soul-searching around that question. Words that are difficult for a native French speaker to pronounce may look vastly different from words that a native Mandarin speaker might struggle with. Just because Icelandic looks outlandish to an English speaker doesn’t mean it’s an objectively challenging language to pronounce. Just ask a native Icelander! Rather than try to boil it down to one definitive “most difficult word to pronounce,” we might have to look at a few examples from a number of languages (and admit that we’re looking at this from the perspective of Anglophones).

But first, what is it, exactly, that makes some words easier or harder to pronounce?

The Mechanics Of Pronunciation

Usually, pronunciation struggles in a foreign language can be attributed to two types of missed connections: a disconnect between how a word is spelled and how it’s spoken, or a disconnect between the mouth positions you’re accustomed to and the ones used by speakers of your target language. That words are often not phonetically reliable is a big pain point for language learners, and it’s one of the things non-native speakers often complain about most when studying English. Exhibit A: “choir.” The physical movements of your mouth, tongue and teeth are also a big determining factor in how well you nail your foreign accent. Sometimes, getting used to an unfamiliar sound is truly a matter of muscle memory. Beyond that, there are certain types of sounds that may be universally tricky for the human mouth to handle, regardless of how familiar you are with the words that contain them. Among these are rolled “r”s, “ths” (as in “baths”) and the Czech ř.

The Most Difficult English Word To Pronounce

If English is your mother tongue, you probably never gave much thought to how challenging it can be to master English pronunciation as an adult. Still, there are English words that even natives struggle with. One Reddit user opened up this can of worms, and after more than 5,000 submissions, the Reddit community came up with this list of “10 most difficult English words to pronounce”:

Rural

Otorhinolaryngologist

Colonel

Penguin

Sixth

Isthmus

Anemone

Squirrel

Choir

Worcestershire

The Most Difficult…

If we expand our inquiry to every other language in the world, the options (and the level of subjectivity) will only increase further.

German

Fünfhundertfünfundfünfzig: five hundred fifty-five

Russian

мгла (mgla): haze

(Via Wiktionary)

Chinese

日(rì): day (seriously, just listen to it)

Play

Estonian

Jõululaululaulja: Christmas caroller

Welsh

Llanhyfryddawelllehynafolybarcudprindanfygythiadtrienusyrhafnauole: The unofficial name of a village in Wales

Play

Icelandic

Vaðlaheiðarvegavinnuverkfærageymsluskúraútidyralyklakippuhringur: A keychain ring for the outdoor key of road workers shed in a moor called Vaðlaheiði

Play

Or just anything in Xhosa:

What is the easiest type of social work?
What is the easiest type of social work?

5 Easy Entry-Level Social Work Jobs Group Home Workers. Substance Abuse Counselors. Community Social Workers. Healthcare Social Workers. Case...

Read More »
Why are some people so athletic?
Why are some people so athletic?

Athletic performance is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Many physical traits help determine an...

Read More »

Why do most sales people fail?

The six most important factors were (1) poor listening skills; (2) failure to concentrate on top priorities; (3) a lack of sufficient effort; (4) inability to determine customer needs; (5) lack of planning for sales presentations; and (6) inadequate product/service knowledge.

Factors considered to be most significant in contributing to salesperson failure were identified by examining the survey responses of 126 sales executives. The six most important factors were (1) poor listening skills; (2) failure to concentrate on top priorities; (3) a lack of sufficient effort; (4) inability to determine customer needs; (5) lack of planning for sales presentations; and (6) inadequate product/service knowledge. The results suggest that those factors most significant in contributing to salesperson failure may be addressed through training and motivational techniques. Furthermore, deficiencies in these areas may negatively affect relationship selling efforts, thereby severely affecting overall salesforce performance in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

How much is $48000 an hour?
How much is $48000 an hour?

$24.00 an hour $48,000 is $24.00 an hour. $24.00 is the hourly wage a person who earns a $48,000 salary will make if they work 2,000 hours in a...

Read More »
What is the main concept of social media?
What is the main concept of social media?

Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual...

Read More »
Is life better without social media?
Is life better without social media?

Researchers have demonstrated numerous times why you should take a break from social media. The most important thing in life is one's pleasure and...

Read More »
Which content is most popular on YouTube?
Which content is most popular on YouTube?

Certain topics are more popular than others, so consider the genre of your channel when planning your Youtube growth strategy. ... According to the...

Read More »