Pronunciation accounts for 25% of your IELTS Speaking score -- it is weighted equally with fluency, vocabulary, and grammar. Yet many test-takers lose marks not because of their accent, but because they mispronounce common academic words that appear across every IELTS topic. This guide covers the 50 words we see mispronounced most often, with the correct IPA and a simplified pronunciation guide so you can fix them before test day.
How to use this table: The "Common Mistake" column shows what students typically say wrong. The "Correct IPA" gives the precise phonetic transcription. The "Say It Like" column breaks the word into easy syllables with the stressed syllable in CAPS.
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct IPA | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| curriculum | "KURR-ih-koo-lum" | /kəˈrɪk.jʊ.ləm/ | kuh-RIK-yuh-lum |
| academic | "uh-KAD-eh-mik" | /ˌæk.əˈdɛm.ɪk/ | ak-uh-DEM-ik |
| undergraduate | "un-der-GRAD-yoo-ayt" | /ˌʌn.dəˈɡrædʒ.u.ət/ | un-duh-GRAJ-oo-ut |
| certificate | "SUR-tih-fih-kayt" | /səˈtɪf.ɪ.kət/ | suh-TIF-ih-kut |
| scholarship | "SKOH-lar-ship" | /ˈskɒl.ə.ʃɪp/ | SKOL-uh-ship |
| autonomous | "aw-TOH-noh-mus" | /ɔːˈtɒn.ə.məs/ | aw-TON-uh-mus |
| pedagogy | "peh-DAG-oh-jee" | /ˈpɛd.ə.ɡɒdʒ.i/ | PED-uh-goj-ee |
| tuition | "TOO-ih-shun" | /tʃuˈɪʃ.ən/ | choo-ISH-un |
| bachelor's | "BATCH-eh-lorz" | /ˈbætʃ.əl.əz/ | BATCH-uh-lurz |
| doctorate | "dok-TOR-ayt" | /ˈdɒk.tər.ət/ | DOK-tur-ut |
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct IPA | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| environment | "en-VY-run-ment" | /ɪnˈvaɪ.rən.mənt/ | in-VY-run-munt |
| sustainable | "sus-TAYN-uh-bul" | /səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/ | suh-STAY-nuh-bul |
| biodegradable | "BYE-oh-dee-grad-uh-bul" | /ˌbaɪ.əʊ.dɪˈɡreɪ.də.bəl/ | by-oh-dih-GRAY-duh-bul |
| catastrophe | "KAT-uh-stroh-fee" | /kəˈtæs.trə.fi/ | kuh-TAS-truh-fee |
| phenomenon | "feh-NOH-meh-non" | /fəˈnɒm.ɪ.nən/ | fuh-NOM-ih-nun |
| deteriorate | "deh-TEER-ee-ayt" | /dɪˈtɪə.ri.ə.reɪt/ | dih-TEER-ee-uh-rayt |
| renewable | "REE-new-uh-bul" | /rɪˈnjuː.ə.bəl/ | rih-NYOO-uh-bul |
| ecosystem | "ee-KOS-is-tem" | /ˈiː.kəʊˌsɪs.təm/ | EE-koh-sis-tum |
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct IPA | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| technology | "tek-NOH-loh-jee" | /tekˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ | tek-NOL-uh-jee |
| algorithm | "AL-goh-rith-um" | /ˈæl.ɡə.rɪð.əm/ | AL-guh-rith-um |
| sophisticated | "soh-FIS-tih-kay-ted" | /səˈfɪs.tɪ.keɪ.tɪd/ | suh-FIS-tih-kay-tid |
| artificial | "ar-tih-FIH-shul" | /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.əl/ | ar-tih-FISH-ul |
| autonomous | "aw-TOH-noh-mus" | /ɔːˈtɒn.ə.məs/ | aw-TON-uh-mus |
| innovative | "in-NOH-vay-tiv" | /ˈɪn.ə.veɪ.tɪv/ | IN-uh-vay-tiv |
| entrepreneur | "en-TREP-reh-noor" | /ˌɒn.trə.prəˈnɜːr/ | on-truh-pruh-NUR |
| cybersecurity | "SY-ber-seh-kyoor-ih-tee" | /ˌsaɪ.bə.sɪˈkjʊə.rə.ti/ | SY-buh-sih-KYOOR-uh-tee |
Get per-word pronunciation feedback on your IELTS Speaking. See exactly which words to improve.
Practice Speaking| Word | Common Mistake | Correct IPA | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| pharmaceutical | "far-muh-SOO-tih-kul" | /ˌfɑː.məˈsjuː.tɪ.kəl/ | far-muh-SYOO-tih-kul |
| diagnosis | "dy-ag-NOH-sis" | /ˌdaɪ.əɡˈnəʊ.sɪs/ | dy-ug-NOH-sis |
| psychological | "psy-koh-LOJ-ih-kul" | /ˌsaɪ.kəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl/ | sy-kuh-LOJ-ih-kul |
| hygiene | "hy-JEEN" or "HIG-ee-en" | /ˈhaɪ.dʒiːn/ | HY-jeen |
| epidemic | "eh-pih-DEH-mik" | /ˌɛp.ɪˈdɛm.ɪk/ | ep-ih-DEM-ik |
| nutrition | "noo-TRIH-shun" | /njuːˈtrɪʃ.ən/ | nyoo-TRISH-un |
| symptom | "SIMP-tom" | /ˈsɪmp.təm/ | SIMP-tum |
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct IPA | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| globalisation | "GLOB-ul-eye-zay-shun" | /ˌɡləʊ.bəl.aɪˈzeɪʃ.ən/ | gloh-bul-eye-ZAY-shun |
| indigenous | "IN-dih-jeh-nus" | /ɪnˈdɪdʒ.ɪ.nəs/ | in-DIJ-ih-nus |
| heritage | "heh-rih-TAYJ" | /ˈhɛr.ɪ.tɪdʒ/ | HER-ih-tij |
| contemporary | "kon-TEM-poh-rary" | /kənˈtɛm.pər.ər.i/ | kun-TEM-puh-rur-ee |
| ethnic | "ETT-nik" | /ˈɛθ.nɪk/ | ETH-nik |
| hierarchy | "HY-ar-kee" or "hee-AR-kee" | /ˈhaɪə.rɑː.ki/ | HY-uh-rar-kee |
| bureaucracy | "BYOO-roh-kra-see" | /bjʊəˈrɒk.rə.si/ | byoo-ROK-ruh-see |
| prejudice | "preh-JOO-dis" | /ˈpredʒ.ʊ.dɪs/ | PREJ-uh-dis |
| infrastructure | "in-fra-STRUK-chur" | /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ | IN-fruh-struk-chur |
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct IPA | Say It Like |
|---|---|---|---|
| entrepreneurial | "en-trep-reh-NOR-ee-ul" | /ˌɒn.trə.prəˈnɜːr.i.əl/ | on-truh-pruh-NUR-ee-ul |
| colleague | "KOL-ee-gyoo" | /ˈkɒl.iːɡ/ | KOL-eeg |
| remuneration | "reh-MYOO-nuh-ray-shun" | /rɪˌmjuː.nəˈreɪʃ.ən/ | rih-myoo-nuh-RAY-shun |
| recession | "ree-SEH-shun" | /rɪˈsɛʃ.ən/ | rih-SESH-un |
| expenditure | "eks-PEN-dih-tyoor" | /ɪkˈspɛn.dɪ.tʃər/ | ik-SPEN-dih-chur |
| preliminary | "PREE-lim-in-airy" | /prɪˈlɪm.ɪ.nər.i/ | prih-LIM-ih-nuh-ree |
| executive | "EX-eh-kyoo-tiv" | /ɪɡˈzɛk.jʊ.tɪv/ | ig-ZEK-yuh-tiv |
| productivity | "proh-duk-TIV-ih-tee" | /ˌprɒd.ʌkˈtɪv.ə.ti/ | prod-uk-TIV-uh-tee |
What matters most
How to practice
IELTS-GPT scores every word you speak and highlights exactly which ones need work.
Try Speaking PracticePronunciation accounts for 25% of your IELTS Speaking score. It is one of four equally weighted criteria alongside Fluency and Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Mispronouncing common academic words can lower your band score even if your grammar and vocabulary are strong.
Some of the most commonly mispronounced words include curriculum, environment, phenomenon, technology, entrepreneur, pharmaceutical, hierarchy, bureaucracy, and infrastructure. These words appear frequently across IELTS topics like education, environment, technology, health, society, and work.
Learn the correct stress patterns for academic vocabulary, practice with IPA transcriptions, record yourself and compare with native speakers, and use pronunciation assessment tools that give per-word feedback. Focus on word stress rather than trying to eliminate your accent entirely.
A complete guide to improving your IELTS Speaking pronunciation, from word stress to intonation patterns.
Read guide →Record your IELTS Speaking response and get per-word pronunciation scores with feedback on what to improve.
Practice now →The 12 most common IELTS Writing mistakes and exactly how to fix each one with before-and-after examples.
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