Tricky Words

We learn many words from books before we ever hear them, so we say them as they are spelt. That works for most words. These are the ones where it doesn't. Read each one out loud a few times, and if you have always said it differently, don't worry: so have most of us.

Silent letters

The letter in bold is silent

සිංහලෙන්

• island/ˈaɪlənd/
• knife · knee/naɪf/ · /niː/
• receipt/rɪˈsiːt/
• debt/det/
• salmon/ˈsæmən/
• talk · walk/tɔːk/ · /wɔːk/
• hour · honest/ˈaʊə/ · /ˈɒnɪst/
• write · wrong/raɪt/ · /rɒŋ/
• foreign/ˈfɒrɪn/
• building/ˈbɪldɪŋ/

Fewer syllables than they look

The middle vowel disappears in everyday speech. Count the syllables in the symbols, not the letters.

Everyday words we often say from the spelling

Check these

සිංහලෙන්

• issue: "ISH-oo", not "is-you"/ˈɪʃuː/
• suite (a hotel room): "sweet", not "suit"/swiːt/
• chef: "shef", not with ච/ʃef/
• focus: "FOH-kəs"/ˈfəʊkəs/
• pizza: "PEET-sə", with /ts//ˈpɪtsə/
• couple: "KUP-l", like cup/ˈkʌpl/
• laugh: "laaf", gh = /f//lɑːf/
• salt: one round ඕ, "solt"/sɔːlt/

How to check a word

1. Look it up in any good dictionary, or search "word pronunciation" on Google: both show the symbols and play the sound.
2. Read the symbols. If you're not sure of one, see the vowels and consonants.
3. Find the ˈ: that syllable is strong (see word stress).
4. Say it out loud three times. Then use it in a sentence today.

Quick check

Tap an answer. Nothing is saved.

1. How do you say island?

   /ˈaɪlənd//ˈɪslənd/

2. How many syllables are in Wednesday?

   TwoThree

3. How do you say receipt?

   /rɪˈsiːpt//rɪˈsiːt/

4. How do you say vegetable?

   /ˈvedʒɪteɪbl//ˈvedʒtəbl/