Spanish loanwords
Two Spanish rules explain most of these: ll sounds like y (tortilla, quesadilla) and j sounds like a breathy h (jalapeno, fajita). The tilde in jalapeño adds a ny sound. Apply both and the entire Mexican menu becomes predictable.
Accent
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The words
More lists like this
Silent S words
Island, aisle, debris, Illinois: words hiding a silent S. Hear each one said the right way.
Food words people mispronounce
Quinoa, gnocchi, bruschetta, acai: menu words that trip everyone up. Hear each one correctly.
Brand names
Nike, Adidas, Hyundai, Porsche: the official way to say the brands everyone gets wrong.
Colour words
Turquoise, beige, fuchsia, mauve: colour names borrowed from French with tricky vowels.
Sports words
Lacrosse, peloton, judo, pommel: sporting vocabulary with borrowed and irregular sounds.
French loanwords
Rendezvous, croissant, entrepreneur, faux pas: French words English kept and half-anglicised.
Keep practising
Browse every practice list, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.