Difficult English words to pronounce

1.

literature [ltrt] n., written artistic works, especially those with a high and lasting
artistic value; pieces of writing or printed information on a particular subject:
- Im studying Russian literature.
- Several cases of mercury poisoning have been recorded in the literature.
- It's important to keep up-to-date with the literature in your field.
- Could you send me your literature on/about car insurance policies, please?
- It's in literature that true life can be found. It's under the mask of fiction that you can tell the
truth. Gao Xingjian
- Every man's work, whether it be literature, or music or pictures or architecture or anything
else, is always a portrait of himself. Samuel Butler

2.

- Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the
night with the other. Anton Chekhov
rarely [rrl] adv., not very often:
- We rarely go to the beach.
- She is rarely seen in public nowadays.
- We rarely agree on what to do.
- The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Oscar Wilde

3.

- One of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician's objective. Election
and power are. Cal Thomas
- People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing. Dale Carnegie
situation [sten] n., a combination of all the things that are happening and all the
conditions that exist at a particular time in a particular place:
- Its a difficult situation.
- I'm in a no-win situation (= whatever I do will be bad for me).
- Flexible working hours are a win-win situation for employers and employees.
- It's a chicken and egg situation I dont know whether I was bad at the science because I

4.

wasnt interested in them or not interested in them and therefore not good at them.
- Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation. Michael Jordan
- When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.
Viktor E. Frankl
little [ltl] adj.; adv., small in size or amount:
- Which do you want? I'll take the little one.
- I added a little bit of pepper to the recipe.
- With a little bit of luck we should finish by five o'clock.
- It'll only take a little while to clear up the kitchen.
- His English is improving little by little.
- A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the
credit. Arnold H. Glasow
- I think it's important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy. Paula
Cole
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Difficult English words to pronounce

5.

- Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little
things. Frank A. Clark
disadvantage [dsdvntd] n., something that causes problems, or that makes someone or
something less likely to be successful or effective:
- One disadvantage of living in a big city is the pollution/the lack of safe places for the
children to play.
- There are some big disadvantages to marriage - you do lose a lot of your freedom.
- Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.
- This new law places/puts poorer families at a disadvantage.
- Do you know, it's funny, but I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage, and I never

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thought of being black as a disadvantage. Stevie Wonder

- Although spoken English doesn't obey the rules of written language, a person who doesn't
know the rules thoroughly is at a great disadvantage. Marilyn vos Savant
disadvantageous [dsdvnteds] adj., unfavourable and likely to cause problems for
you [ advantageous]:
- The deal will not be disadvantageous to your company.
- Minority groups find themselves in a disadvantageous position.

7.

- The current system is disadvantageous to women.

- They might have to resell the property at a disadvantageous time.
world [wld] n., the Earth and all the people, places and things on it:
- The Taj Mahal attracts visitors from around the world.
- News of the disaster in Nepal shocked the whole/entire world.
- What a restaurant - the food was out of this world!
- It requires the complete development of a tennis player's technical, physical and mental
skills to become a world class tennis player.
- Change your thoughts and you change your world. Norman Vincent Peale
- You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

8.

- This world is but a canvas to our imagination. Henry David Thoreau

- To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest
accomplishment. Ralph Waldo Emerson
thoroughly [ol] adv., very much; completely:
- I'm thoroughly confused.
- Food must be reheated thoroughly.
- It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. Jerome K.
Jerome
- No man can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself.
James Russell Lowell
- I live right in the middle of nowhere and I thoroughly enjoy it. Tom Felton
- Thoroughly read all your contracts. I really mean thoroughly. Bret Michaels
- I love my job, and I'm a lucky girl. I thoroughly enjoy going to work. Lara Pulver
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Difficult English words to pronounce

9.

refrigerator [rfrdret] n., a piece of electrical equipment in which food is kept cold so that
it stays fresh [= fridge]:
- Theres fresh fruit salad in the refrigerator.
- Don't forget to put the milk back in the refrigerator.
- Milk should be kept in the refrigerator.
- My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the
refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you? Erma Bombeck

10. truth [tru] n., the true facts about something, rather than what is untrue, imagined, or guessed:
- You should always tell the truth.
- To tell (you) the truth, I was frightened to death.
- If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. Mark Twain
- A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. Mark
Twain
- Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it. Mark Twain
- The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. Gloria Steinem
- In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. George Orwell
11. influence [nflns] n. & v., to have an effect on the way that someone behaves or thinks,
especially by giving them an example to follow:
- Do you think that music can influence society?
- Those friends are a good/bad influence on her.
- Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of
either success or failure in the mind of another. Napoleon Hill
- We never know which lives we influence, or when, or why. Stephen King
- The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one
who prays. Soren Kierkegaard [srn krkrd]
12. unfortunately [nfrtntl] adv., used to say that something is sad, disappointing or has a bad
effect:
- Unfortunately, it looks like its going to rain all weekend.
- Unfortunately, my time is limited.
- Unfortunately, in some parts of the country, some kids are taught at an early age that being
different is somehow bad or wrong or worthy of ridicule. Matt Bomer
- I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government.
Woody Allen
- I unfortunately still crave chicken McNuggets and bacon, which is the meat candy of the
world. Katy Perry
13. throughout [ruat] prep. & adv., in every part, or during the whole period of time:
- There have been power outages throughout the state.
- The museum is open daily throughout the year.
- Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal
with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too. Will Smith
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Difficult English words to pronounce

- The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.
Robert M. Hutchins
14. vocabulary [vkbjlr] n., all the words that a person knows or uses:
- Id like to improve my vocabulary.
- Failure isn't an option. I've erased the word 'fear' from my vocabulary, and I think when you
erase fear, you can't fail. Alicia Keys
- I like a woman who has a vocabulary larger than 'shoes' and 'handbags.' But a nice pair of
legs to go in the shoes is always good, too. Kirk Acevedo
- The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give you an
understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary. J. K.
Rowling
15. sixth [sks] ordinal number, 6th written as a word:
- My birthday is on November 6th.
- My sixth sense told me to stay here and wait.
- England were/came sixth in the 100 metres.
- Money is like a sixth sense without which you cannot make a complete use of the other five.
W. Somerset Maugham
16. particularly [ptkjll] adv., especially, or more than usual:
- We're particularly interested to hear from people who speak two or more European
languages.
-Did you enjoy it? No, not particularly (= not very much).
- The restaurant is particularly popular with young people.
- My name is Adam Sandler. I'm not particularly talented. I'm not particularly good-looking.
And yet I'm a multi-millionaire.
- Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. Henry Ford
- I am not a particularly thick-skinned person. J. K. Rowling
17. incomprehensible [nkmprhnsbl] adj., impossible or extremely difficult to understand:
- He found his son's actions/attitude totally incomprehensible.
- His accent made his speech incomprehensible to me.
- The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible. Albert
Einstein
- Credit card agreements run as long as 30 pages, and it's 30 pages of largely
incomprehensible text. Elizabeth Warren
18. differentiate [dfrnet] v., to show or find the difference between things which are
compared; to make someone or something different:
- It's important to differentiate between fact and opinion.
- How does one differentiate between friends and business contacts?
- The superb exterior differentiates this house from others in the area.
- It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for
learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them. Leo
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Difficult English words to pronounce

Buscaglia
19. successfully [skssfl] adv., achieving the results wanted or hoped for; having achieved a
lot, become popular and/or made a lot of money:
- He successfully completed a master's degree.

- Spaghetti can be eaten most successfully if you inhale it like a vacuum cleaner. Sophia
Loren
- We won't let you down. We will work together and successfully complete this mission.
Liu Yang
- By going over your day in imagination before you begin it, you can begin acting
successfully at any moment. Dorothea Brande
20. revolutionary [rvlunr] adj., completely new and having a great effect; involved in
or relating to a revolution:
- Penicillin was a revolutionary drug.
- The effects of technological development are revolutionary.
- Hes a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for.
- The new cancer drug is a revolutionary breakthrough.
21. technological [tknldkl] adj., relating to, or involving, technology:
- The steam engine was the greatest technological advance of the 19th century.
- Technological advances in computing and telecommunications have reduced the need for
many people to travel to work.
- The Internet, like the steam engine, is a technological breakthrough that changed the world.
Peter Singer
- Our technological powers increase, but the side effects and potential hazards also escalate.
Alvin Toffler
- Technological progress is like an axe in the hands of a pathological criminal. Albert
Einstein
22. circumstance [skmstns] n., the conditions that affect a situation, action, event etc.;
events that change your life, over which you have no control:
- Under the circumstances, it seemed better not to tell him about the accident.
- The Soviet Union had been forced by circumstances to sign a pact with Nazi Germany.
- They were victims of circumstance.
- Stop blaming outside circumstances for your inside chaos.
- Happiness has to do with your mindset, not with outside circumstance. Steve Maraboli
23. indestructible [ndstrktbl] adj., impossible to destroy or break:
- These plastic cups are virtually(= almost) indestructible.
- We have an indestructible bond of friendship.
- When you're indestructible, then nothing is a threat really. So nothing needs to be taken that
seriously. Joseph Morgan
- The body is sort of a pain. It has to go to the bathroom. It has to be comfortable. But the
spirit is indestructible. It can move at the speed of light. Robert Ballard
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Difficult English words to pronounce

24. synchronization [skrnzen] n., [= sync, informal for synchronization] to happen at

exactly the same time, or to arrange for two or more actions to happen at exactly the same
time:
- The military units synchronized their operations.
- We'd better synchronize our watches (= make them show exactly the same time) if we all
want to be there at the same time.
- The two mechanisms have to work in sync.
- His opinions were in sync with those of his colleagues.
- If people aren't in sync, things won't work out well. Stephen Hopkins
- Markets are frequently ahead of, and often out of sync with, the economy. Barry Ritholtz
25. archeological [rkldkl] adj., the study of cultures of the past, and of periods of history, by
examining the remains of buildings and objects found in the ground:
- The Huilaili archaeological site in Taichung City stands at the crossroads of economic
development and cultural preservation.
26. indistinguishable [ndstgwbl] adj., if two things are indistinguishable, or one is
indistinguishable from the other, it is impossible to see any differences between them:
- These forgeries are so good that they are more or less indistinguishable from the originals.
- Replica weapons are indistinguishable from the real thing.
- Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost
indistinguishable. David Augsburger
- The Japanese have perfected good manners and made them indistinguishable from rudeness.
Paul Theroux
27. characteristically [krktrstkl] adv., typical of a person or thing:
- Characteristically, Helen paid for everyone.
- The city is characteristically Portuguese in the construction and style of its buildings.
28. familiarity [fmlrt] n., a good knowledge of something, or the fact that you know it so
well:
- I love the familiarity of my old chair.
- When she saw the house, she had a feeling of familiarity.
- Ellen's familiarity with pop music is astonishing.
- No question, there is a familiarity with reading Rotellas books.
- There's some familiarity in Celtic music, even if you've never heard that piece of music
before. Nobuo Uematsu
29. fifth [ff] ordinal number, 5th written as a word:
- They'd made her feel like a fifth/third wheel.
- I don't like living with my son and daughter-in-law. I feel like a fifth wheel.
- Bill always begs to come on camping trips with us, but really, he's a fifth wheel.
- I feel like such a fifth wheel around here.
- A man snatches the first kiss, pleads for the second, demands the third, takes the fourth,
accepts the fifth - and endures all the rest. Helen Rowland
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