English, the most widely spoken language in the world, serves as a universal bridge for communication. In India , Hindi and English hold official status and are used extensively in professional and social settings.
Yet, many Hindi speakers find the pronunciation of certain English words challenging , often due to differences in speech patterns, grammar rules, rhythm, and stress between the two languages.
Mastering clear pronunciation goes beyond just spelling words correctly ; it’s key to effective communication. How you speak can shape social connections, boost confidence in conversations, and leave a strong impression in professional settings .
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most challenging English words for Hindi speakers and provide practical tips to pronounce them more accurately. With these strategies, you can refine your English accent and enhance your fluency.
1. These /ðiːz/ This word refers to things close to you. "These" is tricky for native Hindi speakers because of its initial voiced dental fricative /ð/, a sound absent in Hindi.
Instead, it is common for native Hindi speakers to say "tese," substituting /ð/ with the closest Hindi sound, "t."
Pronouncing /ð/ involves creating a vibration between the tongue and the upper front teeth. Place your tongue between your front teeth and gently exhale to make this sound, alongside a vibration of the vocal cords .
2. Gratitude /ɡrætɪtuːd/ The word gratitude throws Hindi speakers a curveball with its stress pattern .
This word generally means "the feeling of being thankful." Indian languages tend to have a more even stress distribution across syllables compared to English, where stress patterns depend on the word.
In the word "gratitude," the stress is placed on the first syllable: GRAT-i-tude.
3. Think /θɪŋk/ Thinking is the act of using one’s mind to critically consider something.
This word is one of the most difficult English words for non native speakers because the /θ/ sound is nonexistent in many languages. Hindi speakers often replace this sound with "t" or "s" , hence pronouncing think as "tink" or even "sink."
To pronounce the /θ/ sound, position your tongue between your upper and lower front teeth. Next, allow a small amount of air to pass through the gap and produce an unvoiced, soft sound.
Watch as BoldVoice Coach Eliza teaches how to correctly produce the unvoiced "th" sound:
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4. Thank /θæŋk/ Meaning "to express gratitude," thank is one of the hard English words for Hindi speakers because of the /θ/ and short /æ/ sounds. Since we've already addressed the voiceless "th," we will focus on the /æ/ sound.
Open your mouth moderately, position your tongue low and towards the front, and produce a short, relaxed vowel sound .
Take a look at BoldVoice Coach Ron demonstrating the /æ/ sound:
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5. Those /ðoʊz/ Like "these," this word, meaning "things further away," is difficult because of the initial /ð/ sound.
Hindi speakers might substitute the word "those" with "doze," adopting the "d" pronunciation.
To practice proper American English pronunciation , take it slow and practice with minimal pairs "those" and "doze" to develop your "th" sound .
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6. Noisy /nɔɪzi/ "Noisy," an adjective to describe something that makes a lot of noise, is one of the hardest words for Hindi speakers to say in English. They sometimes pronounce it as "no-zee," simplifying the diphthong "oi" to a more straightforward "o" sound.
The ideal "oi" sound in noise starts with rounded lips and a mid-open tongue position for the "ɔ" sound. Next, swiftly transition to the short "ɪ" sound. This sound is also present in words like "oil," "boy," and "toy."
BoldVoice Coach Eliza is here with a detailed explanation of the /ɔɪ/ diphthong:
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7. Soldier /soʊlʤər/ A soldier is a person who serves in an army.
This word is one of the hardest English words for Hindi speakers because of the /dʒ/ sound in the final syllable. They often end up replacing the /dʒ/ sound with the fricative sound /ʒ/ .
This often results in a pronunciation closer to "soljer" when Hindu natives say the word.
To pronounce the /dʒ/ sound, place your tongue against your upper front teeth, then build up pressure and release it. To pronounce this sound like a native English speaker, go slowly and be sure to pronounce each element of the affricate: both /d/ and /ʒ/.
8. Tell /tɛl/ Many Indians tend to pronounce the word "tell" as "tale" due to the absence of the /ɛ/ sound in their native language.
"Tell" refers to speaking to someone and giving them information, while a "tale" is a story.
To pronounce the short /ɛ/ sound as in the word "tell," open your mouth moderately and position your tongue lower and towards the front. Next, produce a brief "eh" sound without rounding your lips.
9. Wine /waɪn/ The notorious W-V mixup comes into play when many Hindu and Urdu speakers try to pronounce "wine." This is a result of the absence of the "w" sound in Hindi, which leads to a pronunciation closer to "vine."
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes and it is one of the hard English words for Hindi speakers. To pronounce the "w" in "wine," round your lips and create a narrow gap. Also, engage your vocal cords, release air gently through the rounded gap, and voice the sound.
Take a look at BoldVoice Coach Ron demonstrating the sound, and practice with minimal pairs to work through pronunciation challenges:
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10. Coat /koʊt/ This word, meaning an outerwear garment, makes our list of the hardest English words to pronounce for Hindi speakers.
This is because of the long /oʊ/ diphthong present in the word. Hindi speakers might pronounce “coat" as "kote," replacing the /oʊ/ with a simpler /o/ in Hindi pronunciation.
The correct pronunciation involves rounding your lips for the long /o/ and then smoothly gliding to the /ʊ/ vowel sound before producing the "t" sound.
11. Dorm /dɔːrm/ A dorm is a room for sleeping in a boarding school, college, or even a hostel.
This word has a long /ɔː/ vowel and often Hindu speakers incorrectly shorten the sound, causing confusion when conversing with other English speakers.
Native English speakers pronounce the /ɔː/ sound by rounding their lips, opening their mouth moderately, and placing the tongue in a central position. The goal is to produce a long, sustained sound .
12. Mate /meɪt/ In the word "mate," we find another diphthong—the /eɪ/ diphthong.
Since diphthongs pose pronunciation challenges for Hindi speakers, it's natural to simplify "mate" into "met." In English, "mate" means friend or companion (largely used in Australian and UK slang ), and "met" means to have encountered someone or something in the past tense.
To accurately pronounce the /eɪ/ diphthong, begin by opening your mouth moderately, producing the "eh" sound. Then, seamlessly transition into the "ay" sound without any interruption. Ensure your mouth maintains a slightly open position for optimal clarity.
13. House /haʊs/ A house is a building for human habitation. Hindi speakers may occasionally replace the English voiceless "s" sound with the voiced "z" sound . This is because they do not have the distinction between the two sounds in their native language.
"House" is one of the hard English words for Hindi speakers and their final pronunciation is often "houz."
To correctly pronounce the /s/ sound, place the tip of your tongue close to the upper front teeth, create a narrow gap for airflow, and produce a crisp, unvoiced hissing sound. Ensure your vocal cords remain relaxed and do not vibrate during the pronunciation.
If you struggle with the /s/ sound, follow BoldVoice Coach Ron's brief lesson:
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However, the word "house" is actually an interesting case—when used as a noun, it's pronounced with the /s/ sound, but when it's a verb, it uses the /z/ sound instead. As in, "This apartment complex houses fifteen residents."
14. Street /stɹiːt/ Hindi does not have as many consonant clusters as English does, and Hindi speakers are not accustomed to pronouncing them. The "str" sound in "street" may hence come forth as "sutreet" or "sutret" in some cases, with an extra vowel sound incorrectly inserted.
Articulating English consonant clusters involves smoothly linking individual sounds. For the "str" sound in "street," practice transitioning from "s" to "t," and finally "r," without inserting unnecessary sounds (most commonly the schwa vowel ).
15. Sheep /ʃiːp/ Minimal pairs tend to pose some problems for people learning English, particularly when it comes to vowel sounds .
Not knowing when to use /i:/ or /i/ sounds is the reason why Hindi speakers might mispronounce "sheep" as "ship." A sheep is a domesticated ruminant mammal and it requires the sustained or elongated "ee" sound to achieve correct pronunciation and avoid confusion with native English speakers.
Improve English Pronunciation with BoldVoice As we’ve seen, some of the hardest English words for Hindi speakers are common, everyday terms.
Subtle pronunciation differences, like those between "mate" and "met" or "wine" and "vine" can often change the meaning of a word entirely. For Hindi speakers, mastering English pronunciation requires a deeper understanding of these nuances and a willingness to tackle these challenges head-on.
Refining your pronunciation starts with listening to and mimicking native English speakers. Engaging in activities like tongue twisters , practicing minimal pairs, and seeking feedback from experts can make a significant difference. Additionally, using targeted tools can accelerate your progress.
That’s where BoldVoice comes in. With tailored exercises, real-time feedback, and lessons from Hollywood speech experts, the BoldVoice app helps you overcome pronunciation barriers and speak English with confidence.
Take the first step toward clearer and more precise pronunciation—sign up for BoldVoice’s seven day free trial today!
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