Pronunciation · Word list
Words with fewer syllables than they look
In short
Every word here has fewer syllables in speech than in spelling. Sounding the extra vowel is not careful English: it is the clearest marker of a reader who has not heard the word said aloud, and it makes connected speech harder to follow, not easier.
The pattern
If you can hear a vowel that fluent speakers delete, you are adding a syllable. Count the beats, not the letters.
All 15 words
Tap the speaker to hear it, or open a word for the full breakdown, both accents and a recording drill.
- comfortableKUMF-tuh-bulˈkʌmftəbl · 3 syllablesOften said as kom-FOR-tuh-bul — four syllables with the stress in the middle
- vegetableVEJ-tuh-bulˈvedʒtəbl · 3 syllablesOften said as ve-ge-TA-ble — four syllables, sounding the second e
- chocolateCHOK-lutˈtʃɒklət · 2 syllablesOften said as CHOK-oh-late — three syllables with a full “late” at the end
- interestingIN-truh-stingˈɪntrəstɪŋ · 3 syllablesOften said as in-ter-EST-ing — four syllables with the stress in the middle
- temperatureTEM-pruh-chuhˈtemprətʃə · 3 syllablesOften said as tem-pe-ra-TURE — four syllables ending like the word “tour”
- restaurantRES-trontˈrestrɒnt · 2 syllablesOften said as res-tau-RANT — three syllables with a full “rant” at the end
- businessBIZ-nusˈbɪznəs · 2 syllablesOften said as BIZ-ee-nes — three syllables, built from “busy” plus “ness”
- cameraKAM-ruhˈkæmrə · 2 syllablesOften said as ka-ME-ra — three syllables with stress in the middle
- differentDIF-runtˈdɪfrənt · 2 syllablesOften said as DIF-fe-rent — three syllables, sounding the middle e
- familyFAM-leeˈfæmli · 2 syllablesOften said as fa-MI-ly — stressing the middle syllable
- everyEV-reeˈevri · 2 syllablesOften said as EV-uh-ree — three syllables
- literatureLIT-ruh-chuhˈlɪtrətʃə · 3 syllablesOften said as li-te-ra-TURE — four syllables ending like “tour”
- secretarySEK-ruh-treeˈsekrətri · 3 syllablesOften said as sek-re-TA-ree — four syllables with middle stress
- laboratoryluh-BO-ruh-treeləˈbɒrətri · 4 syllablesOften said as LAB-or-a-tor-ee — five syllables, or British stress placed on the first syllable
- jewelleryJOO-ul-reeˈdʒuːəlri · 3 syllablesOften said as joo-uh-LER-ee — four syllables with stress on the third
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common words with fewer syllables than they look in English?
This list covers 15: comfortable, vegetable, chocolate, interesting, temperature, restaurant, business, camera, and more. Each has its own page with IPA, a syllable breakdown, audio in both accents, and a recording drill.
Is there a rule behind words with fewer syllables than they look?
If you can hear a vowel that fluent speakers delete, you are adding a syllable. Count the beats, not the letters.
Do I need to fix all of these for IELTS?
No. IELTS scores intelligibility, not word-perfect accuracy, and it accepts every standard accent. Fix the words you actually use, starting with the frequent ones: a mispronounced everyday word costs far more than a mispronounced rare one.
Other word lists
Next step
Get scored on these 15 words
Every word above has a free recording drill, and SpeakMetry's Pronunciation Coach turns whatever you get wrong into a daily plan built on your own weak sounds.
Try it free