One of the hardest languages in the world to learn is English, in part because of its strange spelling system. With words adapted from a variety of different original alphabets and tongues \u2013 including Latin, French, and German \u2013 there is little consistency in grammar rules within English. As a result, it can be very hard for people to learn how to read and write in English, even if they already speak fluent oral English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, there are some words that most people can pretty quickly pick up: phonetic words. Phonetic words are words that are spelled how they sound. For instance, CAT is a phonetic word. Most people who know the English letters and the sounds they make can figure out how to spell CAT based on hearing it. Most phonetic words are short: as words get longer, they\u2019re more likely to incorporate difficult letter combos. However, there are some long phonetic words as well. Here\u2019s a list of ten of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is a pretty obvious one: a strawberry <\/em>is a type of red berry which is commonly eaten in North America and around the world. Pick up a pint at your next grocery store run, or feel comfortable ordering a strawberry smoothie at a restaurant knowing this word is hard to mispronounce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking it back to elementary school days. A yardstick<\/em> is a measuring tool that is three feet, or one yard, long. It also usually has markings for inches, so you can see how badly you mangled cutting your construction paper for your craft. But at least it\u2019s hard to mangle the pronunciation of this word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jump on the bandwagon with this easy-to-pronounce term. Bandcamp is an online app that is used for music distribution. Or, alternatively, it can refer to the week you spent in the searing sun every August before high school started, marching in muddy fields and practicing your trombone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This one\u2019s a little shorter, but it\u2019s worth noting because it might surprise you. Eleven <\/em>\u2013 yes, the number between ten and twelve \u2013 is actually phonetic. Try to pronounce it and you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term garments<\/em> means “an item of clothing.” But though people can struggle to say “clothes,” garments is a really easy word to pick up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n