What do you do when you’re used to pronouncing a certain word in a certain way and then have to relearn how to pronounce it? How do you make the new pronunciation stick? Especially when that word is very common and you use it all the time.
One example for such a case is the days of the week. Consider the following:
Monday
Don’t let the spelling fool you. The letter ‘o’ is actually pronounced here as the cup sound.
And the stress is on the first syllable:
muhn-dei [IPA: ˈmʌn.deɪ]
Tuesday
This word actually has several pronunciations, so you should choose the one you’re most comfortable with. Either way, the stress is on the first syllable:
- tyuwz-dei [IPA: ˈtjuzdeɪ]
- tuwz-dei [IPA: ˈtuzdeɪ]
- chuwz-dei [IPA: ˈtʃuzdeɪ]
Wednesday
It only looks like a three-syllable word but it actually has only two syllables. Go figure 🙂
The stress, as usual (when it comes to the days of the week), is on the first syllable:
wenz-dei [IPA: ˈwɛnzdeɪ]
Now, to really internalize the right pronunciation of these words, you have to come up with your own sentences and practice saying them out loud. For example:
- I’m off this Monday.
- I’ll see you on Tuesday.
- My French class is on Wednesday.
To understand this method better, review my Pronunciation Confidence Method.
Watch the video below to learn how to pronounce the other days of the week:
