Because we are a language education company, we always pay attention to correct pronunciation. It’s not always easy though. This list shows the most searched places in the world for correct pronunciation. You’ll be surprised at some of them – we were!
For correct pronunciation, conversation and grammar in Spanish, Italian and English, click HERE to get more information on our individual and corporate classes.
- Cannes, France
Correct pronunciation: KAN or KAN-uh
Incorrect: CON or CONZ or CON-es - River Thames, London, England
Correct pronunciation: TEMZ
Incorrect: THAYMZ - Yosemite National Park, USA
Correct pronunciation: yoh-SEH-muh-dee or yoh-SEH-muh-tee
Incorrect: yoh-SEH-mi-nee or YOH-se-might - Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Correct pronunciation: LOO-vruh
Incorrect: LOOV or LOO-vray or LOO-vraa or LOO-ver - Versailles, France
Correct pronunciation: vair-SIGH
Incorrect: ver-SALES or ver-SAY-les - Seychelles, East Africa
Correct pronunciation: SAY-shellz
Incorrect: say-CHE-les - Ibiza, Spain
Correct pronunciation: ee-BEE-tha
Incorrect: ih-BEE-za or eye-BEE-tha or ee-BEE-za - Phuket, Thailand
Correct pronunciation: poo-KET
Incorrect: FUE-ket or fue-KET or FUH-ket - Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda
Correct pronunciation: an-TEE-guh
Incorrect: an-TEE-gwah - Dubai, UAE
Correct pronunciation: doo-BAY
Incorrect: doo-BYE - Oaxaca, Mexico
Correct pronunciation: wah-HAH-kah
Incorrect: OAK-suh-kuh or oh-AX-uh-cuh - Maldives
Correct pronunciation: MULL-deevz
Incorrect: mal-DIVES or MAL-deevz or MOLE-deevz - Laos
Correct pronunciation: LOUSE (like “blouse”) or LOU (like “loud”)
Incorrect: LAY-os or LA-ose or LOSS - Beijing, China
Correct pronunciation: bay-JING
Incorrect: beige-ING - Seoul, South Korea
Correct pronunciation: SUH-ool or SOLE
Incorrect: SEE-ole or see-ULE - Reykjavik, Iceland
Correct pronunciation: RAKE-yah-veek
Incorrect: RAKE-juh-vick - Worcester, England (or Massachusets!)
Correct pronunciation: WUSS-tuh or WUSS-ter
Incorrect: WAR-chest-er or WAR-cess-ter - Budapest, Hungary
Correct pronunciation: boo-da-PESHT
Incorrect: boo-da-PEST or BOO-da-pest - Qatar
Correct pronunciation: KUH-ter
Incorrect: kuh-TAAR or KAT-aar - Edinburgh, Scotland
Correct pronunciation: ED-in-bruh or ED-in-bur-uh
Incorrect: ED-in-berg or ED-in-buh-row or EED-in-berg
How Difficult is it to Learn a New Language?
The short answer is: it depends on the language you choose and how close it is to your native language. Other factors are:
- How complex is your new language?
- How many hours a week can you devote to learning the language?
- Your Motivation
- Your language learning resources
Here’s a list of common languages that are easiest and hardest to learn for English speakers with the population of native speakers .
| Easy – 23-24 weeks 575-600 class hours: Spanish 329 million Portuguese 178 million French 67.8 million Italian 61.7 million Romanian 23.4 million Dutch 21.7 million Swedish 8.3 million Afrikaans 4.9 million Norwegian 4.6 million |
Medium 44 weeks 1,110 class hours Hindi 182 million Russian 144 million Vietnamese 68.6 million Turkish 50.8 million Polish 40 million Thai 20.4 million Serbian 16.4 million Greek 13.1 million Hebrew 5.3 million Finnish 5 million |
Hard – 88 weeks 2,200 class hours Arabic 221 million Chinese 1.2 billion Japanese 122 million Korean 66.3 million |
At Luminoso Language Services we make learning Spanish and beginners Italian fun and easy. To get started, fill out our form. We look forward to hearing from you!
All data from U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute
Improve Your Spanish During the Day
People ask, “How do I improve my Spanish aside from taking lessons?” One answer is to integrate Spanish into your daily routine. Here are some easy ways to do it on and offline:
- Lots of websites have English/Spanish versions. Read them first in Spanish, then look at the English to see how you did.
- Read a Spanish language newspaper online or in print.
- When you’re watching TV, watch movies or shows in Spanish. Turn on English subtitles to help your understanding if people are talking too fast.
- Read a book in Spanish. Here’s a link to Don Quixote in English and Spanish or pick a book you know well and read it in Spanish with your English copy close by.
- Are you a gamer? You can find Spanish language versions of your games online.
- Listen to podcasts in Spanish. Do the people speak too fast? Here’s a site that has slow, intermediate, and advanced podcasts News in Slow Spanish
- Pay attention when you’re out. Lots of stores and public places have multilingual signs and brochures you can read alongside English versions.
- Use different colored sticky notes to label objects around your house, it will help your vocabulary and brighten up your home!
- If you’re a list person, write your lists in Spanish.
- Join or find a Spanish speaking group.
- Don’t be shy! If you’re talking with a person who speaks Spanish, step up to the plate and talk to them – you’ll be amazed at how much you know!
These are some easy ways to integrate Spanish into your life and build confidence speaking a second language. For comprehensive, personal lessons online, click here and we’ll be in touch soon.
Google celebra a la letra Ñ/Google celebrates the letter Ñ
Por primera vez en la historia, los dominios web de toda España podrán incluir la letra Ñ, un bastión de la lengua española.
Onomatopéyica y soñadora, la letra Ñ es el grafema número 25 del alfabeto arábigo. A diferencia de la creencia popular, el sonido no es exclusivo del idioma español. Por el contrario, también se emplea en el guaraní, chamorro y quechua, así como otras lenguas nativas de Europa. Hoy, Google la celebra como parte de la riqueza lingüística del mundo.
¿De dónde viene el gorrito de la letra Ñ?
Al día de hoy, según El País, se tiene registro de más de 15 mil 700 palabras que contienen a la letra Ñ en su constitución. A pesar de que otros idiomas utilizan el fonema /eñe/ para expresar ciertos términos, el símbolo de la Ñ sólo se usa en el español.
Google celebrates the letter Ñ
For the first time in history, web domains throughout Spain will be able to include the letter Ñ, a bastion of the Spanish language.
Onomatopoeic and dreamy, the letter Ñ is the grapheme number 25 of the Arabic alphabet. Contrary to popular belief, the sound is not unique to the Spanish language. On the contrary, it is also used in Guaraní, Chamorro and Quechua, as well as other native languages of Europe. Today, Google celebrates it as part of the world’s linguistic wealth.
Where does the hat with the letter Ñ come from?
As of today, according to El País, there is a record of more than 15,700 words that contain the letter Ñ in its constitution. Although other languages use the phoneme / eñe / to express certain terms, the symbol for Ñ is only used in Spanish.
El Día de Muertos/The Day of the Dead
El Día de Muertos es una celebración tradicional mexicana y en general mesoamericana que honra a los muertos. Tiene lugar los días 1 y 2 de noviembre y está vinculada a las celebraciones católicas de Día de los Fieles Difuntos y Todos los Santos.
Es una festividad que se celebra en México y en menor grado en países de América Central, así como en muchas comunidades de los Estados Unidos, donde existe una gran población mexicana. En el 2008 la Unesco declaró la festividad como Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de la Humanidad de México.
El paso de la vida a la muerte es un momento emblemático que ha causado admiración, temor e incertidumbre al ser humano a través de la historia. Por muchos años, en diversas culturas se han generado creencias en torno a la muerte que han logrado desarrollar toda una serie de ritos y tradiciones ya sea para venerarla, honrarla, espantarla e incluso para burlarse de ella. México es un país rico en cultura y tradiciones; uno de los principales aspectos que conforman su identidad como nación es la concepción que se tiene sobre la vida, la muerte y todas las tradiciones y creencias que giran en torno a ellas.
Festividades que se consideran precursoras del Día de Muertos en México son anteriores a la llegada de los españoles. Hay registro de celebraciones en las etnias mexica, maya, purépecha y totonaca. Los rituales que celebran la vida de los ancestros se realizan en estas civilizaciones desde la época precolombina. Entre los pueblos prehispánicos era común la práctica de conservar los cráneos como trofeos y mostrarlos durante los rituales que simbolizaban la muerte. No obstante, la antropóloga Elsa Malvido ha cuestionado la explicación del origen prehispánico del Día de muertos, destacando la continuidad de tradiciones surgidas en la Europa medieval.
Hay que destacar que esta celebración no es propia de todos los mexicanos puesto que, pese a ser una fiesta que se ha convertido en un símbolo nacional y que como tal es enseñada (con fines educativos) en las escuelas del país, existen muchas familias que son más apegadas a celebrar el “Día de todos los Santos” como lo hacen en otros países católicos. Además, cabe mencionar la fuerte influencia de los Estados Unidos que, al menos en zonas fronterizas, se evidencia con la presencia de la fiesta conocida como Halloween, la cual se celebra cada año con más frecuencia y en un mayor número de hogares. De ahí también que exista una inquietud entre los propios mexicanos de querer preservar el Día de Muertos como parte de la cultura mexicana sobre otras celebraciones parecidas.
The Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican and generally Mesoamerican celebration that honors the dead. It takes place on November 1 and 2 and is linked to the Catholic celebrations of Day of the Faithful and All Saints.
It is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and to a lesser extent in Central American countries, as well as in many communities in the United States, where there is a large Mexican population. In 2008, Unesco declared the festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of Mexico.
The passage from life to death is an emblematic moment that has caused admiration, fear and uncertainty to people throughout history. For many years, beliefs about death have been generated in various cultures that have managed to develop a whole series of rites and traditions to venerate, honor, scare and even make fun of her. Mexico is a country rich in culture and traditions; One of the main aspects that make up its identity as a nation is the conception of life, death and all the traditions and beliefs that revolve around them.
Festivities that are considered precursors of the Day of the Dead in Mexico are prior to the arrival of the Spanish. There is a record of celebrations in the Mexican, Mayan, Purépecha and Totonaca ethnic groups. The rituals that celebrate the life of the ancestors are performed in these civilizations since pre-Columbian times. The practice of preserving skulls as trophies and displaying them during rituals symbolizing death was common among pre-Hispanic peoples. However, the anthropologist Elsa Malvido has questioned the explanation of the pre-Hispanic origin of the Day of the Dead, highlighting the continuity of traditions that emerged in medieval Europe.
It should be noted that this celebration is not typical of all Mexicans since, despite being a holiday that has become a national symbol and that as such is taught (for educational purposes) in the country’s schools, there are many families that they are more attached to celebrating “All Saints’ Day” as they do in other Catholic countries. In addition, it is worth mentioning the strong influence of the United States that, at least in border areas, is evidenced by the presence of Halloween, which is celebrated every year more frequently and in a greater number of homes. Hence also there is a concern among Mexicans themselves of wanting to preserve the Day of the Dead as part of Mexican culture over other similar celebrations.
British or American? What kind of accent do you have when you speak English/¿Británico o americano? Qué tipo de acento tienes cuando hablas inglés
¿Británico o americano? Qué tipo de acento tienes cuando hablas inglés
El idioma más hablado del mundo tiene muchas variaciones, y seguramente tú tienes un acento en especial que no has notado. Descúbrelo aquí:
¿Sabías que un cuarto de la población que habita el planeta Tierra habla inglés? Pero no todos hablan el mismo tipo.
De los cerca de 375 millones de hablantes nativos del inglés en 54 estados soberanos y 27 entidades no soberanas en todo el mundo, el mayor porcentaje se encuentra en la llamada “Anglosfera”: Reino Unido, Canadá, Australia, Irlanda y Nueva Zelanda; aunque también existen hablantes nativos en Sudáfrica, Singapur, Nigeria e incluso en algunas regiones del Caribe.
Al hablarse en tantos lugares, el inglés se ha visto influenciado por aspectos sociales, políticos y culturales, lo que ha dado como resultado un lenguaje con variaciones locales que son entendidas entre locales, pero para los visitantes puede resultar casi inteligibles e imposibles de hablar.
Estas son las características de las cuatro variaciones principales:
Inglés británico: suena elegante y engloba las diferentes regiones de Reino Unido, tales como el inglés de Inglaterra (que abarca variaciones del sur, de West Country, de East Midlands y del norte); el de Ulster, en Irlanda del Norte; el galés y el escocés. Es la variante dominante en la mayoría de Europa y, debido al colonialismo, en ciertos países africanos y del sur de Asia (India, Pakistán y Bangladesh).
Inglés estadounidense: es el conjunto de variedades nativas a los Estados Unidos de América. Si bien su escritura es prácticamente la misma en todo el país, existen 11 diferenciaciones notables en el lenguaje hablado que incluyen el inglés afroamericano, chicano, del norte interior, del Atlántico central, de la región central, el de Nueva York, el sureño y del oeste. Gracias a su influencia cultural, es la variante preferida en América Latina y el este de Asia (China, Japón y Filipinas).
Inglés canadiense: si bien, hablado suena prácticamente igual al estadounidense, al escrito combina elementos de éste (debido a su proximidad) y del británico (debido a su historia), y cuenta con muchos “canadianismos” o expresiones propias al país.
Inglés australiano y neozelandés: el que se habla en Australia y Nueva Zelanda es muy distinto de otras formas debido a su acento y muchos coloquialismos. Sin embargo, su escritura estándar se ajusta en gran medida al británico.
Para leer el artículo completo, haga clic aquí
British or American? What kind of accent do you have when you speak English
The most spoken language in the world has many variations, and surely you have a special accent that you have not noticed. Discover it here:
Did you know that a quarter of the population that inhabits the planet Earth speaks English? But not all speak the same type.
Of the nearly 375 million native English speakers in 54 sovereign states and 27 non-sovereign entities worldwide, the largest percentage is in the so-called “Anglosphere”: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand; although there are also native speakers in South Africa, Singapore, Nigeria and even in some regions of the Caribbean.
When spoken in so many places, English has been influenced by social, political and cultural aspects, which has resulted in a language with local variations that are understood between locals, but for visitors can be almost intelligible and impossible to talk.
These are the characteristics of the four main variations:
British English: it sounds elegant and encompasses the different regions of the United Kingdom, such as the English of England (covering variations of the South, the West Country, the East Midlands and the North); the one in Ulster, in Northern Ireland; the Welsh and the Scotsman. It is the dominant variant in most of Europe and, due to colonialism, in certain African countries and in South Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh).
American English: is the set of varieties native to the United States of America. While its writing is practically the same throughout the country, there are 11 notable differentiations in spoken language that include Afro-American, Chicano, Inner North, Central Atlantic, Central, New York, Southern, and English. from West. Thanks to its cultural influence, it is the preferred variant in Latin America and East Asia (China, Japan and the Philippines).
Canadian English: although, spoken sounds practically the same as the American, the writing combines elements of it (due to its proximity) and the British (due to its history), and has many “Canadianisms” or expressions of the country.
Australian and New Zealand English: the one spoken in Australia and New Zealand is very different from other forms due to its accent and many colloquialisms. However, its standard writing is largely in line with the British.
Tóxico es la palabra más usada del 2018/Toxic is the most used word of 2018
El diccionario Oxford dio a conocer que la palabra del 2018 es “ tóxico ”, la cual se ha utilizado a nivel mundial para hacer referencia a un estado de ánimo o preocupaciones.
De acuerdo con la Real Academia de la Lengua Española el significado de tóxico es: “Que contiene un veneno o produce envenenamiento“, refiriéndose a una sustancia.
Sin embargo Oxford no eligió esta palabra por su significado, sino porque refleja el estado de ánimo y/o las preocupaciones del año que termina, y que a largo plazo tiene potencial de convertirse en un término con significado cultural.
“En 2018, tóxico agregó muchas cuerdas a su arco envenenado convirtiéndose en un descriptor embriagador de los temas más comentados del año”, observó el diccionario en línea, producido por Oxford University Press.
Entre los subcampeones se encontraba “gaslighting”. Acuñado por la obra de teatro “Gas Light” de 1938 y más tarde famoso por la película de 1944 protagonizada por Ingrid Bergman, como dijo Oxford , significa “la acción de manipular a alguien por medios psicológicos para aceptar un falso”. representación de la realidad o dudando de su propia cordura ”. El diccionario notó su uso frecuente para describir las tácticas empleadas por el presidente Trump.
¿Cómo es el proceso de elección?
La palabra del año se escoge de una lista corta extraída de la evidencia recopilada por un amplio programa de investigación lingüística, incluido el Oxford Corpus, que reúne cada mes aproximadamente 150 millones de palabras en inglés de publicaciones basadas en la web, según su sitio web.
De acuerdo a los datos de búsqueda del sitio web del diccionario, las consultas con respecto a la palabra “tóxico” se han incrementado un 45% en los últimos 12 meses.
Junto con “tóxico” hubo otras palabras: químico, masculinidad, sustancia, gas, ambiente, relación, cultura, desechos, algas y aire.
En 2017 la palabra fue: “youthquake”, un término en inglés definido como “un cambio significativo social, cultural o político que surge por la acción o influencia de la gente joven”.
The Oxford dictionary announced that the word of 2018 is “toxic”, which has been used worldwide to refer to a state of mind or concerns.
According to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language the meaning of toxic is: “That contains a poison or produces poisoning”, referring to a substance.
However, Oxford did not choose this word because of its meaning, but because it reflects the state of mind and / or concerns of the year that ends, and that in the long term has the potential to become a term with cultural meaning.
“In 2018, Toxic added many ropes to his poisoned bow becoming an intoxicating descriptor of the most talked about topics of the year,” observed the online dictionary, produced by Oxford University Press.
Among the runners-up was “gaslighting”. Coined by the 1938 play “Gas Light” and later famous for the 1944 film starring Ingrid Bergman, as Oxford said, it means “the act of manipulating someone by psychological means to accept a fake.” representation of reality or doubting their own sanity. ” The dictionary noted its frequent use to describe the tactics employed by President Trump.
How is the election process?
The word of the year is chosen from a short list drawn from the evidence gathered by an extensive linguistic research program, including the Oxford Corpus, which brings together approximately 150 million English words of web-based publications each month, according to its website. .
According to the search data of the dictionary website, queries regarding the word “toxic” have increased by 45% in the last 12 months.
Along with “toxic” there were other words: chemical, masculinity, substance, gas, environment, relationship, culture, waste, algae and air.
In 2017 the word was: “youthquake”, a term in English defined as “a significant social, cultural or political change that arises from the action or influence of young people”.
