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French & Foreign Loanwords in English: Words Indians Mispronounce

Words borrowed from French, Italian and Spanish that keep their original sound and ignore English spelling rules.

The loanwords that trip up Indian speakers

54 words

Words borrowed from French, Italian and Spanish that keep their original sound and ignore English spelling rules. Most Indian languages are phonetic — you say every letter you write — so these words feel like they break the rules. Tap any word to hear the correct pronunciation, then open its page to say it into your mic and get a free instant clarity check. No sign-up.

pizza
PEET-suh
entrepreneur
on-truh-pruh-NUR
bouquet
boo-KAY
genre
ZHON-ruh
niche
NEESH
restaurant
RES-tront
buffet
BUFF-ay
cuisine
kwih-ZEEN
chef
SHEF
resume (CV)
REZ-yoo-may
brochure
BROH-shur
facade
fuh-SAHD
quinoa
KEEN-wah
espresso
es-PRESS-oh
naive
nai-EEV
antique
an-TEEK
ballet
BAL-ay
beige
BAYZH
bourgeois
BOOR-zhwah
boutique
boo-TEEK
bureau
BYOOR-oh
café
KAF-ay
cappuccino
kap-uh-CHEE-noh
catalogue
KAT-uh-log
chauffeur
SHOH-fur
chic
SHEEK
cliché
KLEE-shay
collage
KOL-ahzh
connoisseur
kon-uh-SUR
croissant
KWAH-son
debut
DAY-byoo
denouement
day-NOO-mon
fatigue
fuh-TEEG
faux
FOH
fiancé
fee-ON-say
garage
GARR-ahzh
gourmet
GOR-may
hummus
HUUM-uhs
karaoke
karr-ee-OH-kee
latte
LAH-tay
liaison
lee-AY-zon
lingerie
LAN-zhuh-ree
massage
MASS-ahzh
matinee
MAT-in-ay
mirage
mi-RAHZH
montage
MON-tahzh
paella
pai-EL-yuh
plateau
PLAT-oh
prestige
pre-STEEZH
rendezvous
RON-day-voo
silhouette
sil-oo-ET
tortilla
tor-TEE-yuh
tsunami
tsoo-NAH-mee
vague
VAYG
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Explore every commonly mispronounced word, or see the words Indian speakers get wrong most often — each links to a free audio and mic check.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are loanwords in English?

Words borrowed from French, Italian and Spanish that keep their original sound and ignore English spelling rules. These are exactly the loanwords that trip up Indian English speakers most often — each word below links to a page where you hear it, say it into your mic, and get a free instant clarity check.

Why do Indian speakers struggle with loanwords?

Most Indian languages are phonetic — you say every letter you see — so English exceptions like these feel counter-intuitive. Grouping the words by trap type makes the pattern obvious, so once you fix one you fix them all.

How can I practice these loanwords for free?

Tap the play button on any word to hear the correct pronunciation, then open the word's page to say it into your microphone and get an instant clarity check — no sign-up needed. Reinforce it in the free Pronunciation Challenge game.

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