"5 Pronunciation mistakes foreign-trained engineers make in board meetings."

Pronunciation challenges for foreign-trained engineers in board meetings often stem from English sounds, stress patterns, and rhythms that differ from their native language. Mispronouncing technical or common business words can affect perceived credibility and clarity, especially when discussing crucial details with senior leadership. 

1. Incorrect syllable and word stress

English is a "stressed" language, where emphasis on a particular syllable or word can change a word's meaning. 

• The mistake: Placing stress on the wrong syllable can confuse listeners. For example, a non-native speaker might say proJECT (with stress on the second syllable) when using the word as a noun, but the correct pronunciation is PROject. In a meeting, this could create confusion, forcing board members to "translate" the word in their minds.

• For engineers: This is particularly relevant when discussing projects, processes, and other technical concepts that can be both verbs and nouns. 

2. Confusing vowel sounds

English has numerous short and long vowel sounds that do not exist in some languages, leading to words being confused with others that have different meanings. 

• The mistake: Confusing the short 'i' sound in words like pitch with the long 'ee' sound in peach can lead to misunderstandings.

• For engineers: Mistakes with vowel sounds can be critical when discussing specifications. For instance, confusing sheet with shit in a technical context is a highly embarrassing error. 

3. Mispronouncing "th" sounds

The "th" sound is one of the most challenging for many non-native speakers because it is not present in their language. It can be pronounced in two ways: voiceless (as in thin or math) and voiced (as in this or breathe). 

• The mistake: Non-native speakers often substitute the "th" with a 't' or 'd' sound, or with an 's' or 'z' sound. This can turn "think" into "sink" or "this" into "zis," causing a brief but noticeable moment of confusion.

• For engineers: Common engineering words with the "th" sound include thermal, thousand, and three-phase. 

4. Dropping final consonants

In some languages, it is normal to drop final consonant sounds, but in English, this can change the meaning of a word. 

• The mistake: Non-native speakers may drop the final 's' sound in plurals or the final 'ed' sound in past tense verbs. This can cause a listener to think the sentence was ungrammatical or to lose track of the subject, such as when referring to multiple projects.

• For engineers: This can affect clarity when talking about completed tasks or multiple data sets. For example, saying "We work a lot" instead of "We worked a lot" can lead to miscommunication about the project's timeline. 

5. Over-enunciating silent letters

Unlike phonetic languages, English has many "silent" letters that native speakers do not pronounce. Non-native speakers, accustomed to pronouncing every letter, may incorrectly over-enunciate them. 

• The mistake: Pronouncing the silent 'b' in subtle or the silent 'p' in receipt can make a speaker sound overly formal or unnatural.

• For engineers: Technical and business jargon includes many words with silent letters, such as the silent 'k' in knowledge or the silent 's' in debris. Speaking such words without correctly using the silent letters can be distracting in a board meeting setting.