Funny English Mistakes You'll Laugh At From Learners

Everyone makes mistakes. That's a simple but fair truth. Someone can forget their backpacks on the way to school, someone can criticize their teacher who is right behind them, someone can forgive a cheating partner the fifth time, and someone can mess up with English. So let's put it like that, yes, everyone makes mistakes, but the critical thing is to learn from those mistakes. 

Today we will observe funny English mistakes and recommend how to avoid them. Just remember, you are not alone in this. Toddlers learn how to speak through countless mistakes and laughs from their parents. Only the ones who do nothing never fail. Nonetheless, try to learn from others` mistakes (like from our examples). 

Funny English Mistakes: What Might They Be

Even native English speakers and English tutors who should've seen it all before still make mistakes occasionally. The reason is that English is a complex and tricky language. So, mastering your English skills will be a lifelong process since the language transforms with time. But don't get scared; you can always reach a level you need for your trips, job, or educational purposes in adequate time. 

In this article, we will provide you with examples of funny English mistakes examples from a hilarious Reddit page called Engrish, where people post "Phuck ups in english of any kind!" Also, the author will share with you English fails from her own experience and her surroundings. 

Funny Language Mistakes: Typos Edition

First of all, let's figure out what a typo is. A typo, or a typographical error, is a mistake made in the typed or printed text. 

Typos are the most significant pain in any language. But, let's face it, with the autocorrect function, it is almost unreal to miss the right way of writing a word on your gadgets. So, honestly, you keep up with your version of a word. But, if you think you are smarter than autofill, we have some upsetting news. Most likely, the correct way of writing the word is already on your phone or laptop, just come along, memorize it and pay attention to the writing next time. 

In this example, you notice a small typo that looks unintentional and innocent. Shadow Bonnie just typed the word like wrong, probably, because of the speed he was writing with. But in the following example, a social media manager made a huge mistake by skipping just one letter. So now everyone is aware of what words they like to use texting with friends. Because it couldn't just appear in autocorrect randomly. That is not how it works. 

Professionals can mess up too. Somehow it even successfully goes through proofreading, or maybe there's no editor on a project. Only one u happens to be in the word hamburger. Are you for real? 
We hope a kid on a poster is okay.

Funny Spelling Mistakes

Did you know that there are special spelling competitions among kids and adults in the US? That is how crucial English spelling is! In lots of European languages, words are written exactly how they sound. Moreover, one sound is represented only by one letter, like in Spanish or Italian. But such rules don't work in modern English. And why is that?

Historically, English is formed from three primary sources: Germanic words, Latin and Greek words, and loanwords from other languages. 

Germanic words set basic English vocabulary, and the spelling of the terms matched the sounds. An excellent illustration can be such words as a house, hello, eat, anger, head, etc. Through the centuries, "old English" has been evolving, so nowadays, many Germanic words are pronounced differently. 

In the mid-centuries English language was replenished with Latin and Greek words. It happened due to acts of conquests and the Renaissance epoch. As a result, over 60 percent of English words now have Greek or Latin roots. For instance, photos, automatic, biology, and television have Greek origins; circus, foundation, manicure, and permit come from Latin. 

Let's go back to the roots of spelling problem-solving for a second. If the word seems complicated for you to spell or you are just unsure if it even exists in English, it is always better to check twice. Here are TOP 50 misspellings in English. 

The author of this slogan meant to use the word sanitize definition of which is to clean or disinfect. But it transformed into something evil, connected to Satan. Nonetheless, the word with the meaning to make satanic also exists, but it is spelled with z – to satanize. It's all fun and games until someone gets fired. 

This one isn't even funny. Just fix it! ASAP

The most typical funny spelling mistakes in English refer to homophones. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, homophones are words that sound the same but differ in meaning or spelling. People may sincerely believe they've done a good job in writing the word, but then happens something like this.

Want to see more funny spelling mistakes? Scroll down. But if you are willing to check on what terms you are with English spelling, try these two quizzes: easy level and difficult level. 

Funny English Pronunciation Mistakes

Many English learners say that pronunciation is the most challenging thing when becoming fluent in English. Trust the author; she has been there. 

More than a year ago, I started my pronunciation journey with an accent-reduction specialist. My goal was to lose my Slavic accent, gain a standard American accent, and be mistaken for an American girl. But, long story short, I am still working on my American accent because it's not a piece of cake but a work-requiring and time-consuming process. 

At the start of my studies, my accent reduction specialist told me a story of why she decided to fix her accent and, eventually, became a professional in this. When she was a little girl, around ten years old, she got to another country for vacation with her family. And when she went to reception to ask for sheets change, she mispronounced the word sheet. Instead of a long /i:/ sound, she pronounced it with a short /ɪ/. This is a blog of the language learning app, so we cannot write the word that my accent reduction specialist used when she was a kid, but you got it. It was pure swearing. At first, the hotel staff couldn't understand what the little girl wanted, but then they figured it out. But that one time affected her career future. 

Unfortunately, I've been in such situations when I was already an adult. Back then, I often mispronounced the word beach, which goes with a long /i:/, with a swearing word that goes with a short /ɪ/ sound. And there are more examples of such funny English pronunciation mistakes. 

Coke and can't won't sound wrong from you ever again if pronounced correctly. So, don't be in a hurry to learn new English words; pay attention to the transcription.

Here is a sneak peek of the 50 most mispronounced English words; a complete list you can find on IELTS official website. 

Almond (/ɑːmənd/)

Incorrect: al-muh-nd 

Correct: ah-muh-nd  

Chaos (/keɪɒs/)

Incorrect: Cha-os 

Correct: Key-os 

Jewellery (/dʒuːəlri/)

Incorrect: joo-el-er-y 

Correct: joo-uh l-ree 

Lingerie (/lænʒəriː/)

Incorrect: linger-ee 

Correct: lahn-zhuh-rey 

Pseudonym (/sjuːdənɪm/)

Incorrect: syoo-duh-nim 

Correct: sood-n-im 

Pronunciation of certain words might also vary depending on an accent. As a kid, I studied British English at school, but then I started watching American content, especially on social media, and picked up the American pronunciation of certain words. Because I could operate them both, I had been using both versions of the words confusing for my English-speaking surrounding. Therefore, we recommend you select one English pronunciation and stick with it. Of course, mispronouncing words in the American or British way won't lead to a funny mistake. But some people might tend to correct you. And nobody likes that!

When in some situations, and for some native English speakers, an accent from your mother tongue might seem cute, but for you, it might cause lots of misunderstandings. For example, once a character from the tv series Modern Family Gloria, whose native language is Spanish, broke off saying: "Do you know how frustrating it is to have to translate everything in my head before I say it? To have people laugh in my face because I am struggling to find words? Do you even know how smart I am in Spanish?" Needless to say, Gloria struggled with pronunciation a lot. 

Funny English Grammar Mistakes

Funny grammar mistakes are the most common ones just because there are too many things in grammar you can mess up with. So, starting to learn English, you should take care of building solid grammar basics. 

What can be counted as a grammatical error? Incorrect subject-verb agreement, wrong tense or verb form, incorrect singular/plural agreement, vague pronoun reference, incorrect use of articles, inaccurate or missing prepositions, and possessive apostrophe error. But not all of that can be put as funny grammatical errors. And in this section, we are observing just funny grammar mistakes examples.

For whatever reason, a majority of English learners despise articles. In particular, it is challenging to follow English articles – a, an, the – for people whose first language there is no such thing as an article. For instance, in Polish, Ukrainian, Czech, Finnish, etc. It's not funny by itself. But because of that, these happened.

Funny English Punctuation Mistakes

Problems with punctuation can become funny grammar errors. That is because there are not so many rules for using punctuation in English. But they were made on purpose, so please, use punctuation marks in your sentences. It can save someone's life!

Funny English Sentence Mistakes

Sometimes when you read something in English or listen to someone speaking in English and can't get a word, it is not your fault. There could be no sense, or a speaker has no English language basics. Honestly, people trust Google Translate more than they should. Here are some proofs. 

What deserves special attention are poor translations of Asian signs.

Find more in the video. 

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How Can Promova Help You Avoid Mistakes in Your English?

The best thing about our platform Promova is that you can practice every aspect of English learning: grammar, writing, listening, speaking, reading, vocabulary, and pronunciation in the most convenient way for you. Plus, the whole learning process will be personalized! 

With flashcards and videos in the Promova app, you can learn new words, memorize their correct spelling and listen to the proper pronunciation. Moreover, you can improve your grammar with quick and engaging games and video explanations. There is even a short course called Common Mistakes and Ways to Avoid Them. You can start from there. 

Besides, you can work on your English at Promova group classes. It will bring you a sense of involvement with like-minded people who are also learning. It means that sometimes they can fail too, and you shouldn't worry about making mistakes. 

For some people, the most beneficial option would be to take Promova individual classes. With them, you can focus only on your personal goals because a tutor will create a plan based on your strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps it is the best way to reduce the accent and make it neutral or pick up American, British or Australian. 

In addition, you can consolidate your skills in Conversation Club. Many new friends from all over the world are waiting for you to join them. 

Conclusion

It was so much fun, right? To sum it up, we would like to remind you that funny English mistakes are inevitable. You cannot know everything, autocorrection on your phone can fail, apps might not be reliable in terms of translation, and you can get tired. That is how people make mistakes in using language. But the crucial thing is to keep going with your English learning process. If someone corrects your mistakes, try not to get offended and learn from others` experiences. And if they make fun of you because of your mistakes, laugh with them because there is nothing to be ashamed of.