10 Nigerian mispronunciations

Nigerians are known for the courage, intelligence and strength. But there are other elements which characterises this nation. One of the elements is the famous Nigerian accent. Here below are 10 examples of Nigerian pronunciation.

1. Brochure. Several Nigerians pronounce this word as “brokio.” That would throw off almost every non-Nigerian English speaker.
2. Castle. The “t” in “castle” is silent, so that it sounds like “ka-s(u)l” in both American
3. Charlatan. Nigerians pronounce this word “cha-latan.” The “ch” in the word is often pronounced like the “ch” in “change
4. Colonel. people pronounce it as “ko-nel,” which is close to the “ke-n(u)l” in British pronunciation and “ker-n(u)l” in American pronunciation.
5. Cruel. Native English speakers pronounce this word like “kru-ool.” Nigerians, on the other hand, sound out the “e” in the word to make something like “kru-el.”
6. Curse/cause/course. They are all pronounced “kos.”
7. Debt. In native English speaker pronunciations, the “b” in debt” is silent. It sounds like “det.” This native-speaker pronunciation can lead to grievous, even fatal, verbal miscues in Nigeria. Because we don’t observe the “th” sound in Nigerian English pronunciation, “det” could be mistaken for “death.” Saying “I have come to collect my ‘det'” could be mistaken for “I have come to be murdered,” especially because your debtor is likely going to be interested in your death! I personally would never pronounce “debt” as “det” in Nigeria. I love my life way more than I love “proper” English pronunciation! In the word’s other inflections– debtor, indebted, indebtedness, etc.–the “b” is also never pronounced in British and American pronunciation. So it’s “deto(r),” “indetid,” “indetidnis.”
8. Depot. Most Nigerians, irrespective of social class and educational attainment, sound out every letter in this word. In native English pronunciations, however, the last “t” is silent. The word is pronounced “depow” or “deepow.”
9. Divisive. It is pronounced “di-vaisiv” in both British English and American English. But Nigerians pronounce it as “di-visiv.”
10. Divorce: It is pronounced “di-vo(r)s,” in native-speaker pronunciation, not “dai-vos.”

By Farooq Kperogi