Click a level to begin.
Every question centers on a word where the spelling actively misleads you, like colonel, yacht, or queue. Most questions let you guess before you listen, then reveal how the word is really said and why: a borrowed spelling from one language, a pronunciation from another, or a letter English just stopped saying centuries ago. Levels move from famous, everyday traps to the genuinely obscure.
Guess the pronunciation of words that spell nothing like they sound, then find out why.
What you'll practice
- Nail the words that trip everyone up
- See the history behind English's messiest spellings
- Stop guessing and start recognizing the patterns
Frequently asked questions
- What makes a word a "spelling trap"?
- A word where a naive reading of the spelling gives you the wrong pronunciation, often because English borrowed the spelling from one language and the sound from another, or a letter stopped being spoken generations ago.
- Do I need to know IPA to play?
- No. Most answers are written as simple respellings like KUR-nuhl, not phonetic symbols, so it's easy to follow even if you've never studied IPA.
- How do the levels unlock?
- Score at least 6 out of 10 on a level to unlock the next one. Every question has a 30-second timer and instant feedback.