Every word on the test, and how to say it
These are the words the Literacy Test draws from, grouped by level. Each one is respelled the way it sounds in common American English, with the stressed syllable in capitals. Some words have more than one accepted pronunciation; the list shows the most widely used one.
Level 1: The classics
Everyday words that look nothing like they sound. Most people meet these in print long before they hear them.
- acquiesce
- ak-wee-ESS
- albeit
- awl-BEE-it
- anemone
- uh-NEM-uh-nee
- awry
- uh-RYE
- bourgeois
- boorzh-WAH
- cache
- KASH
- camaraderie
- kahm-RAH-duh-ree
- chaos
- KAY-oss
- choir
- KWIRE
- cliché
- klee-SHAY
- colonel
- KUR-nul
- connoisseur
- kon-uh-SUR
- corps
- KOR
- coup
- KOO
- debris
- duh-BREE
- draught
- DRAFT
- entrepreneur
- ahn-truh-pruh-NUR
- epitome
- ih-PIT-uh-mee
- ethereal
- ih-THEER-ee-ul
- facade
- fuh-SAHD
- faux pas
- foh PAH
- fuchsia
- FYOO-shuh
- gauge
- GAYJ
- genre
- ZHAHN-ruh
- hierarchy
- HY-uh-rar-kee
- hyperbole
- hy-PUR-buh-lee
- indict
- in-DITE
- liaison
- lee-AY-zahn
- mischievous
- MISS-chuh-vus
- onomatopoeia
- on-uh-mat-uh-PEE-uh
- paradigm
- PAIR-uh-dime
- plethora
- PLETH-er-uh
- queue
- KYOO
- receipt
- rih-SEET
- rendezvous
- RAHN-day-voo
- segue
- SEG-way
- silhouette
- sil-oo-ET
- subtle
- SUT-ul
- suite
- SWEET
- yacht
- YAHT
Level 2: Science class
Words from biology, medicine, chemistry and math class.
- acetaminophen
- uh-see-tuh-MIN-uh-fen
- anesthesiologist
- an-us-thee-zee-OL-uh-jist
- archipelago
- ar-kuh-PEL-uh-goh
- arrhythmia
- ay-RITH-mee-uh
- Australopithecus
- aw-stray-loh-PITH-ih-kus
- Betelgeuse
- BEET-ul-jooss the star
- cerebellum
- sair-uh-BEL-um
- chlorophyll
- KLOR-uh-fil
- coccyx
- KOK-siks
- deoxyribonucleic
- dee-OK-see-RY-boh-noo-KLAY-ik the D and N in DNA
- epidemiologist
- ep-ih-dee-mee-OL-uh-jist
- esophagus
- ih-SOF-uh-gus
- eukaryote
- yoo-KAIR-ee-oht
- Euler
- OY-ler the mathematician
- Fahrenheit
- FAIR-un-hyte
- hemoglobin
- HEE-muh-gloh-bin
- hypothesis
- hy-POTH-uh-sis
- ibuprofen
- eye-byoo-PROH-fen
- isosceles
- eye-SOSS-uh-leez
- Kuiper Belt
- KY-per belt
- larynx
- LAIR-inks
- meteorologist
- mee-tee-uh-ROL-uh-jist
- mitochondria
- my-tuh-KON-dree-uh
- molybdenum
- muh-LIB-duh-num
- nuclear
- NOO-klee-er
- ophthalmologist
- off-thul-MOL-uh-jist
- otorhinolaryngologist
- oh-toh-ry-noh-lair-in-GOL-uh-jist an ear, nose and throat doctor
- phenomenon
- fih-NOM-uh-non
- phlegm
- FLEM
- photosynthesis
- foh-toh-SIN-thuh-sis
- pneumonia
- noo-MOHN-yuh
- psoriasis
- suh-RY-uh-sis
- pterodactyl
- tair-uh-DAK-tul
- Pythagorean
- pih-thag-uh-REE-un
- quasar
- KWAY-zar
- schizophrenia
- skit-suh-FREE-nee-uh
- sphygmomanometer
- sfig-moh-muh-NOM-ih-ter a blood pressure cuff
- statistician
- stat-ih-STISH-un
- trachea
- TRAY-kee-uh
- xylem
- ZY-lum
Level 3: The menu
Food words borrowed from other languages. Several have more than one accepted pronunciation in American English.
- açaí
- ah-sah-EE
- au jus
- oh ZHOO
- bánh mì
- bahn MEE
- bouillon
- BOOL-yahn
- bourguignon
- boor-geen-YOHN
- bruschetta
- broo-SKET-uh
- ceviche
- suh-VEE-chay
- charcuterie
- shar-KOO-tuh-ree
- chipotle
- chih-POHT-lay
- crème brûlée
- krem broo-LAY
- croissant
- kruh-SAHNT
- crudités
- kroo-dih-TAY
- dulce de leche
- DOOL-say deh LAY-chay
- edamame
- ed-uh-MAH-may
- espresso
- eh-SPRESS-oh
- filet mignon
- fih-LAY min-YAHN
- focaccia
- foh-KAH-chuh
- foie gras
- fwah GRAH
- gnocchi
- NYOH-kee
- Gruyère
- groo-YAIR
- gyro
- YEE-roh
- haricots verts
- ah-ree-koh VAIR
- hors d'oeuvres
- or-DURVZ
- jalapeño
- hah-luh-PAYN-yoh
- kombucha
- kom-BOO-chuh
- macaron
- mak-uh-ROHN
- mascarpone
- mas-kar-POH-nay
- niçoise
- nee-SWAHZ
- paella
- pah-AY-uh
- pho
- FUH
- poke
- POH-kay the Hawaiian fish bowl
- prosciutto
- proh-SHOO-toh
- quesadilla
- kay-suh-DEE-uh
- quinoa
- KEEN-wah
- rooibos
- ROY-boss
- sherbet
- SHUR-bit
- sommelier
- sum-ul-YAY
- sriracha
- sih-RAH-chuh
- turmeric
- TUR-mer-ik
- tzatziki
- tsaht-SEE-kee
- vichyssoise
- vish-ee-SWAHZ
- Worcestershire
- WUUS-ter-sher
Level 4: U.S. place names
Town, river and county names that give away who is local. These are the pronunciations locals use.
- Albuquerque
- AL-buh-kur-kee New Mexico
- Arkansas
- AR-kun-saw the state
- Beaufort
- BYOO-fert South Carolina
- Bexar
- BAIR the county in Texas
- Biloxi
- bih-LUK-see Mississippi
- Boerne
- BUR-nee Texas
- Boise
- BOY-see Idaho
- Bryn Mawr
- brin MAR Pennsylvania
- Butte
- BYOOT Montana
- Cheyenne
- shy-AN Wyoming
- Chincoteague
- SHING-kuh-teeg Virginia
- Coeur d'Alene
- kor duh-LAYN Idaho
- Conshohocken
- kon-shuh-HOK-un Pennsylvania
- Des Moines
- duh MOYN Iowa
- Duquesne
- doo-KAYN Pennsylvania
- Gloucester
- GLOSS-ter Massachusetts
- Hauppauge
- HAW-pog New York
- Haverhill
- HAY-vril Massachusetts
- Helena
- HEL-uh-nuh Montana
- Houston Street
- HOW-stun New York City
- Illinois
- il-uh-NOY the state
- Kissimmee
- kih-SIM-ee Florida
- La Jolla
- luh HOY-uh California
- Leominster
- LEM-in-ster Massachusetts
- Louisville
- LOO-uh-vul Kentucky
- Mackinac
- MAK-uh-naw the island in Michigan
- Mexia
- muh-HAY-uh Texas
- Mobile
- moh-BEEL Alabama
- Monongahela
- muh-non-guh-HEE-luh the river in Pennsylvania
- Nacogdoches
- nak-uh-DOH-chiss Texas
- Natchitoches
- NAK-uh-tish Louisiana
- Nevada
- nuh-VAD-uh the state
- Norfolk
- NOR-fuhk Virginia
- Oconomowoc
- uh-KON-uh-muh-wok Wisconsin
- Okeechobee
- oh-kee-CHOH-bee Florida
- Oregon
- OR-ih-gun the state
- Ouachita
- WOSH-ih-taw the mountains in Arkansas
- Pierre
- PEER South Dakota
- Poughkeepsie
- puh-KIP-see New York
- Prescott
- PRESS-kit Arizona
- Punxsutawney
- punk-suh-TAW-nee Pennsylvania
- Puyallup
- pyoo-AL-up Washington
- Quincy
- KWIN-zee Massachusetts
- Reading
- RED-ing Pennsylvania
- Sault Ste. Marie
- SOO saynt muh-REE Michigan
- Schenectady
- skuh-NEK-tuh-dee New York
- Schuylkill
- SKOO-kul the river in Pennsylvania
- Sequim
- SKWIM Washington
- Skaneateles
- skan-ee-AT-luss New York
- Spokane
- spoh-KAN Washington
- Staunton
- STAN-tun Virginia
- Tchoupitoulas
- chop-ih-TOO-lus the street in New Orleans
- Terre Haute
- TAIR-uh HOHT Indiana
- The Dalles
- the DALZ Oregon
- Tooele
- too-WIL-uh Utah
- Tucson
- TOO-sahn Arizona
- Valdez
- val-DEEZ Alaska
- Versailles
- ver-SAYLZ Kentucky
- Waukesha
- WAW-kih-shaw Wisconsin
- Waxahachie
- wok-suh-HATCH-ee Texas
- Wayzata
- wy-ZET-uh Minnesota
- Willamette
- wil-AM-it the river in Oregon
- Worcester
- WUUS-ter Massachusetts
- Yakima
- YAK-ih-mah Washington
- Yosemite
- yoh-SEM-ih-tee California
- Ypsilanti
- ip-sih-LAN-tee Michigan
- Zzyzx
- ZY-ziks California
Level 5: Hard mode
Rare, formal and nautical words, with one very long word saved for the last card.
- anathema
- uh-NATH-uh-muh
- antidisestablishmentarianism
- an-tee-dis-uh-stab-lish-mun-TAIR-ee-uh-niz-um
- apocryphal
- uh-POK-ruh-ful
- boatswain
- BOH-sun
- bourgeoisie
- boorzh-wah-ZEE
- cachet
- ka-SHAY
- cacophony
- kuh-KOF-uh-nee
- chasm
- KAZ-um
- chiaroscuro
- kee-ar-uh-SKOOR-oh
- chutzpah
- HUUT-spuh
- conscientious
- kon-shee-EN-shus
- debacle
- dih-BAH-kul
- denouement
- day-noo-MAHN
- detritus
- dih-TRY-tus
- ebullient
- ih-BUL-yunt
- egregious
- ih-GREE-jus
- ennui
- ahn-WEE
- facetious
- fuh-SEE-shus
- floccinaucinihilipilification
- flok-sih-naw-sih-ny-hil-ih-pil-ih-fih-KAY-shun the act of deciding something is worthless
- forecastle
- FOHK-sul
- gauche
- GOHSH
- gunwale
- GUN-ul
- hegemony
- hih-JEM-uh-nee
- heinous
- HAY-nus
- idiosyncrasy
- id-ee-oh-SING-kruh-see
- ignominious
- ig-nuh-MIN-ee-us
- inchoate
- in-KOH-it
- lackadaisical
- lak-uh-DAY-zih-kul
- mnemonic
- nih-MON-ik
- obsequious
- ub-SEE-kwee-us
- omniscient
- om-NISH-unt
- paroxysm
- PAIR-uk-siz-um
- pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
- NOO-muh-noh-UL-truh-MY-kruh-SKOP-ik-SIL-ih-koh-vol-KAY-noh-koh-nee-OH-sis a lung disease, and the longest word in most dictionaries
- posthumous
- POSS-chuh-mus
- prerogative
- prih-ROG-uh-tiv
- quay
- KEE
- quixotic
- kwik-SOT-ik
- sanguine
- SANG-gwin
- schadenfreude
- SHAH-dun-froy-duh
- sesquipedalian
- ses-kwih-puh-DAY-lee-un
- subpoena
- suh-PEE-nuh
- surreptitious
- sur-up-TISH-us
- synecdoche
- sih-NEK-duh-kee
- ubiquitous
- yoo-BIK-wih-tus
- verisimilitude
- vair-uh-sih-MIL-ih-tood
- victuals
- VIT-ulz
- viscount
- VY-kownt
- zeitgeist
- ZYTE-gyste