3 HARDEST words for Balkan Speakers
3 HARDEST words for Balkan Speakers
Let me introduce you to the 3 hardest words in the English language for pronunciation if you come from one of the many Balkan countries.
Every time I hear them pronounced, I wince at the sheer pain as my ears scream in agony. (Just kidding). But it definitely screams BALKAN, when you say them incorrectly.
I'll do my best here to quickly explain what you should be doing instead to ensure your balkan blood doesn't immediately get revealed to the world.
The three words and their Balkanese pronunciations are:
Video (videjo)
People (pipl)
Because (bikoz)
Let’s fix them.
1. VIDEO – Not “Videjo”
This one is a classic.
That random J sound appears out of nowhere.
Here’s the issue:
In many Balkan languages, when we see an “i” before a vowel, we instinctively soften it. We turn it into a subtle “y” sound.
But in English, video is three clean syllables:
VI – DE – O
/ˈvɪd.i.əʊ/ (British)
/ˈvɪd.i.oʊ/ (American)
There is no “j” sound hiding inside.
Say it slowly: Vi Dee Oh
Clean. Separate. Controlled.
2. PEOPLE – Not “Pipl”
This one is about vowel laziness.
Balkan speakers love to flatten vowels.
“Pipl.”
Sounds efficient. Sounds compact. Guess what, it also sounds wrong...
The word has two syllables:
PEO – PLE
/ˈpiː.pəl/
The first vowel is long.
The second vowel is soft and neutral (schwa).
It is not one short block. So if you want to get it perfect every time, you have to stretch the first vowel:
Peeee-ple.
Otherwise, it just sounds rushed, as if you’re speaking too fast.
If it sounds flat, and your vowels are collapsing.
Open the first vowel. Relax the second.
3. BECAUSE – Not “Bikoz”
This one exposes rhythm problems.
Balkan speakers often stress the wrong syllable and flatten the vowels.
“BI-koz.”
English stress pattern:
be-CAUSE.
/bɪˈkɒz/ (British)
/bɪˈkɔːz/ (American)
The stress is on the second syllable.
Not the first.
The first vowel is short and weak.
The second vowel is stronger and slightly longer.
Whisper the first syllable:
bih…
Then punch the second:
…CAUSE.
bih-CAUSE.
Stress changes everything. If the stress is wrong, the word sounds foreign even if the consonants are correct.
Why These Words Expose You
Notice something interesting?
All three mistakes come from the same deeper issue:
Collapsing vowels
Adding unnecessary sounds
Ignoring stress
Speaking too fast
This isn’t about these three words.
It’s about control.
Most Balkan speakers rush English.
We compress it.
We simplify it.
English doesn’t reward that.
English rewards rhythm and vowel clarity.
You can also check out the following video for more details!
