A model who doesn't travel is in trouble. If your pronunciation is wrong, you might be in trouble, too.

Sometimes loan words (外来語) can cause problems with pronunciation. Because Japanese lacks sounds that exist in English, words like "model" and "travel" are hard to represent accurately.

As a result many people pronounce "travel" like "trah-vell", with the second syllable sounding like "well". However, the "-vel" part should sound like "vul", as in "vulture", "vuluminous", "vuluptuous". The first syllable should sound close to "trap" or "transport". The same goes for "model", which many pronounce like "mow-dell", with the second syllable sounding like the computer company Dell. Instead, it should be "mah-dull", with "mah" like "mop" and the second syllable being "dull", as in "not bright".

pronunciation: model, travel, trouble

pronunciation: model, travel, trouble
While we're talking about "travel", we should also mention "trouble". There are two common problems here. One is "b" versus "v". Remember, when you say the "b" sound, your lips should touch. With a "v" sound, your bottom lip should touch the bottom of your upper teeth. The second problem is the vowel sound in the first syllable. "Travel" has a short "a" sound, like "bat", "cap", or "dance". The vowel sound in the first syllable of "trouble" is "uh" like "truck", "bust", or "balloon".

Following this advice will help to keep you out of trouble when you travel.