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- Language learning app Babbel and The British Institute of Verbatim Reporters have released the list of 2021’s most mispronounced words.
- Today we take a look at those words as well as the most commonly mispronounced words of each year for 2016 through 2020.
- Read about more studies here.
As they have for several years now, language learning app Babbel has conducted a study alongside The British Institute of Verbatim Reporters to determine the most commonly mispronounced words of the year.
Many of these words will look familiar as they have been all over the internet in 2021. The correct pronunciation for many of them, however, still remains a mystery to many.
“It’s always interesting for us to take our annual look at the terms that have been most mispronounced, as they are usually new vernacular or words that are borrowed from, or have origins in, another language,” said Babbel teacher Esteben Touma.
“As they come into everyday parlance, it’s great to see people at least having a stab at saying them correctly, because having the confidence to speak new words and phrases is one of the most important aspects when learning a language.”
How many of 2021’s most mispronounced words have you butchered over the past 12 months?
Cheugy [CHOO-gee]: a derogatory term popularized by Gen Z to make fun of millennials’ aesthetics
Chipotle [chih-POHT-lay]: the American fast food chain
Dalgona [tal-goh-NAH]: the cookie used in Squid Game
Ethereum [ih-THEE-ree-um]: a type of cryptocurrency
Ever Given [EV-er GIV-en]: the ship that blocked the Suez Canal
Glasgow [GLAHZ-go]: a city in Scotland
Kelce [KEL-ss]: the last name of NFL stars Jason and Travis
Shein [SHEE-in]: a Chinese fast fashion company
Stefanos Tsitsipas [STEH-fuh-nohs TSEE-tsee-pas]: a tennis player
Yassify [YEAH-sih-fai]: comedically applying multiple beauty filters to well-known pictures
Now that you know how to properly pronounce those words, how about getting to work on saying the most commonly mispronounced words of the five years prior to 2021?
2020
Anthony Fauci (AN-thon-nee FOW-chee)
Bangtan Sonyeondan (PUNG-tahn SOH-nyun-dahn)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (YON-nis AHN-de-doh-KOON-boh)
Isias (ees-ah-EE-ahs)
Kamala Harris (CAW-ma-la HAIR-iss)
Leonardo da Vinci (lee-oh-NAR-doe dah-VIN-chee)
Mahamayavi Bhagavan Antle (mu-HAH-muh-yaw-vee bag-AH-wahn ANT-uhl)
Nevada (nev-ADD-ah)
X Æ A-Xii (EX-aye-eye)
Yosemite (YOH-sem-it-ee)
2019
Chernobyl (chair-nOHble)
Deter (dee-tUHR)
Greta Thunberg (grAY-tah tOOn-bairk)
Megan Rapinoe (ruh-PEE-noh)
Notre Dame (nOH-truh dAHm)
Pete Buttigieg (pEEt bUt-ij-ij)
Rami Malek (rAH-mee mA-lik)
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (rE-jep tAH-yep AIR-doh-wahn)
Tekashi 6ix9ine (te-kAH-shee siks naYn)
Tokimeku (toh-kee-mE-koo)
2018
Beto O’Rourke (BEH-toe oh-RORK)
Brett Kavanaugh (BRETT KAV-a-naw)
Daniel Kaluuya (DAN-yull ka-LOO-yuh)
Entomophagy (en-to-MOF-o-jee)
Freekeh (FREE-kah)
Halapoulivaati Vaitai (ha-la-poo-lee-VAH-tee VIE-tie)
Jamal Khashoggi (ja-MALL ka-SHOW-gi)
Mukbang (MUCK-bahng)
Saoirse Ronan (SIR-shuh ROE-nin)
Xhosa (click O-sa)
2017
Bokeh (/ˈboʊkɛ/; boh-keh)
Coulrophobia (/kulɹəˈfəʊbiə/; cool-ruh-foh-bee-ah)
Dotard (/ˈdoʊtərd/; doh-terd)
Fibromyalgia (/ˌfaɪbroʊmaɪˈalj(ē)ə/; fai-broh-mai-ahl-jyah)
Gal Gadot (/ˈɡal ɡaˈdot/; gal gah-dott)
Namibia (/nəˈmɪbiə/; nah-mih-bee-ah)
Nuclear (/ˈnukliː.ər/; noo-klee-ar)
Puerto Rico (/ˌpwɛəɹtoʊˈɹikoʊ/; pwehr-toh ree-coh)
Pyongyang (/ˈpjɒŋˈjæŋ/; pyong-yang)
Weinstein (/ˈwaɪnstaɪn/; wine-stine)
2016
Bowie (/’boʊ-iː/; boh-ee)
Breitbart (/’breɪt-bɑːrt/; breyt-bart)
Cisgender (/’sɪz-dʒɛn-dɜːr/; sizz-gen-dehr)
Hygge (/’hjuː-gə/; HUE-gah)
Marion Cotillard (/’koʊ-ti:-ja:r/; koh-tee-yar)
Narcos (nark-ohs)
Nomophobia (/’noʊ-moʊ-‘foʊ-biː-ə/; noh-moh-pho-bee-ah)
Quinoa (/kiː-‘noʊ-ə/ or /kiː-‘nuː-ə/; kee-NOH-ah or kee-NOO-ah)
Rattata (/’ræt-æ-tæ/; RAT-ah-tah)
Roald Dahl (/roʊld/ /dɑːl/; rohld daal)
Xenophobia (zen-oh-phoh-bee-ah)
Zika (zee-kuh)