LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Gyro, macabre, Worcestershire sauce, Qatar: This may occasionally look like a listing of random phrases, however they’ve one main factor in frequent—They’re laborious to pronounce.
Researchers at Unscramblerer.com used Google Developments to seek out essentially the most mispronounced phrases throughout the US, utilizing the variety of searches that used key phrases like “how do you pronounce,” “pronunciations of,” and “how to pronounce.”
The time interval studied was from Jan. 1, 2025, to Oct. 27, 2025.
English spelling solely matches pronunciation round 75% of the time, in accordance with a spokesperson from Unscramblerer.com.
The spokesperson said that the analysis reveals an attention-grabbing perception into American tradition. “Exposure to new words through media, music, pop culture, and social platforms drives curiosity.”
“People often look up pronunciations if there is a gap between how a word or name is spelled and how it sounds. English language is particularly irregular in this regard,” the spokesperson stated. “A Cambridge University linguistics survey found that over 60% of English speakers admit they regularly mispronounce at least one common word.”
With over 40 regional accents throughout America, it is no marvel individuals are trying to find find out how to pronounce phrases, particularly as a result of appropriate pronunciation may be intently tied to perceived intelligence and competence.
Nevada’s most mispronounced phrase could be very becoming for the spooky season: Macabre, pronounced (muh-KAHB).
In keeping with Oxford Languages, macabre is an adjective that’s “disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury.”
The examine confirmed that the highest 12 most mispronounced phrases in America are as follows:
1. Gyro (312 000 searches) – YEE-roh
2. Worcestershire sauce (300 000 searches) – WUSS-ter-sheer
3. Acai (192 000 searches) – ah-SIGH-ee
4. Qatar (180 000 searches) – KAH-tar
5. Dachshund (156 000 searches) – DAKS-hund
6. Area of interest (142 000 searches) – NEESH
7. Aoife (84 000 searches) – EE-fah
8. Charcuterie (72 000 searches) – shar-KOO-tuh-ree
9. Paczki (36 000 searches) – POONCH-kee
10. Primeval (26 000 searches) – pry-MEE-vul
11. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (24 000 searches) – soo-per-kal-uh-fraj-uh-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-uh-DOH-shus
12. Hozier (21 000 searches) – HO-zee-er
Whereas it did not make the listing, locals are all too accustomed to one generally mispronounced phrase: Nevada. Whereas the proper pronunciation emphasizes a brief “a” sound (Ne-VAD-uh), many nonlocals have been identified to provide the state’s identify a unique sound (Ne-VAH-duh).
After all, anybody who has lived in Nevada for lengthy sufficient will know that these individuals are incorrect.
No different state had macabre listed as its most mispronounced phrase. Different standalones embody Sza (SIZ-uh) from Georgia, Louvre (LOOV) from Kansas, and Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (HIP-oh-pot-oh-MON-stroh-ses-kwip-uh-dal-ee-oh-FOH-bee-uh) from Hawaii.
