Everyone stumbles over trying to say a name or a new word from time to time. Heck, just listen to Wicker and Wilde. But there are some that tend to trip people up more often and a new report tells us what they are. Babbel’s annual list of the Most Mispronounced Words of 2024 is out now and it just might make you feel better about some words you’ve struggled with this year.
The language-learning company teamed up with The Captioning Group to determine which words newscasters, politicians and others in the media had the most trouble with in 2024. This year’s list features some well-known people, including American politicians and Irish actors, and some pop culture references.
2024’s Most Mispronounced Words in the U.S.:
- Barry Keoghan [[BARR-ee key-OH-gin]] - Actor famous for Saltburn and for dating singer Sabrina Carpenter, although they recently broke up.
Hottie AlertGetty Images
- Espresso [[Es-Press-O]] - like the song sung by the aforementioned Sabrina Carpenter. Many people want to put an imaginary "X" in there.
- Pete Buttigieg [[peet BOOD-ih-judge]] - He is our current Secretary of Transportation.
Secretary of TransportationGetty Images
- Shein [[SHE-in]] - Is Rebecca Wilde the only one who pronounced it [[Shy-In]] until her friends told her it's pronounced [[Sheen]]? And even they were wrong! LOL
Shopping anyone?Getty Images
- Speculoos-3b [[SPEK-yuh-lohss three bee]] (an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf discovered by astronomers in May 2024)
- Phryge [[FREE-je]] (the 2024 Paris Olympic mascot)
Free who?Getty Images
- Semaglutide [[sem-ah-GLOO-tide]] - If it sounds familiar that's because it's one of the active ingredients in the weightloss drug Ozempic.
- Zendaya [[zen-DAY-uh]] - You know her from Spiderman and HBO's Euphoria.
- Chappell Roan [[CHAP-uhl ROHN]] - Singer extraordinaire
Good Luck Babe! singer Chappell RoanGetty Images
- Kamala Harris [[KOM-a-la HAR-iss]] - Our current V.P. of the U.S.
