Last week, Unscramblerer released its list of the most mispronounced words in the nation.
The report was crafted by analyzing Google search data this year, using terms like “How do you pronounce” and “How to pronounce.”
In addition, researchers said that only around 75% of English spelling actually matches its pronunciation, making it relatively common for speakers to mispronounce at least one common word.
However, the results also uncovered some interesting cultural trends.
[BELOW: Have you heard of this Florida slang?]
“Exposure to new words through media, music, pop culture, and social platforms drives curiosity,” a spokesperson for Unscramblerer stated. “People often look up pronunciations if there is a gap between how a word or name is spelled and how it sounds.”
Nationwide, the most mispronounced words were determined to be:
- Gyro (YEE-roh) — 312,000 searches
- Worcestershire (WUSS-ter-sheer) — 300,000 searches
- Acai (ah-SIGH-ee) — 192,000 searches
- Qatar (KAH-tar) — 180,000 searches
- Dachshund (DAKS-hund) — 156,000 searches
- Niche (NEESH) — 142,000 searches
- Aoife (EE-fah) — 84,000 searches
- Charcuterie (shar-KOO-tuh-ree) — 72,000 searches
- Paczki (POONCH-kee) — 36,000 searches
- Primeval (pry-MEE-vul) — 26,000 searches
In the Sunshine State, though, the most mispronounced word was determined to be a rather unusual term: “staphylococcal.”
Staphylococcus is a type of bacteria that can cause conditions like skin infections, pneumonia and food poisoning.
But that wasn’t the strangest word on the list. In Hawaii, the most mispronounced word was “Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia” — ironically, the fear of long words.
Meanwhile, the full state-by-state breakdown for most mispronounced words is as follows:
| State | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Worcestershire | (WUSS-ter-sheer) |
| Alaska | Saoirse | (SUR-sha) |
| Arizona | Aoife | (EE-fah) |
| Arkansas | Laufey | (LOW-fay) |
| California | Kali Uchis | (KAH-lee OO-chees) |
| Colorado | Qatar | (KAH-tar) |
| Connecticut | Sfogliatelle | (sfo-LYA-tel) |
| Delaware | Mauve | (MOHV) |
| Florida | Staphylococcal | (STAFF-uh-loh-KOK-ul) |
| Georgia | Sza | (SIZ-uh) |
| Hawaii | Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia | (HIP-oh-pot-oh-MON-stroh-ses-kwip-uh-dal-ee-oh-FOH-bee-uh) |
| Idaho | Kefir | (KEE-fer) |
| Illinois | Yuengling | (YING-ling) |
| Indiana | Paczki | (POONCH-kee) |
| Iowa | Dachshund | (DAKS-hund) |
| Kansas | Louvre | (LOOV) |
| Kentucky | Chamomile | (KAM-uh-meel) |
| Louisiana | Oaxaca | (wah-HAH-kah) |
| Maine | Qatar | (KAH-tar) |
| Maryland | Omniscient | (OM-NISH-unt) |
| Massachusetts | Jhostynxon Garcia | (JOS-tin-son gar-SEE-uh) |
| Michigan | Paczki | (POONCH-kee) |
| Minnesota | Thyme | (TIME) |
| Mississippi | Chinoiserie | (SHIN-wah-zuh-ree) |
| Missouri | Aurelia | (aw-REEL-yuh) |
| Montana | Dachshund | (DAKS-hund) |
| Nebraska | Bolognese | (boh-luh-NAYZ) |
| Nevada | Macabre | (muh-KAHB) |
| New Hampshire | Gyro | (YEE-roh) |
| New Jersey | Primeval | (pry-MEE-vul) |
| New Mexico | GIF | (JIF) |
| New York | Tzatziki | (tsat-SEE-kee) |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | (RAW-lee) |
| North Dakota | Worcestershire | (WUSS-ter-sheer) |
| Ohio | Paczki | (POONCH-kee) |
| Oklahoma | Nguyen | (WIN) |
| Oregon | Bibimbap | (BEE-bim-bap) |
| Pennsylvania | Jhoan Duran | (JO-an duh-RAN) |
| Rhode Island | Worcestershire | (WUSS-ter-sheer) |
| South Carolina | Chose | (CHOZ) |
| South Dakota | Derecho | (duh-RAY-cho) |
| Tennessee | Gyro | (YEE-roh) |
| Texas | Staphylococcal | (STAFF-uh-loh-KOK-ul) |
| Utah | Qatar | (KAH-tar) |
| Vermont | Montpelier | (mont-PEEL-yer) |
| Virginia | Adolescence | (ad-oh-LES-ens) |
| Washington | Primeval | (pry-MEE-vul) |
| West Virginia | Acai | (ah-SIGH-ee) |
| Wisconsin | Paczki | (POONCH-kee) |
| Wyoming | Mayonnaise | (MAY-uh-nayz) |