(Web Desk) – Keeping up with the latest trends and news can be challenging, especially when you’re not sure how to pronounce them. This year’s list of the most mispronounced words includes some surprising names that have captured everyone’s attention.
From Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song Espresso to the discovery of an Earth-sized exoplanet, these tricky terms have left many guessing. Thanks to the language-learning platform Babbel, we’ve got the scoop on how to say them right, so you can stay ahead in conversations and impress your friends with your newfound pronunciation skills!
- Barry Keoghan – Pronounced BARR-ee key-OH-gin
The award-winning Irish actor Barry Keoghan made headlines in 2024 for his on-screen roles and his relationship with US pop star Sabrina Carpenter. - Phryge – pronounced FREE-je
This was the mascot of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. Its unusual design led to widespread confusion over how to pronounce it. - Shein – pronounced SHE-in
This name belongs to the Chinese fashion giant. Its emergence as a top performer surprised many, revealing that it’s not pronounced ‘Sheen’. - Speculoos-3b – pronounced SPEK-yuh-lohss three bee
Gaining attention when astronomers discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a red dwarf earlier this year, NASA reported that the planet is about 55 light-years from Earth and nearly the same size. - Josko Gvardiol – pronounced YOSH-ko GVAR-dee-ol
The Croatian soccer player earned praise for his defensive skills, but many struggled with his name pronunciation. - Ncuti Gatwa – pronounced n-SHOO-ti GAT-wah
In an interview earlier this year, the Mirror reported that the Rwandan-Scottish actor’s mother corrected him on how to pronounce his name – it’s not “Shootee” but rather starts with an ‘n’ sound followed by a pause and ‘shoo-tee’. - Snus – pronounced SNOOZ
A smokeless tobacco from Sweden, it’s placed between the gums and upper lip to release nicotine directly into the bloodstream. Despite its spelling, it’s pronounced ‘snooz’, with a long ‘o’ and a soft, slightly ‘z’-like ‘s’. - Flygskam – pronounced FLEEG-skam
This term represents a movement encouraging people to cut back on air travel to combat climate change. It may look tricky, but breaking it down to ‘fleeg’ and ‘skam’ makes it much easier to say.