The UK’s most mispronounced words of 2024 — from espresso to Shein

Can you judge that 2024 is astir over? As the twelvemonth wraps up, we’ve been looking backmost astatine everything from the biggest nutrient trends, to the champion songs from the past 12 months.

But portion determination person been galore highs, determination person besides been immoderate blunders on the mode – and it seems galore of america person been making mistakes erstwhile it comes to the pronunciation of definite words.

The experts implicit astatine language-learning level Babbel person teamed up with the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters to uncover the apical words and names that newsreaders, politicians, nationalist figures, and others person consistently struggled to accidental passim the year. 

The analysis, which is present successful its ninth year, shows that galore person messed up erstwhile it comes to immoderate of the astir viral moments and faces of 2024 – from however to pronounce the rubric of Sabrina Carpenter’s summer hit, to the sanction of the fast manner marque Shein.

Here’s a look astatine the UK’s apical 10 astir mispronounced words successful 2024, and their close phonetic pronunciations…

Barry Keoghan

[BARR-ee key-OH-gin]

Irish actor Barry Keoghan, known for his relation successful Saltburn, deed the headlines successful 2024, not conscionable due to the fact that of his vocation but besides for his narration with popular prima Sabrina Carpenter.

His name, pronounced [key-OH-gin], features a hard ‘g,’ distinguishing it from different Irish variations wherever the ‘g’ is typically silent.

Snus

[SNOOZ]

Snus, a smokeless baccy originating from Sweden, is pronounced [SNOOZ], with a agelong ‘o’ and a soft, somewhat ‘z’-like ‘s.’ Its rising popularity successful the UK has sparked debates owed to increasing wellness concerns.

Flygskam

[FLEEG-skam]

Flygskam is simply a Swedish word that means ‘flight shame’, and it has its ain societal question which encourages radical to trim their aerial question successful a bid to combat clime change.

Greta Thunberg is known to beryllium a large advocator and, portion it’s not new, the conception gained renewed attraction successful 2024 pursuing Sweden’s determination to destruct its aviation tax.

Espresso

[es-PRESS-oh]

Espresso [es-PRESS-oh] became a blistery taxable this twelvemonth erstwhile Sabrina Carpenter’s deed single topped UK charts. The catchy way reignited age-old frustrations implicit the communal mispronunciation of the connection arsenic [EX-press-oh], overmuch to the chagrin of java lovers everywhere.

Speculoos-3b

[SPEK-yuh-lohss 3 bee]

In May 2024, astronomers discovered Speculoos-3b, an Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting a reddish dwarf, sparking excitement for imaginable habitable zones. And yes, it shares its sanction with the fashionable Belgian biscuit.

Cryptosporidium

[krip-toe-spuh-RID-ee-um]

Cryptosporidium is simply a microscopic parasite that causes cryptosporidiosis, a gastrointestinal illness with nasty symptoms similar terrible diarrhea, tummy cramps, nausea, and dehydration. In 2024, Cryptosporidium gained important attraction pursuing an outbreak successful Devon that affected hundreds of radical and animals, sparking nationalist wellness concerns.

Two twelve holidaymakers successful Croatia besides fell sick successful conscionable 2 months, prompting a informing to tourists heading to the vacation hotspot.

Phryge

[FREE-je]

The 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic mascot, the Phryge, pronounced [FREE-je], was a talking constituent this twelvemonth acknowledgment to its quirky plan and unsocial name. Derived from the Phrygian cap, a awesome of liberty, the mascot has go a linguistic situation for many.

Ncuti Gatwa

[n-SHOO-ti GAT-wah]

Ncuti Gatwa, prima of Sex Education and the fifteenth Doctor Who, revealed that helium lone learned the close pronunciation of his sanction astatine property 26. The Rwandan-Scottish histrion clarified it arsenic [n-SHOO-ti GAT-wah], with the archetypal syllable softly pronounced.

Shein

[SHE-in]

Chinese-founded fast-fashion elephantine Shein has often near shopppers scratching their heads implicit its name. To settee the disorder erstwhile and for all, it’s pronounced [SHE-in] and not [SHEEN].

Joško Gvardiol

[YOSH-ko GVAR-dee-ol]

Professional footballer Joško Gvardiol plays for Premier League nine Manchester City and the Croatian nationalist team, but fans often stumble erstwhile trying to accidental the defender’s name.

Which connection from the database did you find astir hard to pronounce correctly?Comment Now

In summation to these names and words, honourable notation was besides fixed to Gladiator II prima Paul Mescal, whose sanction should beryllium pronounced [Pawl MESS-Kul], Primark which is [PRY-mark], and Semaglutide [sem-ah-GLOO-tide] 1 of the progressive ingredients successful Ozempic, the injectable value nonaccomplishment cause which has caused a buzz this year. 

Speaking astir the mispronunciations, Noël Wolf, linguistic and taste adept astatine Babbel, said: ‘2024 has been a twelvemonth marked by taste milestones, groundbreaking technological discoveries, and viral trends, each introducing a caller acceptable of names and presumption that person posed challenges for adjacent the astir seasoned speakers. From rising stars successful amusement to innovative concepts and planetary movements, galore of these words person roots successful languages different than English, highlighting the progressively planetary quality of our conversations. 

‘As we navigate this evolving lexicon, it’s important to clasp the situation of pronouncing unfamiliar words with confidence. After all, conscionable similar learning a caller language, mastering the pronunciation of caller presumption enriches our connection and fosters amended knowing crossed cultures.’

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