Unscramblerer has released its latest report looking at the most mispronounced words in each state
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.
“Academic research shows that the main causes for people to mispronounce words are irregular spelling, words borrowed from other languages, regional variation (40 regional accents in America), mishearing and unfamiliarity,” a spokesperson for Unscramblerer stated. “Irregular spelling is a common cause for all types of mistakes in English. Word length however seems to have no effect on the difficulty level.”
Nationwide, the most mispronounced words were determined to be:
- Worcestershire sauce (WUUS-ter-sheer saws) — 321,600 searches
- Gyro (YEE-roh) — 290,400 searches
- Dachshund (DAKS-hund) — 259,100 searches
- Niche (NEESH) — 224,500 searches
- Porsche (POR-shuh) — 205,200 searches
- Qatar (kuh-TAR) — 196,800 searches
- Gif (JIF) — 190,700 searches
- Curacao (KYUR-uh-sow) — 189,600 searches
- Saoirse (SEER-shuh) — 181,200 searches
- Pho (FUH) — 174,000 searches
- Salmon (SAM-un) — 171,600 searches
- Nguyen (WIN) — 170,300 searches
- Aoife (EE-fuh) — 169,200 searches
- Acai (ah-sigh-EE) — 168,000 searches
- Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious
(soo-per-kal-ih-FRAJ-ih-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-ih-DOH-shus) — 165,600 searches
Meanwhile, the full state-by-state breakdown for most mispronounced words is as follows:
| State | Word | Pronunciation |
| Alabama | Gyro | YEE-roh |
| Alaska | Juneau | JOO-noh |
| Arizona | Saguaro | suh-WAR-oh |
| Arkansas | Aoife | EE-fuh |
| California | Iran | ih-RAN |
| Colorado | Colorado | kah-luh-RAD-oh |
| Connecticut | Curacao | KYUR-uh-sow |
| Delaware | Water | WAW-ter |
| Florida | Schedule | SKEJ-ool |
| Georgia | FIFA | FEE-fuh |
| Hawaii | Hawaii | huh-WY-ee |
| Idaho | Worcestershire sauce | WUUS-ter-sheer saws |
| Illinois | Chicago | shih-KAH-goh |
| Indiana | Gyro | YEE-roh |
| Iowa | Hozier | HOH-zee-er |
| Kansas | Iran | ih-RAN |
| Kentucky | Louisville | LOO-uh-vul |
| Louisiana | Eschatology | es-kuh-TAH-luh-jee |
| Maine | Bangor | BANG-gor |
| Maryland | Gauche | GOHSH |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts | mass-uh-CHOO-sits |
| Michigan | Gauche | GOHSH |
| Minnesota | Nguyen | WIN |
| Mississippi | Gyro | YEE-roh |
| Missouri | Gyro | YEE-roh |
| Montana | Xochitl | SOH-cheel |
| Nebraska | Dachshund | DAKS-hund |
| Nevada | Nevada | nuh-VAD-uh |
| New Hampshire | Acai | ah-sigh-EE |
| New Jersey | Data | DAY-tuh |
| New Mexico | Laufey | LAY-vay |
| New York | Iran | ih-RAN |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | RAH-lee |
| North Dakota | Dachshund | DAKS-hund |
| Ohio | Spaghetti | spuh-GET-ee |
| Oklahoma | Acai | ah-sigh-EE |
| Oregon | Oregon | OR-ih-gun |
| Pennsylvania | Water | WAW-ter |
| Rhode Island | Caprese | kuh-PRAY-zay |
| South Carolina | Salmon | SAM-un |
| South Dakota | Worcestershire sauce | WUUS-ter-sheer saws |
| Tennessee | Sevierville | sev-uh-VEER-ul |
| Texas | Pho | FUH |
| Utah | Data | DAY-tuh |
| Vermont | Montpelier | mont-PEEL-yer |
| Virginia | Laufey | LAY-vay |
| Washington | Spokane | spoh-KAN |
| West Virginia | Dachshund | DAKS-hund |
| Wisconsin | Paczki | POONCH-kee |
| Wyoming | Dachshund | DAKS-hund |
