Copyright Jackson Clarion-Ledger
How's your vocabulary? We've all said a word wrong in front of people. Every now and then, we remember and feel that flush of embarrassment again. And again. Well, the good news is you're not alone. There are plenty of words that are leaving people stumped. Unscramblerer.com, a site that helps people find fast answers to letter-based word games like Scrabble or Words With Friends, analyzed Google Trends data from Jan. 1 to Oct. 27, 2025. They analyzed searches of "How do you pronounce", "pronunciations of" and "How to pronounce". They also added up different variations of searches for the same term. "Our research about the most searched for mispronunciations gives an interesting insight into American culture. Exposure to new words through media, music, pop culture and social platforms drives curiosity," an Unscramblerer spokesperson said in a news release. The word wizards found the most mispronounced word in every state and the most misspoken words in America. The list is full of proper names, non-English words, foods and medical terms. They noted that people usually look up a word most when there's a difference in how it's spelled and how it sounds, so traditional phonics doesn't work. University of Oxford research found that English spelling and pronunciation match about 75% of the time. And about 60% of English speakers said they often mispronounced at least one common word in a Cambridge University linguistics survey. Paczki (pronounced "POONCH-kee") was the most common search. It led Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The traditional Polish pastry is similar to a filled donut and is very popular around Lent. Worcestershire sauce (said "WUSS-ter-sheer") and the country of Qatar ("KAH-tar") both led in three states. Hawaii has the biggest tongue-twister of them all. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (pronouned "HIP-oh-pot-oh-MON-stroh-ses-kwip-uh-dal-ee-oh-FOH-bee-uh") is the fear of mispronoucing long words. (The irony is palpable.) According to Healthline, it can also be called sesquipedalophobia. Neither is a recognized medical term, but both have roots in social anxiety. (Don't judge me!) "Correct pronunciation is closely tied to perceived intelligence and competence. The desire for correct pronunciation is a mix of avoiding social embarrassment and simple curiosity," the Unscramblerer spokesperson said. "There are over 40 regional accents across America. No wonder people are searching for how to pronounce words." Ready to see how many you know? Are any of these words and phrases new to you? What word does Mississippi mispronounce the most? What does it mean? According to the Google Trends data, the most mispronounced word in Mississippi is chinoiserie. It's said "SHIN-wah-zuh-ree." Merriam-Webster dictionary defines chinoiserie as "a style in art (as in decoration) reflecting Chinese qualities or motifs." It can also mean an object in that style. So now you know how to say it properly. Fancy! What are the most mispronounced words in America? According to Unscramblerer.com, these are the most mispronounced words in the U.S. and how to pronounce them. Do you know how to say them all properly? Gyro (312,000 searches): YEE-roh Worcestershire sauce (300,000 searches): WUSS-ter-sheer Acai (192,000 searches): ah-SIGH-ee Qatar (180,000 searches): KAH-tar Dachshund (156,000 searches): DAKS-hund Niche (142,000 searches): NEESH Aoife (84,000 searches): EE-fah Charcuterie (72,000 searches): shar-KOO-tuh-ree Paczki (36,000 searches): POONCH-kee Primeval (26,000 searches): pry-MEE-vul Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (24,000 searches): soo-per-kal-uh-fraj-uh-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-uh-DOH-shus Hozier (21,000 searches): HO-zee-er What is the most mispronounced word in each US state? According to Unscramblerer.com, these are the most mispronounced words in every state. Alabama: Worcestershire sauce (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 sauce (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 sauce (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)
