The year 2025 delivered major global stories, and with them came a list of the most mispronounced words in the United States. A language-learning company and a captioning group reviewed broadcasts and public discussions to identify the words and names that speakers struggled with the most. These terms surfaced repeatedly across politics, world news, crime reports, health updates, and even weather coverage.
One of the most mispronounced names was Zohran Mamdani, whose rise in public life made his name appear constantly in the news. Many people mixed up the letters in his last name or shifted the stress. The correct pronunciation is zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee. His name was referenced often as he prepared to take office, which made pronunciation mistakes easier to notice. He has said before that he does not mind when people try and get it wrong, but he has also pointed out when the mispronunciation appears intentional.
Another widely mispronounced word was Louvre, pronounced LOOV-ruh. The Paris museum became a major topic this year after the theft of France’s crown jewels. The soft ending sound is uncommon in English, leading to frequent errors as anchors and commentators reported on the incident. Because the museum’s name appeared in so many updates, the mispronunciations quickly stood out.
Why did these words cause confusion
Experts explained that many mispronounced words come from languages or sound patterns that English speakers rarely use. When these words suddenly appear in major news stories, people often struggle to adapt. Repetition in broadcasts makes the errors more noticeable.
The health and medical field contributed several difficult terms this year. Acetaminophen, pronounced uh-SEE-tuh-MIH-nuh-fen, was often said incorrectly. The word became part of public discussions when President Donald Trump commented on its use during pregnancy and stumbled over the pronunciation himself. The long, multi-syllable structure added to the difficulty.
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The name Alex Murdaugh also made the list again. Pronounced AL-ick MUR-dock, it returned to public attention due to a streaming series on Hulu based on his high-profile case. Many speakers struggled with the contrast between the spelling and the actual pronunciation, especially during interviews and panel discussions.
Mounjaro, pronounced mown-JAHR-OH, also challenged many people. This diabetes and obesity medication gained popularity as users shared their weight-loss results. With the medication appearing frequently in health reports, its unfamiliar sound pattern caused repeated mistakes.
Cross-country pronunciation struggles
Pronunciation challenges were not limited to the United States. The United Kingdom also released a list of mispronounced words, and several names appeared on both lists, including Louvre and Mounjaro. Broadcasters in the U.K. faced similar difficulties when covering these topics.
Another entry on the U.K. list was Storm Éowyn, which hit Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in January. The name, pronounced ay-OH-win, confused many weather presenters. As alerts and updates continued, the pronunciation errors became common across multiple regions.
Captioning professionals explained that they keep detailed notes throughout the year on words that repeatedly cause spelling or pronunciation problems. Linguists then compare these observations with language trends and public usage to create the final list. The goal is to understand which words are creating real challenges and why.
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A surprising pronunciation reveal
A lighter moment came when actor Denzel Washington shared on a talk show that his first name was originally pronounced DEN-zul in his family. Over time, he said, people began mispronouncing it, and the newer version became the one he used. This unexpected detail added another layer to the year’s focus on how names change and shift once they enter public speech.
The list of the most mispronounced words of 2025 reflects how closely language is tied to news events. Whether it was a political figure, a museum heist, a medical discussion, a criminal case, or a storm, each word gained attention because of real events. As these stories spread, so did the challenge of saying the names correctly, making pronunciation itself part of the year’s news.
