Good morning! I hope your enjoying this sparkly new year.
You know I love to share lists of words that surprise us—for whatever reason. Today I have a list of words that many of us are pronouncing incorrectly. Many of these words have to do with food, and many occur because English borrows words from other languages. This list comes from msn.com.
I’ve been guilty of mispronunciation, so I was quick to review these words and almost as quick to share them with you to make sure that you never have to experience the embarrassment of mispronouncing any of these words in front of a person you were hoping to impress (sorry to my father-in-law for repeatedly mispronouncing Worcestershire, Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire—I’ve finally got it down, I think).
I’ve covered mispronounced words before, but there are some new ones on this list for you to peruse. (Remember that word from the list of words you might be using incorrectly?)
| Word | Correct pronunciation | Notes |
| acai | ah-sa-ee | A berry found on palm trees in South American rainforests. It is rich in antioxidants and nutrients. |
| gyro | yee-ro | A term for cooked meat on a rotisserie and served in pita bread. |
| omicron | oh-muh-kraan | A variant of the coronavirus; it’s on the list because it received more than 15,500 searches per month. |
| charcuterie | shar-koo-tuh-ree | A very popular appetizer that includes cold-cooked meat, dried fruits, olives, nuts, pickles, herbs, and various spreads. |
| Nguyen | North Vietnamese people may say N-Win or Nu-Win.
South Vietnamese people may say Win or Wen. In North America, people with this last name may even say New-Yen. |
OK, this is a name, not a word, but it is a very common Vietnamese name, and it confuses a lot of English-speaking people.
If you’re talking to a person named Nguyen and you don’t know how to say their name, just ask! |
| gnocchi | nyow-kee | Delicious lumps of dough made of wheat flour, egg, salt, and potatoes. |
| GIF | Pronunciation is hotly debated.
Is it pronounced with a hard G like gift or with a soft G, like the peanut butter Jif? |
The founder of the format prefers the soft G (jif). For more information, see this article from Time.com. |
| dogecoin | dohj-coin | A highly volatile meme cryptocurrency that gained massive popularity due to Elon Musk’s apparent endorsement on Twitter (now known as X). |
| pho | fuh | A very popular Vietnamese dish consisting of broth, noodles, herbs, and meat. |
| Worcestershire | Wuss-tur-shur or Wooster-shur
The “ces” syllable is entirely silent as are the “r” letters, except the last one. 😐 |
A town in England and a sauce that originated in India but was created by accident in the town of Worcestershire. For the origin story, click this link. |
If you’re interested in learning more about how to pronounce the UK town names of Worcestershire, Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire, this article is for you: You’re Probably Pronouncing These British Towns Incorrectly | Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com). Enjoy the rest of your day and your week.
Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™
Pronouns she/her/hers
9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123
Symitar Documentation Services
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Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.
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