Since 2016, the closed-captioning company The Captioning Group has compiled the list on behalf of the language platform Babbel, bringing together all the terms that newscasters, politicians, and public figures struggled to pronounce correctly on TV.
Esteban Touma, a linguistic and cultural expert at Babbel, told Business Insider this year's words were a snapshot of the political, cultural, and musical zeitgeist.
Ready to test your pronunciation chops?
In no particular order, here are the top 10 most mispronounced words of the year, according to Babbel's report.
Semaglutide
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic.
Peter Hansen/Getty Images
There is more to the hype surrounding semaglutide, the active ingredient of the weight loss medication Ozempic, than just its effects.
For those unfamiliar with the antidiabetic medication, pronouncing it can be a challenge.
Pronunciation: sem-ah-GLOO-tide
Pete Buttigieg
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was one of the face's of the Democrats' efforts to win voters for Harris.
Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images
The transportation secretary and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was one of the Democrats' most articulate spokespeople when he took over the airwaves and tried to appeal to swing voters and moderates for Harris.
He's also been known to spar with Elon Musk online.
Pronunciation: peet BOOD-ih-judge
Shein
Shein and other fast fashion companies have come under scrutiny for poor product quality and poor working conditions.
Rodrigo Arangua/AFP via Getty Images
The name of the fast fashion company Shein is frequently mispronounced as "Sheen." The company is reportedly planning to debut on the London Stock Exchange early next year.
Pronunciation: SHE-in
Kamala Harris
The first part of Kamala Harris' name is pronounced like "comma."
Tom Williams/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris has often seen her name being mispronounced, most recently in the run-up to the November 2024 presidential election.
Her nieces, Amara and Leela, helped set the record straight onstage at the DNC in August.
"It's like a comma in a sentence," explained Amara. "Then you say 'la,' like 'la la la,'" added Leela.
Pronunciation: COM-a-la HAR-iss
Zendaya
Zendaya recently starred in "Challengers" and the second "Dune" film.
Taylor Hill/WireImage
Actress Zendaya starred as tennis prodigy Tashi Duncan in "Challengers" and as Chani in "Dune: Part II." Her name is frequently mispronounced "Zen-DIE-a."
Pronunciation: Zen-DAY-a
Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan's "Good Luck, Babe!" was a hit this year.
Mary Mathis for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
She has humorously called out those who said [SHA-pel ROW-an] during a live performance, making it clear that it's actually [CHAP-uhl], which sounds like chapel, and [ROHN], which rhymes with tone.
Pronunciation: CHAP-uhl ROHN
SPECULOOS-3b
An artist's visualization of the Speculoos-3 b exoplanet.
NASA
SPECULOOS-3b is an Earth-sized exoplanet that orbits a red dwarf that captured global attention in May when astronomers announced its discovery at a distance of 55 light-years.
Pronunciation: SPEK-yuh-lohss three bee
Phryge
A performer wearing a "Phryge" Olympic mascot costume performs during a parade of French athletes who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris on September 14, 2024.
Andre PAIN / POOL / AFP
The phryge, the mascot of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, was chosen as a symbol of freedom and to represent allegorical figures of the French Republic.
Pronunciation: FREE-je
Barry Keoghan
Barry Keoghan attends the 2024 Golden Globes.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
The Irish actor rose to prominence for his role in Emerald Fennell's "Saltburn" last year, though Sabrina Carpenter fans will also know him as the pop singer's boyfriend.
Though the letter "G" is often silent in Irish names, Keoghan's last name has a distinct "G" sound.
Pronunciation: BARR-ee key-OH-gin
Dutch Kooikerhondje
The breed has brightly spotted fur and floppy ears.
Shutterstock
Shohei Ohtani's dog, a Dutch Kooikerhondje, "threw" the first pitch at a game at Dodger Stadium after the Dodgers' pitcher signed a historic 10-year, $700 million deal with the MLB team.
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