The five most commonly mispronounced foods… and how to actually say them
There’s nothing worse than coming across a word that everyone knows how to say; especially if it’s a popular dish.
Everyone has probably experienced that moment of panic when ordering a difficult-to-pronounce dish at a restaurant, but the good news is that you’re not alone.
Commonly mispronounced foods often originate from foreign languages, which can lead to errors when trying to say them in English.
Last year, Preply, a language website, shared a study that revealed the international foods Americans mispronounce the most.
It turns out that the five most commonly mispronounced words are quinoa, gnocchi, Worcestershire sauce, açai and gyro, and people often emphasize the wrong letters.
Check out the most mispronounced menu items below and learn how to say them correctly.
quinoa
Quinoa is a staple in the lives of many healthy people, but its pronunciation sometimes confuses people.
Often used similarly to rice, the dried seed is primarily used as the base of meals or in salads.
Although it sounds like it’s called ‘kwin-oh-ah’, it’s actually pronounced ‘KEEN-wah’.
Quinoa is a staple in the lives of many healthy people, but its pronunciation sometimes confuses people.
gnocchi
The Italian dish is pronounced ‘NYAW-kee’ or ‘NAW-kee’, not ‘gih-nok-chee’ or ‘knock-ee’.
Gnocchi are soft Italian meatballs typically made from cooked potatoes, flour, and sometimes eggs, but variations use ricotta, semolina, or other ingredients.
It’s served like pasta, boiled and tossed in sauces like tomato, pesto, and even spicy butter.
Gnocchi are soft Italian meatballs usually made from cooked potatoes, flour, and sometimes eggs; but varieties use ricotta, semolina or other ingredients.
Worcestershire sauce
The difficult-to-pronounce sauce is pronounced ‘WOOS-ter-sher’ instead of ‘wor-ces-ter-shire’.
The name of this delicious condiment, consisting of 14 letters, comes from the Worcestershire county of England, where it was created.
The sauce, known for its umami flavor, is so difficult to pronounce that it is searched an average of 34,000 times on Google every month.
The name of this delicious condiment, consisting of 14 letters, comes from the Worcestershire county of England, where it was created.
acai
The small blackish-purple berries are available on Amazon and are often used in smoothies, power bowls, and energy bars.
Although it is thought to be one of the most powerful superfoods, it has also proven to be very difficult for some to tell.
The açai berry is used to make açai bowls and has found a place in many healthy cafes, but despite its popularity there have been some stumbles over the name.
Many people say ‘ah-kai’ but it’s actually said ‘ah-sah-EE’.
The small blackish-purple berries are available on Amazon and are often used in smoothies, power bowls, and energy bars.
Gyroscope
Gyros is a popular Greek street food featuring finely chopped meat on grilled pita bread.
Although the pronunciation of this delicious dish seems simple, it is actually ‘YEE-roh’.
Many people pronounce the Greek sandwich ‘JYE-roh’ with a hard ‘G’, which is incorrect.
Gyros is a popular Greek street food featuring thinly shaved meat on grilled pita bread.
