Expand / Collapse search
☰

See the most mispronounced words in Minnesota – and how to really say them

By
FOX 6 Now Milwaukee
Minnesota
Published October 31, 2026 4:11 PM CDT
Published October 31, 2026 4:11 PM CDT
article

In this photo illustration, a woman browses the Google website on her laptop, which has the search engine technology. (Photo Illustration by Serene Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Unscramblerer released a list of the most mispronounced words across the U.S. based on Google search data.
    • Over half of the top 15 mispronounced words in Minnesota are food and drink items.
    • Zooming out to the rest of the country, apparently Americans have a harder time pronouncing Worcestershire sauce than Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Do you know the right way to say Nguyen? According to a recent report from Unscramblerer, the common Vietnamese surname is the most mispronounced word in Minnesota.

Minnesota’s most mispronounced words

The backstory:

Unscramblerer, an online tool that helps people unscramble words, released a list of the most mispronounced terms in the U.S. based on Google search data.

While Nguyen took the top spot, one of the internet's oldest debates followed right behind it. "Gif" ranked second, proving Minnesotans are still turning to Google for a quick pronunciation check. 

It’s not just names and tech terms giving Minnesotans a hard time. Food items and international destinations are too. 

Here’s the full list of Minnesota’s most mispronounced words and how to say them correctly: 

  1. Nguyen (WIN)
  2. Gif (Jif)
  3. Pho (FUH)
  4. Iran (ih-RAHN)
  5. Gnocchi (NYOH-kee)
  6. Curacao (KOOR-uh-sow)
  7. Acai (ah-sigh-EE)
  8. Gyro (YEE-roh)
  9. Qatar (KUH-tahr)
  10. Birria (BEE-ree-uh)
  11. Laufey (LAY-vay)
  12. Worcestershire sauce (WOOS-ter-sher saws)
  13. Aoife (EE-fah)
  14. Edinburgh (ED-in-bur-oh)
  15. Lychee (LEE-chee)

Meanwhile, across the nation…

Big picture view:

Zooming out to the rest of the country, the national list has a similar mix of mispronunciations. Food takes the top spot, and a lot of Americans also struggle with the word "gif" as well as that massive Mary Poppins tongue-twister. See the most mispronounced words in America below. 

  1. Worcestershire sauce (WUUS-ter-sheer saws)
  2. Gyro (YEE-roh)
  3. Dachshund (DAKS-hund)
  4. Niche (NEESH)
  5. Porsche (POR-shuh)
  6. Qatar (kuh-TAR)
  7. Gif (JIF)
  8. Curacao (KYUR-uh-sow)
  9. Saoirse (SEER-shuh)
  10. Pho (FUH)
  11. Salmon (SAM-un)
  12. Nguyen (WIN)
  13. Aoife (EE-fuh)
  14. Acai (ah-sigh-EE)
  15. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (soo-per-kal-ih-FRAJ-ih-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-ih-DOH-shus)

The Source: Information for this article was provided by Scramblerer. This story was reported in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. 

Minnesota