The language-learning company Babbel and closed-captioning company The Captioning Group have released their annual list of the most mispronounced words in America for 2025, featuring names and terms that dominated news cycles and left many struggling with proper pronunciation. The list includes New York City's incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani and the famous Louvre museum in Paris, highlighting how current events often introduce pronunciation challenges to everyday conversation.
Zohran Mamdani's name topped the list as the democratic socialist made his historic political rise throughout the year. When he takes office in January, the 34-year-old will become New York City's first Muslim mayor, first mayor born in Africa, and first of South Asian heritage. According to Babbel, his name should be pronounced "zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee," but was most commonly mispronounced when people swapped the M and N in his last name. Mamdani himself has stated that while he doesn't mind genuine attempts to pronounce his name correctly, he takes issue with intentional mispronunciations. During one mayoral debate, he notably corrected former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, saying, "The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I."
The Louvre museum earned its spot on the list following the October theft of France's crown jewels, which captured international attention and had many news anchors struggling with the pronunciation. The correct pronunciation is "LOOV-ruh," with a very soft pronunciation on the "ruh," which presents particular challenges for English speakers. As Esteban Touma, a linguistic and cultural expert at Babbel, explained, "A lot of these words come from different languages, and so we have to adapt to a sound that we've never made before."
Several other notable names and terms made the 2025 list, reflecting major news stories and cultural moments. "Acetaminophen," pronounced "uh-SEE-tuh-MIH-nuh-fen," gained attention when President Donald Trump stumbled over the word while advising pregnant women to avoid the painkiller despite inconclusive evidence linking it to autism. Alex Murdaugh, the South Carolina attorney sentenced to life in prison for killing his wife and son, saw his name frequently mispronounced as his case was dramatized in a Hulu series this year. The correct pronunciation is "AL-ick MUR-dock."
The diabetes and weight-loss medication "Mounjaro" also appeared on the list, pronounced "mown-JAHR-OH," as these types of injectable medications soared in popularity due to their weight-loss effects. Several words, including Louvre and Mounjaro, appeared on both the U.S. list and the UK version, which was compiled by Babbel in partnership with the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters. The UK list also featured "Storm Eowyn," which battered Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in January, with the correct pronunciation being "ay-OH-win" in a three-beat pattern.
The compilation process involves captioners noting words that repeatedly present pronunciation, spelling, or emerging usage challenges throughout the year, while Babbel linguists track new pronunciation difficulties they observe. In an unexpected revelation, actor Denzel Washington provided the year's biggest pronunciation surprise when he told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that his name is actually pronounced "DEN-zul," named after his father. However, to avoid confusion, his mother decided to pronounce her son's name "Den-ZELLE," which became the widely recognized pronunciation. This annual list serves as both a linguistic snapshot of the year's major events and a helpful guide for proper pronunciation of names and terms that shaped public discourse.
