The Words That Stumped Us All: Babbel's 2025 Mispronunciation Hall of Fame

Oh, the glorious minefield of language! Haven't we all been there, stumbling over a perfectly ordinary-looking word, only to realize we've been saying it wrong for years? Or perhaps you've cringed watching a news anchor grapple with a freshly minted name, silently sympathizing with their struggle. Well, fear not, you are absolutely not alone in this delightful linguistic predicament.

Every year, the language learning wizards at Babbel take it upon themselves to shine a spotlight on these very moments, compiling their much-anticipated list of the words that have consistently tripped up speakers throughout the year. For 2025, it seems our collective tongues had quite the workout, with a fascinating mix of international landmarks, political figures, and even a beloved museum making the cut. It’s always a telling snapshot of what’s been dominating our headlines and our conversations.

Take, for instance, New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani. A prominent figure, no doubt, but his surname proved to be a genuine hurdle for many. You see, it's often heard as "MAM-dah-nee" in casual speech, when the correct pronunciation actually leans more towards "MAHM-dah-nee." It's a subtle shift, to be sure, but one that can easily throw you off, especially when you're speaking on the fly or reading from a teleprompter. It just goes to show how even a single vowel sound can completely change the rhythm of a name.

And then there's the venerable Louvre. Ah, Paris! The city of love, light, and... tricky French pronunciation. Despite its global fame, that iconic museum still causes a fair bit of head-scratching. Many folks instinctively lean towards a hard 'v' sound at the end, or perhaps even add an extra syllable where there isn't one. The actual pronunciation, a softer, almost ethereal "LOO-vruh," often eludes us, probably because we're so used to anglicizing foreign words without a second thought.

The list, naturally, isn't limited to just these two. It's a real smorgasbord of linguistic challenges! We saw familiar faces like "Kyiv," the Ukrainian capital, continue to confound, with its proper "KEE-eev" often giving way to the less accurate "KEY-ev." Even "Omicron," that persistent COVID-19 variant, still made an appearance, reminding us how quickly a new, complex word can enter our vocabulary and cause a widespread pronunciation debate. And who could forget some of the trendier terms, like "cheugy" (that Gen Z descriptor for things considered outdated) or the cryptocurrency-inspired "Doge" (pronounced 'dohj', for those still wondering)? Even Disney’s "Encanto" had its moments, proving that even seemingly simple titles can become little tongue-twisters.

Why do these words continually catch us out? Well, it's a wonderfully human phenomenon, isn't it? Often, it's a brand-new word or a name from a culture unfamiliar to us, suddenly thrust into the limelight. Other times, it's a word we think we know, but have always heard or said incorrectly, creating a deeply ingrained habit that's hard to shake. It’s a testament to how alive and dynamic language truly is, always evolving, always throwing new little curveballs our way. So, next time you stumble, just remember, you’re in excellent company. We're all just trying our best to keep up with the wonderful, wild world of words!