From “Chipotle” to “Eilish”, these are the words we pronounced the most badly in 2021

By Richard W. Clemons Last updated Dec 8, 2021

You are not alone if you, too, have stumbled upon “cheugy” or the last name of Billie Eilish. These are two of the most mispronounced words in 2021, according to Babbel and the US Captioning Company. Babbel, a language learning service, commissioned the report from the closed captioning provider based on the words that presenters found the most difficult to pronounce throughout the year.

Fortunately for most of us, we will never have to say these words on television. But if you’ve ever found yourself saying “Chip-ol-tee” instead of “Chipotle” or calling Eilish “Billie? EyelashRead on for more words that are most commonly mispronounced in 2021, with phonetic pronunciations provided by Babbel instructor Esteban Touma.

Example: “It’s so boring of her wearing skinny jeans and Uggs. Doesn’t she know it’s not 2009?”

Actual pronunciation: CHOO-gee

Chipotle (name)

The Mexican-inspired fast food chain that charges you extra for guac.

Example: “I would eat at Chipotle, but I don’t feel like standing in line for an hour just to eat a burrito.”

Actual pronunciation: Chih-POHT-lay

Dalgona (name)

Korean honeycomb candies with intricate patterns that proved too difficult for some “Squid Game” participants to trace.

Example: “There is no way I can cut a dalgona umbrella without it cracking!” ”

Actual pronunciation: tal-goh-NAH (although Babbel notes that some speakers “seem to produce a ‘K’ instead of a ‘G’ in the middle syllable.”)

Dogecoin (name)

A sort of cryptocurrency popularized after Elon Musk enthusiastically tweeted about it and helped increase its value.

Example: “I thought Dogecoin was an invented currency, but its value has climbed to almost $ 50 billion at one point this year.”

Actual pronunciation: DOHJ-piece

Eilish (name)

Half the stage name of Grammy winner and teenage sensation Billie Eilish.

Example: “‘Eilish’ is an Irish sounding last name, but did you know Billie’s real name is O’Connell?”

Actual pronunciation: EYE-lish – like “elegant”, NOT “eyelashes”.

Never given (name)

The name of the oddly relatable freighter that lodged in the Suez Canal for a week, inspiring countless memes and forcing the closure of one of the world’s most important trade routes.

Example: “I identify with Ever Given because I too often get stuck in a rut and disrupt the global economy.”

Actual pronunciation: EV-er GIV-fr. When he first got stuck, his name was often mis-reported as “Evergreen”.

Omicron (name)

The 15th letter of the Greek alphabet – and the identifier of a newly discovered strain of Covid-19.

Example: “It is too early to tell if the Omicron variant causes serious illness, but Covid-19 vaccines remain the best protection against infection.”

Actual pronunciation: There is a little! â€œAH-muh-kraanâ€ is more popular in the United States, according to Babbel, and â€œOH-mee-kraanâ€ is used more in the United Kingdom. The Oxford Dictionary offers six different ways of pronouncing it, including “oh-MY-kron”. Choose your own adventure.

Shein (name)

A Chinese fast-fashion company favored by the online ensemble for its affordable designs and slammed by environmentalists for producing items quickly, cheaply and with materials that can pollute the oceans when thrown away.

Example: “I just bought six tops, four skirts, two pairs of shoes and a pair of jeans from Shein for $ 75!”

Actual pronunciation: SHEE-in

united states