Keeping up with this year’s headlines came with an unexpected twist - people struggled to say the news they were following. From New York’s incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani, to the Louvre, 2025 produced a set of names and terms that proved difficult for many Americans to pronounce.
Here's the complete list released by Babbel and The Captioning Group, which tracks common on-air errors by anchors and public figures.
Zohran Mamdani
Mamdani’s rise into national attention brought steady confusion over his last name. Babbel notes the correct pronunciation - zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee. The most common slip: swapping the “M” and “N.” As he repeated during one debate, “The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I.”
The Louvre
After the October crown-jewel heist, the Paris museum reentered headlines, and so did the mispronunciations. Babbel lists the correct form as LOOV-ruh, with the softened ending sound proving difficult for English speakers.
Acetaminophen
The Tylenol ingredient returned to the spotlight when public officials debated its safety in pregnancy. But even President Donald Trump struggled to pronounce the word correctly during a media briefing. The correct pronunciation - uh-SEE-tuh-MIH-nuh-fen.
Alex Murdaugh
The South Carolina attorney, again in the news following a streaming-series dramatization, remains widely mispronounced. Babbel lists the correct form as AL-ick MUR-dock, a version many viewers still miss, according to the Associated Press.
Mounjaro
The diabetes and obesity drug surged in demand, and so did the confusion around its name. Babbel’s entry notes the pronunciation mown-JAHR-oh, a three-beat pattern that tripped up presenters across networks.
Éowyn
Storm Éowyn, which struck Ireland and parts of the UK in January, pushed the name onto both countries’ lists. Babbel cites the correct pronunciation as ay-OH-win, per the Associated Press.
Denzel Washington
One of the year’s surprises came from the actor himself. In a late-night appearance on the Graham Norton Show, he revealed the original family pronunciation DEN-zul, later shifted to Den-ZELLE by his mother.
Captioners, throughout the year, make a note of words that come up over and over as difficult to pronounce, spell, or are newly emerging. Linguists at Babbel also track new pronunciation challenges they see.
FAQs
What are the most mispronounced words of 2025?
Babbel’s list includes Zohran Mamdani, the Louvre, Mounjaro, acetaminophen and Alex Murdaugh, among others.
Why was Zohran Mamdani often mispronounced?
Many speakers swapped letters in his last name or struggled with its syllable stress.
How should “Louvre” be pronounced?
Babbel lists the correct pronunciation as LOOV-ruh, with a soft ending.
