In brief
In 2025, the struggle with pronunciation of notable names and terms highlighted a linguistic challenge in America, with names like Zohran Mamdani and locations tied to major events like the Louvre theft causing confusion. The language-learning platform Babbel listed the most mispronounced words as Americans grappled with political and cultural shifts.
DALLAS (AP) — As major political figures like Zohran Mamdani rise to prominence and incidents like the jewel heist at the Louvre capture public attention, Americans find themselves struggling with the proper pronunciations of key names and terms in 2025.
A recent study by language-learning company Babbel and closed-captioning provider The Captioning Group revealed the most mispronounced names in news media. Mamdani, a democratic socialist and the first Muslim mayor of New York City, often had his name distorted. His name is correctly pronounced zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee, yet many swapped the 'M' and 'N'. Mamdani expressed his understanding of accidental mispronunciations but criticized those who do it intentionally. He famously corrected former Governor Andrew Cuomo on a debate stage, emphasizing, The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I.
The recent theft of France’s crown jewels from the Louvre in October also contributed to widespread confusion. The famed museum's name, pronounced LOOV-ruh with a soft ending, proved challenging for many.
Esteban Touma, a linguistic expert at Babbel, noted the importance of adapting to these new sounds, stating, A lot of these words come from different languages and we have to adapt to a sound that we’ve never made before. This year's mispronounced list included terms like Acetaminophen, highlighted in the media when President Trump mispronounced the term while advising pregnant women, and Alex Murdaugh, whose legal drama captured headlines.
As these challenges in pronunciation emerge, organizations like Babbel are committed to helping people navigate the complexities of language and cultural nuances.
