The most mispronounced foods – and how you actually pronounce them

The likes of gyros, quinoa and cacio e pepe, we all believe the way we pronounce them is the right way.

But Preply has revealed the most often mispronounced foods, and how we should actually say them. So, next time you’re ordering Pho, gyros or croissants you’ll actually know how to pronounce them.

READ MORE: Just Eat reveals the nation's favourite takeaway - do you agree?

The most mispronounced foods

Quinoa

Keen·waa

Many people try to pronounce this ‘pseudograin’ as the anglicised “Kwin-o-a”. However, this is incorrect. Keen-wa is the right way to say the food as per its South American Origin.

Gyros (Canva)

Gyros

Yee·ros

Confusion over the pronunciation is long debated, but ‘Gyros’ is in fact the singular of the greek dish. The Mediterranean background means the “Gy” is softened to give a “yee” sound.

Croissant

Kwa·son

It's surprising to see that the staple french pastry’s pronunciation is so highly contested in 2022. Croissant, pronounced with “kwa” instead of the expected “cro” sound, and the silent T, gets its name from its shape, a crescent.

Açai

a·sai

The popular ingredient of Instagram-perfect smoothie bowls has long been contested for its pronunciation, since its surge in popularity, The berry is actually pronounced in the simple two-syllable “a-sai”. The circumflex on the ‘C’ means the sound is softened to an S.

Açai (Canva)

Gnocchi

No·kee

Just like a garden gnome, the ‘G’ in the popular Italian potato pasta is silent. The ‘cchi’ at the end of the word sounds like ‘kee’. Just like you’ve been locked out because you have no-key.

Lychee

Lai·Chee

The pronunciation of the Southern Chinese fruit is surprisingly phonetic given its long-term confusion. Americans are much more likely to pronounce the word “lee-chee”. However the British pronunciation “lie-chee” (rhymes with tai-chi) is much more popular globally.

Chipotle

chuh·powt·lay

The pronunciation of the popular Mexican seasoning has been largely Americanised, pronounced “chuh-powt-lay”. This isn’t too dissimilar from the Mexican origins of tchee-pot-leh”. Many people mispronounce the chilli pepper by saying “chee-po-til”, however, this is incorrect.

Gnocchi (Canva)

Worcestershire sauce

wu·stuh·shuh

The “cestershire” of Worcestershire sauce causes a lot of confusion, especially for non-Brits who are not used to the strange place names Leicestershire, and Gloucestershire. “Worcestershire” is anything but phonetic, and instead is pronounced in the three-syllable “wu-stuh-shuh”.

Pho

fuh

At first glance, it is easy to think the dish is pronounced phonetically pho, like toe, so or go. However, the most popularly accepted pronunciation of the Vietnamese soup is in fact “fuh”.

Jalapeño

Ha·luh·pee·nyow

The Spanish origins of the word mean pronunciation is slightly different to what an English speaker would expect. In Spanish ‘J’ is largely the equivalent of an English ‘H’.

• Focaccia, Foh·cahtch·ah
• Bruschetta, Broo·skett·ah
• Hummus, Homm·us
• Edamam,  Eh·duh·maa·may
  • Paella, Pah·eh·yah
  • Poutine, Poo·tin
  • Poke (bowl), Po·kay
  • Gyoza, Gee·oh·zuh
  • Prosciutto, Pro·shoo·tow
  • Foie gras, Fwaa graa