Açaí, chipotle and gnocchi
The English language can seem designed to trip us up, whether we’re greeting a colonel or travelling to Worcestershire. Here are some of the biggest stumbling blocks
TL;DR
- The word 'açaí' is the most commonly mispronounced word in the UK, often said as 'ack-eye' or 'ah-sigh' instead of the correct 'Ah-sigh-ee'.
- A poll of 2,000 people commissioned by Škoda identified 20 commonly mispronounced words, including 'quinoa', 'gnocchi', 'chipotle', 'segue', and 'Worcestershire'.
- Škoda's involvement in the poll is speculated to be a publicity stunt, possibly because the car brand itself is often mispronounced as 'scoder' instead of 'shkoda'.
- The article suggests that mispronunciations of words like 'colonel' (pronounced 'kernel') and 'squirrel' (two syllables) indicate a broader issue with how English is spoken in Britain, making it difficult for foreigners.
- Correct pronunciations are provided for 'açaí' as 'Ah-sigh-ee' and 'chipotle' as 'chi-poht-lay'.