“Kyiv” and “Acai” Among the 10 Most Difficult Words to Pronounce Study Finds

Reading an article won't help you overcome your apprehension about standing on a stage in front of hundreds of onlookers.

But nervousness about reading aloud is often dispelled by knowing how to pronounce some of the more difficult words you might encounter.

Using data from Ahrefs, Writing Tips discovered the most sought-after pronunciations in America and globally by searching “how to pronounce” and compiling the top ten results. Here's what they found:

ah-sigh-EE

Acai

Do you want to ask the waiter for the acai bowl but need help pronouncing it? It seems a problem for many Americans, with “acai” searched approximately 18,000 times monthly in the U.S. alone.

Ng'win or Noo-yen

Nguyen

The second most searched pronunciation was “Nguyen.” This most common Vietnamese surname was searched 15,000 times in the U.S., and it is tough for foreigners to say.

YEE-roh

Gyro

The sandwich accounts for 15,000 monthly google inquiries to ensure proper pronunciation. Surprisingly, Americans composed 88% of all queries for “how to pronounce gyro.”

AA-muh-kraan or OH-mih-kron

Omicron

Making up just over half of all omicron pronunciation searches, Americans searched the term approximately 14,000 times monthly in comparison to the total 24,000 people worldwide.

shahr-KOO-tuh-ree

Charcuterie

Americans were responsible for 75% of all searches for this term, with 12,000 monthly queries.

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