You are in a bustling café, about to order a croissant. You open your mouth, and suddenly your brain hits a pause: Is it kruh-SAHNT, krwah-SAHN, kroe-SAANT… or something else?
You are not alone! From the fancy pastry to the brown sauce you drizzle over your meat, South Africans are mixing up pronunciations and getting their tongues tangled.
The most mispronounced words in South Africa in 2025 reveal some surprising offenders, and you might be guilty of one yourself.
The most mispronounced words in South Africa: what are we searching for?
Using Google Trends data from 1 January to 4 November 2025, research by Unscramblerer.com shows which words are tripping us up the most. According to Randoh Sallihall, spokesperson for Unscramblerer.com:
“Exposure to new words through media, music, pop culture and social platforms drives curiosity. People often look up pronunciations if there is a gap between how a word or name is spelt and how it sounds.”
South African culture adds its own twist, too. Terms like now-now and just now are uniquely local, and our curiosity about pronunciation says a lot about how we engage with language.
The list of the most mispronounced words in South Africa this year
Here are the most mispronounced words, search volume, and how to say these words correctly:
- Schedule (74 400 searches): Pronounced SKEJ-ool.
- Croissant (70 800 searches): Pronounced Krwah-SAHN.
- Charcuterie (69 600 searches): Yes, it is Shar-KOO-tuh-ree.
- Aoife (57 600 searches): Correct pronunciation is EE-fah.
- Worcestershire sauce (56 400 searches): Pronounced as WUSS-ter-sheer.
- Jalapeño (46 800 searches): The pronunciation to strive for: HAH-lah-PEH-nyo
- Dachshund (44 400 searches): Correct: DAKS-hund.
- Acai (43 200 searches): Pronounce as Ah-SIGH-ee.
- Quinoa (40 800 searches): Correct: KEEN-waa.
- Château (32 700 searches) Should be sha-TOH.
- Qatar (31 200 searches): Correct: KAH-tar.
- Tuesday (28 800 searches): Yes, even this everyday word causes trouble: Chooz-day.
- Gyro (25 200 searches): “YEE-roh” is the way.
- Nutella (27 600 searches): Correct pronunciation: Nuh-TEH-luh.
- Niche (24 000 searches): The British-style NEESH wins here.
Regional quirks and mispronounced words in our provinces
Each province also had a mispronounced word:
- Mpumalanga: Worcestershire (WUSS-ter-sheer)
- Limpopo: Croissant (Krwah-SAHN)
- Northern Cape: Persuasive (Per-SWAY-siv)
- Eastern Cape: Nonchalant (Non-shuh-LAHNT)
- Free State: Achieve (Uh-CHEEV)
- North West: Jalapeño (HAH-lah-PEH-nyoh)
- Western Cape: Cocoa (KOH-koh)
- Gauteng: Agile (AJ-ile)
- KwaZulu‑Natal: Cautious (KAW-shuhs)
Why does pronunciation matter?
Language and the way we pronounce words subtly signal our education, background and our exposure to global culture. Apparently, more than 60% of English speakers admit they regularly mispronounce at least one common word.
It is not only South Africans struggling to pronounce certain words. In 2024, the world was unsure how to pronounce Shein, Kamala, or espresso.
