Zohran Mamdani and the Louvre included in the list of most mispronounced words of 2025

DALLAS The election of Zohran Mamdani and the high-profile jewel theft at the Louvre have highlighted a surprising challenge for many Americans this year: pronouncing names correctly. Both the incoming New York City mayor and the iconic Paris museum have been listed among 2025s most frequently mispronounced words.

The language-learning platform Babbel, together with closed-captioning provider The Captioning Group, compiled a list of terms that proved tricky for news anchors, politicians, and public figures across the U.S., reflecting the stories and personalities that dominated headlines.

As Mamdani gained political prominence, his name was often mispronounced. When he assumes office in January, the 34-year-old will be New York Citys first Muslim mayor, first African-born mayor, and the first of South Asian descent. Babbel notes that the correct pronunciation is zoh-RAHN mam-DAH-nee, but many mistakenly reversed the M and N in his last name.

Mamdani has stated he doesnt mind honest attempts to pronounce his name correctly, though some mispronunciations appear deliberate. During a mayoral debate, he corrected former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, saying, The name is Mamdani. M-A-M-D-A-N-I.

The October theft of Frances crown jewels at the Louvre also caused pronunciation difficulties. Babbel says the museums name should be pronounced LOOV-ruh, with a very soft ending, a challenge for English speakers. Esteban Touma, a linguistic expert at Babbel, explained, Many of these words come from foreign languages, so we are trying to produce sounds weve never made before.

Other commonly mispronounced words on the list include:

• Acetaminophen (uh-SEE-tuh-MIH-nuh-fen), the active ingredient in Tylenol. Even former President Donald Trump struggled with the word while warning pregnant women about its use.
• Alex Murdaugh (AL-ick MUR-dock), the South Carolina attorney sentenced to life for the 2021 killings of his wife and son, whose case inspired a Hulu series.
• Mounjaro (mown-JAHR-OH), a diabetes and obesity medication that gained popularity for its weight-loss effects.

Several terms from the U.S. list, including Louvre and Mounjaro, also appeared on a U.K. version compiled by Babbel and the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters. Storm owyn, which impacted Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland in January, was also highlighted; its correct pronunciation is ay-OH-win, with a three-beat rhythm.

Throughout 2025, captioners tracked words that were repeatedly challenging to pronounce, spell, or were newly trending. Babbel linguists also monitor emerging pronunciation difficulties. In a notable example, actor Denzel Washington shared on Jimmy Kimmels show that his name is actually pronounced DEN-zul after his father, but his mother chose to pronounce it Den-ZELLE, adding to public confusion.

Author: Ethan Caldwell