You’ve been pronouncing these words wrong
Some of the most important words of 2023 were also among the trickiest to pronounce – and the chances are you’ve been saying them wrong this whole time.
The tongue-twisting pronunciations range from the first name of “Oppenheimer” star Cillian Murphy, to the name of a sacred slab of sandstone used in the coronation of King Charles.
The list of this year’s most mispronounced words in the UK and US has been released by the online language learning company Babbel, and includes words ranging from scientific discoveries, to entertainment and politics.
How many of the words below have you been getting wrong?
The Stone of Scone – pronounced Stone of Skoon
King Charles‘s coronation meant the Stone of Scone was a topic of discussion for some in 2023.
The sacred slab was under the Coronation Chair when the crown was placed on the King’s head in May.
The stone has been used in ceremonies to inaugurate new monarchs for almost a thousand years – and it’s possible people have been pronouncing it wrong for just as long.
The Stone of Scone has the rare honour of making it onto the both the UK and US list of mispronounced words for 2023.
The ancient Stone of Scone has been used in the inauguration of monarchs for hundreds of years
UK list
Padam – pronounced PAD-dahm
This word comes from Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue’s summer hit “Padam Padam”.
The word, which is apparently easier to sing than it is to say, refers to the sound of a heartbeat.
Bharat – pronounced BUH-ruht
Bharat is an ancient Sanskrit word that means India in Hindi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government suggested this year that Indians should start referring to their country as Bharat instead.
A hit by Kylie Minogue proved difficult for people to pronounce. Pic: AP
And now for the US list…
Cillian – pronounced Ki-lee-uhn
Irish actor Cillian Murphy has been one of the biggest stars of the year after starring in the Hollywood blockbuster Oppenheimer – but even that level of fame clearly does not guarantee people saying your name correctly.
Vivek Ramaswamy – pronounced Vih-VEK Rah-mah-SWAH-me
The name of biotech entrepreneur and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has also featured heavily in the news this year.
Getting people to say his name correctly is one of the many challenges he faces as he aims to secure the Republican nomination.
‘Ki-lee-uhn’ Murphy as Oppenheimer. Pic: AP
SZA – pronounced SIZ-uh (like scissor)
The US singer, who leads the nominations for the upcoming Grammys, goes by an acronym which many will have been pronouncing wrong.
The singer explained in 2018 that the S stands for “Sovereign or Self, Saviour”; the Z stands for Zig-Zag-Zig, which refers to enlightenment; and the A stands for Allah.
Fans of the Wu-Tang Clan will perhaps be less likely to get it wrong, however, as the pronunciation of SZA is in keeping with that of the legendary hip hop group’s de facto leader, the RZA.
Popocatepetl – pronounced Poh-poh-kah-TEH-peh-til
The Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico spewed lava and ash in a series of eruptions earlier this year – sparking an explosion in mispronunciations.
Kilauea – pronounced Kee-lou-EY-uh
In keeping with the volcano theme, Kilauea in Hawaii gave news presenters a tongue-twisting challenge as it erupted multiple times throughout 2023.
Read more:
Manager comes out of retirement to help UK’s ‘worst football team’
Escaped reindeer that blocked A-road is captured
Shoppers warned about smelly cheese described as ‘just too much’
Hollywood actor Jared Leto dressed up as Choupette for the Met Gala. Pic: AP
Choupette – pronounced SHOO-pet
The name of Karl Lagerfeld’s cat was difficult to pronounce for many as the Met Gala honoured the late fashion designer this year.
Kelce – pronounced KEL-see… or is it?
In some cases, the correct pronunciation is in the eye of the beholder. Earning a place on the US list was the last name of Travis Kelce, the NFL star and new boyfriend of Taylor Swift.
Whether Kelce should be pronounced with one or two syllables, Kels or KEL-See, was a topic of discussion on the New Heights podcast he hosts with his brother Jason.
When they asked their father in an episode whether they should go by “Kels or KEL-see”, he replied: “Do whatever you want, I did.”
World
UN’s Antonio Guterres condemns ‘teaspoon’ of aid allowed into Gaza after dozens die in airstrikes
The head of the UN has said Israel has only authorised for Gaza what amounts to a “teaspoon” of aid after at least 60 people died in overnight airstrikes.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said on Friday the supplies approved so far “amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required,” adding “the needs are massive and the obstacles are staggering”.
He warned that more people will die unless there is “rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access”.
A woman at the site of an Israeli strike in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Gaza: ‘Loads of children with huge burns’
Israel says around 300 aid trucks have been allowed through since it lifted an 11-week blockade on Monday, but according to Mr Guterres, only about a third have been transported to warehouses within Gaza due to insecurity.
The IDF said 107 vehicles carrying flour, food, medical equipment and drugs were allowed through on Thursday.
Many of Gaza’s two million residents are at high risk of famine, experts have warned.
Meanwhile, at least 60 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes across Gaza overnight.
Ten people died in the southern city of Khan Younis, and deaths were also reported in the central town of Deir al-Balah and the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north, according to the Nasser, Al-Aqsa and Al-Ahli hospitals where the bodies were brought.
A body is carried out of rubble after an Israeli strike in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘Almost everyone depends on aid’ in Gaza
The latest strikes came a day after two Israeli embassy workers were killed in Washington.
The suspect, named as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, Illinois, told police he “did it for Gaza”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney of fuelling antisemitism following the shootings.
The leaders of the UK, France and Canada are “on the wrong side of humanity and (…) history”, he said, after they threatened “concrete action” against Israel this week if it continues its “egregious” military operations in Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu also accused Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Carney of siding with “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers”.
Palestinians search for casualties in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
But UK government minister Luke Pollard told Sky News on Friday morning he “doesn’t recognise” Mr Netanyahu’s accusation.
Earlier this week, Mr Netanyahu said he was recalling negotiators from the Qatari capital, Doha, after a week of ceasefire talks failed to bring results. A working team will remain.
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 251 others.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Read more on Sky News:
Shooting suspect ‘fired repeatedly’
Huge fire declared major incident
Has there been a rise in NHS appointments?
The militants are still holding 58 captives, around a third of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Israel’s offensive, which has destroyed large swaths of Gaza, has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
A woman has been arrested after 12 people were reportedly injured in a stabbing at Hamburg’s central train station in Germany.
An attacker armed with a knife targeted people on the platform between tracks 13 and 14, according to police.
They added that the suspect was a 39-year-old woman.
Police at the scene. Pic: AP
Officers said they “believe she acted alone” and investigations into the stabbing are continuing.
There was no immediate information on a possible motive.
The fire service said six of the injured were in a life-threatening condition, three others were seriously hurt, and another three sustained minor injuries, news agency dpa reported.
The attack happened shortly after 6pm local time (5pm UK time) on Friday in front of a waiting train, regional public broadcaster NDR reported.
A high-speed ICE train with its doors open could be seen at the platform after the incident.
Railway operator Deutsche Bahn said it was “deeply shocked” by what had happened.
Read more from Sky News:
Trump threatens EU with 50% tariff
Mum of emaciated Gazan baby: ‘I don’t want to lose her’
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Four tracks at the station were closed in the evening, and some long-distance trains were delayed or diverted.
Hamburg is Germany‘s second biggest city, with the train station being a hub for local, regional and long-distance trains.
In mid-May, the World Health Organisation assessed that there were “nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death”.
“This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time,” its report concluded.
Warning: This article contains images of an emaciated child which some readers may find distressing
Israel‘s decision this week to reverse the siege and allow “a basic level of aid” into Gaza should help ease the immediate crisis.
But the number of aid trucks getting in, so far fewer than 100 per day, is considered dramatically too few by aid organisations working in Gaza, and the United Nations accuses Israel of continuing to block vital items.
Israel-Gaza latest: Gaza enduring ‘atrocious death and destruction’, UN boss warns
“Strict quotas are being imposed on the goods we distribute, along with unnecessary delay procedures,” said UN secretary general Antonio Guterres in New York on Friday.
“Essentials, including fuel, shelter, cooking gas and water purification supplies, are prohibited. Nothing has reached the besieged north.”
Nineteen of Gaza’s hospitals remain operational, all of them are overwhelmed with the number of patients and a lack of supplies.
Baby Aya at Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza is dangerously thin
“Today, we receive between 300 to 500 cases daily, with approximately 10% requiring admission. This volume of inpatient cases far exceeds the capacity of Rantisi hospital, as the facility is not equipped to accommodate such large numbers,” Jall al Barawi, a doctor at the hospital, told us.
At least 94% of the hospitals have sustained some damage, some considerable, according to the UN.
Jall al Barawi, a doctor at Rantisi hospital
Paramedic crews are close to running out of fuel to drive ambulances.
The lack of food, after an 11-week blockade, has left thousands malnourished and increasingly vulnerable to surviving injuries or recovering from other conditions.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
Children are the worst affected.
Our team in Gaza filmed with baby Aya at the Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza. She is now three months old and dangerously thin.
Her skin stretches over her cheekbones and eye sockets on her gaunt, pale face. Her nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.
Aya’s nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.
Lethal spiral
Her mother Sundush, who is only 19 herself, cannot get enough food to produce breastmilk. Baby formula is scarce.
Aya, like so many other young children, cannot get the vital nutrition she needs to grow and develop.
It’s a lethal spiral.
This is what Aya looked like shortly after she was born
“My daughter was born at a normal weight, 3.5kg,” Sundush tells us.
“But as the war went on, her weight dropped significantly. I would breastfeed her, she’d get diarrhoea. I tried formula – same result. With the borders closed and no food coming in, I can’t eat enough to give her the nutrients she needs.”
“I brought her to the hospital for treatment, but the care she needs isn’t available.
“The doctor said her condition is very serious. I really don’t want to lose her, because I lost my husband and she’s all I have left of him. I don’t want to lose her.”
Read more:
British doctor in Gaza describes horror
Shouts of ‘genocide’ in Commons
Aya and her mother Sundush
Some of the aid entering Gaza now is being looted. It is hard to know whether that is by Hamas or desperate civilians. Maybe a combination of the two.
The lack of aid creates an atmosphere of desperation, which eventually leads to a breakdown in security as everyone fights to secure food for themselves and their families.
Only by alleviating the desperation can the security situation improve, and the risk of famine abate.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway