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 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.
Image: 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.
Image: 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.
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.
Image: ‘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.
Image: 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.”
Nine of a doctor’s 10 children have been killed in an Israeli missile strike on their home in Gaza, which also left her surviving son badly injured and her husband in a critical condition.
Warning: This article contains details of child deaths
Alaa Al Najjar, a paediatrician at Al Tahrir Clinic in the Nasser Medical Complex, was at work during the attack on her home, south of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, on Friday.
Graphic footage shared by the Hamas-run Palestinian Civil Defence shows the bodies of at least seven small children being pulled from the rubble.
Rescuers can be seen battling fires and searching through a collapsed building, shouting out when they locate a body, before bringing the children out one by one and wrapping their remains in body bags.
In the footage, Dr Al Najjar’s husband, Hamdi Al Najjar, who is also a doctor, is put on to a stretcher and then carried to an ambulance.
The oldest of their children was only 12 years old, according to Dr Muneer Alboursh, the director general of Gaza’s health ministry, which is run by Hamas.
Image: Nine children were killed in the strike. Pic: Palestinian Civil Defence
“This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain,” he wrote in a social media post.
“In Gaza, it is not only healthcare workers who are targeted – Israel’s aggression goes further, wiping out entire families.”
Image: Pic: Palestinian Civil Defence
British doctors describe ‘horrific’ and ‘unimaginable’ attack
Two British doctors working at Nasser Hospital described the attack as “horrific” and “unimaginable” for Dr Al Najjar.
Speaking in a video diary on Friday night, Dr Graeme Groom said his last patient of the day was Dr Al Najjar’s 11-year-old son, who was badly injured and “seemed much younger as we lifted him on to the operating table”.
Image: Hamdi Al Najjar, Dr Al Najjar’s husband who is also a doctor, was taken to hospital. Pic: Palestinian Civil Defence
The strike “may or may not have been aimed at his father”, Dr Groom said, adding that the man had been left “very badly injured”.
Dr Victoria Rose said the family “lived opposite a petrol station, so I don’t know whether the bomb set off some massive fire”.
Image: Pic: Palestinian Civil Defence
‘No political or military connections’
Dr Groom added: “It is unimaginable for that poor woman, both of them are doctors here.
“The father was a physician at Nasser Hospital. He had no political and no military connections. He doesn’t seem to be prominent on social media, and yet his poor wife is the only uninjured one, who has the prospect of losing her husband.”
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2:21
Nineteen of Gaza’s hospitals remain operational, all of them are overwhelmed with the number of patients and a lack of supplies
He said it was “a particularly sad day”, while Dr Rose added: “That is life in Gaza. That is the way it goes in Gaza.”
Sky News has approached the Israeli Defence Forces for comment.
Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began when the militant group stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and abducting 251 others.
Israel’s military response has flattened large areas of Gaza and killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count.
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”.
Image: A woman at the site of an Israeli strike in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
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1:44
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.
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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.
Image: A body is carried out of rubble after an Israeli strike in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
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3:08
‘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.
Mr Netanyahu also accused Sir Keir, Mr Macron and Mr Carney of siding with “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers”.
Image: 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.
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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.
Image: 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.
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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.