Illinois and Indiana's most mispronounced words revealed
CHICAGO - An analysis of Google search data found "Chicago" was the most mispronounced word in Illinois in 2026, while "gyro" topped the list in Indiana.
Most mispronounced words
The analysis by Unscramblerer.com examined Google search data from Jan. 1 through Oct. 20. Researchers looked at searches including "how do you pronounce" and "how to pronounce."
"Chicago" was Illinois’ most mispronounced word, according to the analysis. It should be pronounced "shih-KAH-goh."
In Indiana, the most mispronounced word was "gyro," pronounced "YEE-roh." The same word also topped the lists in Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri.
Nationally, "Worcestershire sauce" ranked first, followed by "gyro" and "dachshund," pronounced "DAKS-hund."
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Researchers said pronunciation questions are often linked to irregular spelling, words borrowed from other languages, regional accents, mishearing and unfamiliarity.
The analysis found that the top 15 mispronounced words accounted for millions of searches. "Worcestershire sauce" led with about 321,600 searches, followed by "gyro" with about 290,400.
The Source: The information in this story came from an analysis of Google Trends data conducted by Unscramblerer.com.