Top 10 Food Items You're Probably Pronouncing Wrong

The uninitiated might pronounce it as "ah-kai," but when talking about this trendy berry, it should be pronounced “ah-sah-ee” or "ah-sigh-ee." The fruit actually comes from the açaí palm, a type of tree whose name is derived from Portuguese, and is found primarily in Brazil and South America. The açaí palm is often sought out for its hearts of palm, while its fruit is used to prepare many popular juice smoothies, thanks to açaí's reputation as a natural source of antioxidants. Although nutritionists differ upon exactly how healthy the açaí fruit is compared to diets high in other fruits, most people can agree on one thing - if you’re saying “ah-khai”, you’re saying it wrong.

Although the term "sher-bet" can be used to describe anything from the sweet candy powder consumed in the U.K. to a beverage favored in Western and Southern Asia, when ordering from the lighter side of the frozen dessert menu, many North Americans have been mispronouncing the food as "sher-bert". This often fruit-flavored treat has been a mainstay in shops and restaurants across the country for decades, but sherbet isn't the same as the french “sorbet”. The former tends to contain at least a little bit of butterfat used in its preparation, while sorbet is a dairy-free treat. Whichever you prefer to order, just remember to leave "Bert" out of it.

You know the old question... "if all of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?" Well, at least as far as the pronunciation of this famous Italian coffee is concerned, the answer appears to be “yes”. It’s clearly spelled "ES-presso" with an “s”, not “EX-presso” with an “x”, and yet, many continue to defiantly order "expressos" from their local cafe. It’s a testament to the stubbornness of some coffee drinkers that support for a spelling that includes the letter "x" has actually grown over the years, but Garner's Modern American Usage maintains that under no circumstances is this correct. We're not taking sides, but we will take two espressos to go, please.

In the name of fairness, we’d like to acknowledge that most people have to make the mistake of mispronouncing this next food and being corrected at least once while ordering before getting it right. "Brew-SHET-Ah" just feels so natural! This dish, consisting of grilled bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and in more modern iterations, toppings including basil and tomato, is correctly pronounced "Brew-SKET-ah". Though a common mispronunciation, "Brew-SHET-Ah" is sure to get you an eye roll, an appeasing smile or a brief language language lesson from an experienced server. So, if you're looking to impress that date, or merely avoid weird looks from the wait staff, make sure to pronounce those hard consonants next time!

Here's something different: an example of when you actually SHOULDN'T believe your eyes when looking for a correct pronunciation! The spicy Thai condiment has become extremely popular in North America in the early 21st century, yet still many consumers routinely mispronounce "SEE-rah-cha" as "SIR-ah-cha”. Yet, even those who make the sauce have said that it’s necessary to drop the first "R" in Sriracha in order to pronounce their product correctly, with the reason likely being that its origins can be traced back to, you guessed it, the Si Racha province in eastern Thailand. Get it? Got it? Good!

The "y" in the next food item on our list may initially throw some people off, but the actual way to pronounce this classic Greek delicacy is to say "YEE-ro" as opposed to "Jy-ro." Sure, it's a mistake many of us probably make whenever we order this tasty dish of rotisserie meat-usually, but not limited to, pork, lamb or chicken-served in a pita pocket or on a plate with Greek salad. Trust us, though, the person who is taking your order will appreciate your cultural sensitivity and attention to detail! And you can impress your family and friends at the same time! It's a win-win.

This next dish is currently one of the hottest Vietnamese culinary exports, with many restaurants serving up their take on the country's traditional noodle soup on a daily basis. At first glance, it makes sense that diners new to the dish might make the mistake of sounding it out as "Foe," but the proper pronunciation is actually "Fuh." A delicious soup by any other name might not taste as good. However, with so many adventurous eaters downing bowl after bowl of this artful and complex balance of textured broth, herbs, veggies and a protein such as meat, chicken, or tofu… it’s probably worth knowing how to order the real thing.

The popularity of this harvested grain has grown exponentially in recent years, with many using the seeds as a suitable substitute for rice or paste in their diets. An important thing to remember when serving this dish to friends or guests, however, is that its proper pronunciation is "Keen-wah," not "Quinn-o-wah" or "Quine-o-wah." These seeds from the Amaranthaceae family of flowering plants were first harvested in such South American countries as Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru, yet have steadily made their way to dinner tables across the world, thanks to quinoa's natural resources of fiber and minerals. So go ahead and serve up that side of quinoa with dinner...just remember to pronounce it correctly!

It's a dish that may or may not be completely foreign to you, depending on how much Italian food you consume. But if you haven’t tried these small dumplings of dough, which have been served as side dishes and main courses around the world for many years…. Well, you’re seriously missing out. But before you run out to try a plate, you should know that it’s “Gnocchi”, with a silent "G," and that they're a substitute for more conventional pasta. So… just make sure to drop that "G" and emphasize that "O" for a proper Italian pronunciation, and enjoy!

Before we name our most commonly mispronounced food, here are a few tasty, but tongue-twisting honorable mentions!

Jalapeño
Jicama
Endive

It's been the subject of countless comedic gaffes and mispronunciations, that popular side sauce whose spelling and pronunciation have been the bane of countless foodies for years. Locals native to either the U.K. or New England may not find it all that difficult to deliver the proper pronunciation of "Wus-ster-sher," but many others have managed to come up with some pretty interesting alternate takes on the word, including "War-ces-ter-sigh-er" and "War-chest-er-sher." Fans of this complex and tasty condiment may not be able to pronounce Worcestershire with much ease, but one thing all carnivores DO know... is that a good steak, chili or beef stew wouldn't quite be the same without it.