This Is the Word Iowans Struggle to Say Correctly

Spelling is hard, but sometimes saying a specific word is as hard, or harder! Especially if that word is deeply rooted in a foreign language.

Thanks to the website Word Unscrambler, we now know the word Iowans struggle to pronounce the most!

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If you’ve ever stumbled over a word like “Worcestershire” or “gyro,” you’re not alone!

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Especially if you live in Iowa.

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According to new research from Unscramblerer.com, the most mispronounced word in Iowa for 2025 is “Dachshund,” that adorable short-legged dog breed pronounced DAKS-hund.

The study analyzed Google searches from January through October 2025, revealing which words Americans struggle to say correctly.

Words Most Americans Struggle With Pronouncing

Across the country, pronunciation confusion isn’t just limited to unusual names or foreign words. The most mispronounced words in the U.S. include:

1. Gyro (YEE-roh)

2. Worcestershire sauce (WUSS-ter-sheer)

3. Acai (ah-SIGH-ee)

4. Qatar (KAH-tar)

5. Dachshund (DAKS-hund)

The research found that Americans searched these pronunciation questions hundreds of thousands of times this year; "gyro” alone appeared in more than 312,000 Google searches.

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English is notoriously tricky. According to Oxford University research, spelling only matches pronunciation about 75% of the time.

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Combine that with more than 40 regional accents across America, and it’s no wonder people often turn to Google for help.

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For Iowans, “Dachshund” may be the hardest word to say, but at least they can take comfort in knowing that across the country, people are still debating how to pronounce everything from “charcuterie” to “paczki.”

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