First off, it was a croissant for breakfast before stopping by the store to buy some Worcestershire sauce. Then it was a choice between a gyro or Pho for lunch. I picked up a charcuterie board before entertaining some guests, and while at the store I bought some gnocchi, quinoa, and acai.

Did you pronounce all those correctly? Odds are you didn’t, because those are the eight most commonly mispronounced foods, in order, in the United States. 

Researchers at study platform Quizgecko compiled a list of most popular foods and analyzed the number of Google searches for each, combined with terms like “how to pronounce food,” “food pronunciation,” and “how to say food.”

“Croissant” is far and away the winner. Personally, I’ve been mispronouncing the French puff pastry for years. The correct pronunciation? Kwah-sahn. Who knew? Did you know acai is pronounced “ah-sigh-ee?” Neither did I. 

Many seem obvious, but apparently aren’t for everyone. I’m happy to say I’m a master at ordering a fajita (No. 26 on the list) from Chipotle (No. 14), and feel comfortable ordering a beignet in New Orleans. Getting a salad with vinaigrette dressing is always a win, as is ordering edamame or bruschetta.

But don’t get me started on phyllo (fee-loh), and I’ve been garbling bouillabaisse forever. (It’s boo-yuh-bess, by the way).

I’ve now got to go season some paella with Siracha, and get the quiche ready for dinner. Tiramisu is for dessert, followed by a nightcap of espresso. All those appear on the list, below.

OK, I haven’t had to pronounce anything in writing this article. But thank God for spellcheck.