What’s the one word people in your state just can’t get right? We’ve got the scoop on which words stump each state, and which tricky pronunciations are making people hit the search bar.
To compile this list, Google Trends analyzed search trends from August 14, 2024, to August 14, 2025. The tech company specifically examined searches that began with “how to pronounce … ” by state. Here’s what they found.
Every State’s Word Nemesis, Mapped
Uranus appeared twice on the list, in New Hampshire and Michigan. Folks might be tempted to call the planet “yur-AY-nuss,” but according to experts, it’s actually supposed to be “YUR-uh-nuss.”
The names of places were tough to pronounce for various states. Like Uranus, Massachusetts also appeared twice, generating the most search traffic in Oregon and—perhaps surprisingly—within the state itself.
Other places that the nation has trouble pronouncing include:
- Qatar, the small country on the west coast of the Persian Gulf (most searched in Washington, D.C.);
- Kīhei, a coastal area on Maui’s southwest shore (most searched in Hawaii);
- and Monongahela, which could refer to either the river in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania or the city in Pennsylvania (most searched in West Virginia).
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People throughout the U.S. also had a wide range of food-related searches. Birria (“BEE-ryah”) led the way in the category, with two states (Maryland and Washington) searching for it most. According to the Food Network, birria is a Mexican dish with roots in Jalisco, Mexico. It’s a hearty stew that typically consists of braised goat meat and seasonings such as avocado leaves, chilies, herbs, and spices, depending on the complexity of the dish. Alabama showed a particular interest in the way to pronounce cacao (“kuh-COW”), which, by the way, should not be confused with cocoa.
Minnesota residents, meanwhile, wanted to know how to say lychee, also known as litchi or lichee. It’s a fruit that’s red, small, bumpy, and round, and it’s especially popular in Southeast Asia and China. The Cambridge Dictionary says that both “LEE-chee” and “LIE-chee” are correct pronunciations.
Curious which word was most-searched in your state? Check out the full list below.