Buzz
Tech products can seem daunting, especially as they evolve year after year. To make matters worse, some of the most widely used tech terms and brand names are a challenge to pronounce correctly.
For example, should 'GIF' be pronounced with a hard 'g' or a soft 'j'? It’s more confusing than it seems. Given that about 60 percent of tech terminology and online content is in English, yet only about 16 percent of the global population speaks it, this only adds to the confusion.
To provide clarity, the team at SimpleGhar, a site dedicated to reviewing consumer goods, compiled a list of the most mispronounced tech terms and brands. By analyzing pronunciation data from the Forvo library, they narrowed it down to the top 10 most commonly mispronounced terms in each category. The results may surprise you.
The most mispronounced consumer tech term is 'Linux,' the open-source operating system. Pronounced 'li-nuhks,' it has been played about 267,000 times on Forvo for its correct pronunciation. Following closely in second place is the debated 'GIF,' with 232,000 listens. Whether you say 'jif' or 'gif,' both pronunciations are generally accepted.
With around 225,000 listens, 'Wi-Fi' ranks as the third most mispronounced tech term. English speakers typically say 'wahy-fahy' or 'wye-fye,' while people from France, Spain, and other parts of Europe tend to pronounce it as 'wee-fee.' In Poland, it's often said 'vee-fee,' as Polish swaps the 'w' sound with 'v.'
When it comes to mispronounced tech brand names, 'Samsung' takes the lead with about 279,000 listens on Forvo. The correct pronunciation in English is 'sam-suhng,' but in Korean, it’s said 'sam-soong.'
Curious to learn more? Check out the list below, and for a comprehensive guide on all the mispronounced tech, gaming, photography, and smartphone terms, head here.
Most Mispronounced Consumer Tech Terms | How it sounds | Number of listens |
|---|---|---|
1. Linux | “li-nuhks” | 267,000 |
2. GIF | “jif” or “gif” | 232,000 |
3. Wi-Fi | “wahy-fahy” | 225,000 |
4. meme | “meem” | 77,000 |
5. cache | “kash” | 74,000 |
6. Siri | “si-ree” | 71,000 |
7. Bluetooth | “bloo-tooth” | 57,000 |
8. javascript | “jah-va-skript” | 38,000 |
9. hashtag | “hash-tag” | 31,000 |
10. SQL | “see-kwuhl” or “ess-cue-ell” | 30,000 |
Most Mispronounced Tech Brand Names | How it sounds | Number of listens |
|---|---|---|
1. Samsung | “sam-suhng” or “sam-soong” | 279,000 |
2. Huawei | “waa-way” | 176,000 |
3. Sony | “soh-nee” | 121,000 |
4. Microsoft | “mai-kruh-saaft” | 104,000 |
5. Xiaomi | “shau-mee” | 104,000 |
6. Adobe | “uh-dow-bee” | 101,000 |
7. Toshiba | “tow-shee-buh” | 94,000 |
8. Nintendo | “nin-ten-doh” | 68,000 |
9. ASUS | “ay-soos” | 49,000 |
10. Casio | “ka-see-oh” | 46,000 |
