Avoid awkward moments

Most people mispronounce these 12 foreign words. How about you?

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English speakers borrow many words from other languages and pronounce them as best they can. Sometimes, those pronunciations are correct, but that’s not always the case. The following 12 examples are foreign words that we use daily but often mispronounce.

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Those slices of toasted Italian bread drenched in olive oil, with garlic and tomatoes on top, are a common sight in restaurants around the world, but most of us can’t seem to pronounce their name correctly and say "bru-shetta" instead.

In its native Italian, the "ch" is always pronounced like a K. So it’s "bru-SKET-ta."

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This French word is often used in the fashion world, but since there is no "tch" sound in the French language—except in foreign words and names—it is pronounced like "sh." So the correct pronunciation is "sheek."

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A popular ingredient among people seeking a healthier diet, quinoa originated in South America and is often pronounced "kee-no-ah," when the correct pronunciation is "keen-wah."

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As you can see, the world of food offers plenty of opportunities for mispronouncing words, and this one comes courtesy of Italy. The exact origin of the word gnocchi is unknown, but many believe it derives from the Italian word nocchio, meaning "a knot in wood." If you want to get the pronunciation of this foreign food correctly, you should say "nok-ee."

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A fun word to pronounce, indeed! These hot chili peppers come from Mexico. And, as the "j" sound in Spanish is pronounced like a strong "h" in English, you don’t say jall-ap-ee-no. Instead, it’s "halla-pen-yo."

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The name of this tasty French salad has the letter c with the hook ç, which is called c-cedilla, which is pronounced like an "s." The proper pronunciation for this dish is "nee-swahz."

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The second South American food product on our list, the superfood known as açaí, is a type of berry found in rainforests. Its pronunciation can be tricky for native English speakers, partly because of the unfamiliar Latin letters. If you want to get it right, it’s "ah-sigh-ee."

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Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage often used in Spanish and South American cuisine. The correct pronunciation for this exotic word is "choh-ree-soh."

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This household expression, often directed at someone about to enjoy a particularly tasty meal, is frequently mispronounced. Many English speakers pronounce the "t" at the end of this expression when it is, in fact, silent: bon-appétit is pronounced "bon-apetee."

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This French word, used to describe someone who is an expert in a particular subject, is often mispronounced as "con-nah-sewer," but that’s not correct. The proper pronunciation is "con-ah-see-er."

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This architectural and aesthetic style from the early 20th century has a French name, often mispronounced as "no vew." But the most accurate pronunciation is "new-voh."

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The last word on our list is also a French one, used to describe a special occupation. Many English speakers mispronounce it to sound like "nitch," but the correct pronunciation is closer to "neesh."

Which of these is your favorite?

The rise of the The’s: did you know these 12 bands starting with "The"?

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It may have started as a way of adding elegance or formality to the whole affair. Instead of just being called "Bugs", the members of the band decided to call themselves "The Bugs". After all, it’s not the same saying "We are Bugs" as saying "We are The Bugs". Or maybe not, and there were as many reasons as bands with the "The" article slapped at the front of their names. In any case, there were a lot of those. Which of these 12 bands do you like the best?

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Probably the most famous "The" band in the entire world, The Beatles created their name as a mixture of the words "beetles" and "beat", which was their music style.

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The Rolling Stones got their name from a Muddy Waters LP aptly named "Rollin’ Stone". The name came up when Brian Jones was on a telephone call with the Jazz News magazine and the reporter asked for their name.

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Legendary punk band The Clash came up with their name in a time of social turmoil, strikes, and violence, when the word "clash" was all over the place. The band thought that this concept was very representative of them.

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When it comes to bands with "The" on their name, no one went as far as Matt Johnson’s The The. This name was suggested by the keyboard player to Johnson right before their live debut, probably as an ironic joke. But it stuck.

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Jokes are a recurring theme when it comes to naming bands and The Who was no exception. When brainstorming for a name, the members of the band wanted something that would deliberately sound like a joke when it was presented live.

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This English band’s name wasn’t always as we know it. It started out as Easy Cure but Robert Smith, the founder, thought it sounded a bit "hippish" and changed it to The Easy Cure which, in turn, was shortened to The Cure.

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Bands’ names starting with the word "The" are nothing new. The American vocal pop group The Ink Spots gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s with their melodic tunes and their velvety voices. The name was suggested by member Deek Watson, inspired by the ink that came from a fountain pen.

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This Canadian band’s name originated in a skit from the 1981 comedy Elephant Parts, in which a character exclaims, "Send some money to the foundation for the tragically hip."

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A band that was, at least partially, responsible for the return of the "The" bands in the early 2000s, The Strokes got their name after a brainstorming session when terrible names were thrown around, like the de Niros, the Rubber Bands, the Motels, Flattop Freddie and the Purple Canoes, until singer Julian Casablancas came up with The Strokes an everyone just agreed on it.

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It’s no secret that Jim Morrison, The Doors’ singer was very much into poetry, and the rest of the band went along with it. Their original name, The Doors of Perception was inspired by a line from William Blake's poem, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. But it was eventually shortened to just The Doors.

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As it happens, the backing musicians to a solo performer are usually referred to as "the band". The Band, a Canadian-American rock group formed in 1967, originally started as the backing band for singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. That makes sense, right?

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The 1980s melodic punk rock band, The Replacements was originally called The Impediments. But, after several disastrous early performances, the band decided to distance themselves from their past and name themselves, The Replacements.