CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohioans may not be surprised, but the state’s most mispronounced word is “paczki” (POONCH-kee), according to new research from Unscramblerer.com . The sweet Polish pastry, traditionally enjoyed around Fat Tuesday, continues to trip up locals and visitors alike.

Beyond Ohio, paczki also earned a spot on the list of America’s most searched-for mispronounced words in 2025, ranking ninth nationally with 36,000 searches, Unscramblerer said. The national list is led by “gyro” (YEE-roh) with 312,000 searches, followed by “Worcestershire sauce” (WUSS-ter-sheer), “acai” (ah-SIGH-ee) and “Qatar” (KAH-tar).

A spokesperson for Unscramblerer.com explained the cultural insight behind the research.

“People often look up pronunciations if there is a gap between how a word or name is

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