New Jerseyans cannot pronounce this word

Apparently, every state has that one word people just can’t say correctly. This year, New Jersey’s tripping over one that kind of makes sense

According to a recent report from Unscramblerer.com, the most mispronounced word in the Garden State for 2025 is… “Primeval.”

Yep, that one. Don’t feel bad if you’re unsure. it’s pronounced "pry-MEE-vul."

Why “Primeval” trips up New Jersey tongues

I can kind of see why people might have a tough time with it. PRIM-uh-vahl? PRIME-vul?? So many options

Researchers figured this out by analyzing Google Trends data from January through October, looking for searches like “How do you pronounce…” and “How to pronounce…”

Then they figured out which words people in each state struggle with most. Turns out, we’re one of only two states that can’t seem to nail “Primeval.”

You’re not alone — everyone mispronounces something

To be fair, it’s not exactly a word you hear every day. Unless you’re watching some ancient-history documentary or trying to sound fancy over dinner, it’s probably not in your regular rotation.

EJ and I actually talked about this yesterday, and it cracked me up how many words our listeners admitted they still struggle with. The most common ones? Mischievous, poinsettia, supposedly, ask, nuclear, and literally.

Honestly, half of those are classics! I’ve been hearing “supposably” my whole life.

The hardest words to say across America

If it makes you feel any better, we’re not alone. Across the country, people are Googling all sorts of tricky words.

The top offenders? Gyro (YEE-roh), Worcestershire (WUSS-ter-sheer), Acai (ah-SIGH-ee), and Charcuterie (shar-KOO-tuh-ree).

I don’t know about you, but that last one gets me every time.

So yeah, New Jersey’s 2025 tongue-twister of the year is “Primeval.” Say it five times fast.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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