Barry Keoghan's very Irish surname was one of the most mispronounced words in the US and UK in 2024, according to new research from Babbel, a subscription-based language learning platform.
"Keoghan's surname is pronounced [key-OH-gin] with a clear 'g,' unlike many Irish variations where the 'g' would be silent," Babbel says in its annual roundup of the most mispronounced words.
(Strangely, however, Babbel notes: "Award-winning Irish actor Barry Keoghan made waves in 2024 for his relationship with Sabrina Carpenter and his role in Gladiators II alongside Paul Mescal." While Keoghan was originally cast in "Gladiator II," he later dropped out and is not in the film.)
Keoghan's name features in both the list for the most mispronounced words in the US and the list for the most mispronounced words in the UK for 2024.
In the UK list, his Irish surname is joined by "Espresso," undoubtedly popularized Sabrina Carpenter's smash-hit song of the same name. (Rumors are circulating that Keoghan and Carpenter are taking "a break" after roughly a year of dating.)
Also featured on the US list are Kamala Harris, Shein, Semaglutide, Chappel Roan, and Zendaya, while the UK list features "Doctor Who" star Ncuti Gatwa.
Babbel said that for its research, it teamed up with TV captioning groups to determine the words newscasters, politicians, and other people in the media had the most trouble with.
"This assortment of words is united by their strange consonant combinations, and the fact that many of them originate from other languages," Babbel said.
Babbel added that its pronunciation guide for the most mispronounced words in the US was compiled by The Captioning Group, while the one for the UK was voted on by members of the British Institute of Verbatim Reporters.
How do you pronounce Barry Keoghan?
As it happens, Keoghan is well aware that many people have trouble pronouncing his Irish surname and has previously sought to clarify it.
Back in 2022, the Dublin native told GeekIreland: "Keo-Gan. You pronounce the G. Or at least I do.
"Maybe I've just been pronouncing it wrong all these years but yeah, the g sound is in there."
He added: "But I find that if you have a difficult to pronounce name, you're more likely to go far especially in the US.
"Like Saoirse Ronan and all the talk of how to pronounce her name; so maybe it's a benefit having a peculiar name."
@geekireland Every wondered how to pronouce Barry Keoghan’s name? Here’s the correct way to say it from the man himself ⭐️ #barrykeoghan #barrykeoghanedit #saltburn #bansheesofinisherin #eternals #name #trending #viral ♬ original sound - Geek Ireland
More recently, Keoghan's tricky Irish surname was a topic of discussion during an interview with Variety in September.
"Some people get it wrong," Keoghan acknowledged.
"I mean, even Irish people get it wrong. Because 'keogh' is KYOH, so if you add an 'an', it's KYOH-an.
"But, I don't know, we pronounce the G."
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