There are certain words and phrases that, thanks to these ridiculous TV show characters are ed for an array of strange qualities, but I always love it when someone’s diction is so unique that I can hear their voice for long after the episode finishes.

It’s worth noting that the pronunciations of these words and phrases aren’t because of a character’s specific accent or use of language. Instead, these are examples of characters who fail to pronounce something correctly because they’re too busy trying to imitate someone, are trying to sound fancy, have a gap in their knowledge, or simply don’t care.

8 "Fish 'N Chips" - The Gang

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - Season 14, Episode 8: "Paddy's Has A Jumper"

I think “Paddy's Has a Jumper” is one of the best episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but there is one element of it that never fails to ignore me. The gang is obsessed with watching what appears to be a knockoff Bridgerton on an unnamed streaming service, and they are determined to finish further episodes while tucking into portions of fish and chips. However, they try to say it like the British, but ultimately fail.

As someone from the UK, it hurts my eardrums when they refer to it as “Fish ‘n Chips,” and pronounce it the same way as cookies ‘n cream or rock ‘n roll. While fish ‘n chips isn’t technically incorrect, the British don’t tend to actually pronounce it this way, and it’s simply fish and chips. Even when the “‘N” abbreviation is used, nobody puts the same emphasis into the syllable as the Paddy’s gang does. However, it makes me chuckle every time, although I find it impossible to tune out when rewatching “Paddy’s Has a Jumper.”

7 "Donger" (Not Danger) - Jack Danger

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 2, Episode 8: "USPIS"

It’s great to see any of The Office actors in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and in the episode "USPIS," Ed Helms is introduced as Jack Danger. Helms’ character is an irritating and overly confident USPIS agent who constantly thinks he knows better than anyone at the NYPD, but that isn’t the most infuriating thing about him.

Despite the way his surname is spelled, Jack is adamant that it’s pronounced “Donger.” What’s hilarious about this is that many people will change the pronunciation of their name to something that sounds cooler, and Jack has the perfect opportunity here. Nobody would question the pronunciation of Danger, yet Jack continues to say his surname correctly.

While I ire his honesty, it’s a little weird. However, this episode now means that I cannot hear the word danger any differently in my head. It’s a shame that Jack Danger isn’t a more likeable character, otherwise this association would be more positive for me, but the fact I love so many odd pronunciations from Helms’ various TV characters makes up for it.

6 "Baggle" - Britta Perry

Community - Season 1, Episode 17: "Physical Education"

There are many things Britta Perry is mocked for in Community, but the most ridiculous is easily how she says the word bagel. In the Community season 1 episode “Physical Education,” Jeff knocks a bag of bagels onto the study group room floor just as Britta enters, where she casually refers to them as “Baggles.” Of course, Britta’s explanation for this is because she used to live in New York (her excuse for pretty much anything, a lot of the time).

There are some words that others pronounce differently because of various reasons, like their upbringing and preferred dialect, or even because they’ve never had the chance to use it properly in conversation. However, there’s no way Britta lived in New York for that long and didn’t hear the correct pronunciation at least once. Clearly, Community’s “Britta’d” gag is relevant in this instance, and it’s impressive she manages to mess up such a simple word, especially as the spelling of bagel doesn’t really make sense with the way she says it.

5 "EncycloPAYdia" - Ted Mosby

How I Met Your Mother - Several Episodes

The most obvious mispronunciation of Ted Mosby’s in How I Met Your Mother is of the word encyclopedia. Technically, “encyclopaedia,” is an alternate spelling too, but the “ae” sound doesn’t actually change. Even when written as “encyclopaedia,” Ted is still pronouncing it incorrectly. The pretentious emphasis on the “PAY” part is Ted’s attempt to sound intelligent, but his stubbornness about being right makes the fact he is wrong even more embarrassing for him.

Despite knowing Ted isn’t right, I can’t help but hear "EncycloPAYdia" in my head. Even if I’m not in the middle of rewatching the show, Ted Mosby’s voice still crops up when I come across the word. It makes sense that this results in one of How I Met Your Mother’s interventions, because if I were a friend of Ted’s, I’d find it impossible not to call him out on the unbelievably ludicrous pronunciation of encyclopedia.

4 "Shamil-E-On" (Chameleon) - Ted Mosby

How I Met Your Mother - Season 6, Episode 19: "Legendaddy"

Another great mispronunciation from Ted Mosby is in the season 6 episode “Legendaddy.” While discussing the fact that everyone has different gaps in their knowledge, Robyn reminds Ted of when he pronounced chameleon as “Shamil-e-on” during one of his college lectures. What’s great about this flashback is that Ted continues to say it this way multiple times within a few seconds, but he fails to notice the rather obviously confused faces of his students.

What’s great about this flashback is that Ted continues to say it this way multiple times within a few seconds, but he fails to notice the rather obviously confused faces of his students.

The college students aren’t trying to be mean to Ted, but at the same time, they aren’t exactly hiding their reactions either. However, this moment also proves that out of all of Ted’s girlfriends in How I Met Your Mother, Robyn is one ex who isn’t afraid to point out his absurdities. Ted is also dating Zoey at this point, and considering she previously ed his architecture class to protest his work on the Arcadia, it’s probably a good thing the “Shamil-e-on” debacle seems to occur long before they meet.

3 "Identi-FY" - Ross Geller

Friends - Season 6, Episode 4: "The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance"

​​​​​​Hilariously, another word I hear differently in my head thanks to a TV show also comes from a situation in which a college professor mispronounces something. For a baffling reason I am still unable to fully understand, Ross Geller decides to adopt a British accent when talking to his class in one of the most underrated episodes of Friends, “The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance.”

There are several comical issues with his diction, and considering his engagement to Emily just a couple of years before, I’m surprised Ross’ British accent isn’t better. One word that always hits my eardrums, however, is identify. Ross puts a lot of pressure on the “fy” sound, and his pronunciation of “Identi-FY” sounds more like an amalgamation of various generic Western accents rather than specifically British.

I appreciate that Ross panics and wants to make a good impression on his students, and so isn’t paying much attention to whether or not the accent sounds accurate, but I now can’t hear the word identify without also hearing him.

2 "New York Citaaay" - Laszlo Cravensworth

What We Do In The Shadows - Season 4, Episode 8: "Go Flip Yourself"

​​​​​​The “New York City” line is easily one of Laszlo’s funniest quotes in What We Do in the Shadows. The way many of Matt Berry’s characters pronounce certain words or phrases is always brilliant, but the extended syllable in “Citaaay” never fails to make me laugh, and it’s no surprise that this scene is such a viral moment. Laszlo calls Simon “The most devious bastard in New York Citaaay” after the villain steals the cursed hat back from him.

Simon the Devious crafts an entire home renovation show, which Laszlo quickly falls in love with watching, purely to access the vampires’ home. Considering this, I think Laszlo’s comment is perfectly okay, but the added flair to his diction is nothing short of comical. While there are hundreds of associations to New York, I will forever hear the name of the city in Laszlo’s voice in my head.

1 "Sonturun" (Sontaran) - Donna Noble

Doctor Who - Season 4, Episodes 4 & 5: "The Sontaran Stratagem" & "The Poison Sky"

Although it’s fair that Donna Noble struggles to pronounce Sontaran, especially as it’s an alien name and not something she’d typically use in conversation, it still makes me giggle when she calls them “Sonturuns.” In the Doctor Who two-part story “The Sontaran Stratagem” and “The Poison Sky,” Donna incorrectly names the aliens several times. My favorite instance, however, is when she is on the phone to the Doctor while stuck in the TARDIS.

Donna proves herself as the Tenth Doctor’s best companion during this moment. Despite fearing the Sontaran guarding the TARDIS door will kill her if she’s spotted, she also knows the Doctor needs her help. While the fear-induced adrenaline keeps her on her toes, Donna’s hilarity is still at the forefront of this scene when she refers to the alien as a “Sonturun.” It’s brilliant that she immediately corrects herself this time, given the situation, but it makes it even funnier.