With World Pet Day approaching on April 11th, animal lovers are getting ready to celebrate their beloved furry companions. In the UK alone, an estimated 13.5 million pet dogs live in 36% of households. Despite this widespread love for dogs, many Brits still find it challenging to pronounce certain breed names correctly due to their international origins and complex spellings.
With this in mind, Preply has analysed Google search volumes for pronunciation guidance to determine the most commonly mispronounced dog breeds while showing how to pronounce them correctly.
The 10 most commonly mispronounced dog breeds
| Rank | Dog Breed | Annual Search Volume | British Pronunciation |
| 1 | Dachshund | 884,400 | daks-hund |
| 2 | Belgian Malinois | 214,800 | bel-juhn ma-luhn-waa |
| 3 | Chihuahua | 142,800 | chuh-waa-waa |
| 4 | Cane corso | 122,640 | kah-nay kor-so |
| 5 | Bichon Frise | 85,920 | bee-shawn free-say |
| 6 | Shih Tzu | 84,000 | shee-tsoo |
| 7 | Weimaraner | 76,800 | vy-muh-raa-nuh |
| 8 | Samoyed | 63,480 | sam-a-yed |
| 9 | Newfoundland | 58,320 | nyoo-fuhnd-luhnd |
| 10 | Rottweiler | 48,960 | rot-wai-luh |
Dachshund (daks-hund) is the most mispronounced dog breed, with an average of 884,400 annual searches from people trying to learn the correct way to say it. Often mistaken for “dash-hound,” the proper pronunciation is “daks-hund,” incorporating the hard “k” sound characteristic of the German language. For those looking to improve their pronunciation and understanding of the language, online German Classes can be a great way to explore these linguistic nuances, including the origins of breed names like Dachshund.
Belgian Malinois (bel-juhn ma-luhn-waa) is a breed originally from France, causing many to struggle with the “wah” sound at the end of its name. In fact, 214,800 searches are made every year by people trying to pronounce the breed and struggling with the silent “s”.
Chihuahua (chuh-waa-waa) is another name that leaves people guessing, with an average of 142,800 searches a year. While some may incorrectly pronounce the Mexican breed “chee-wow-wow”, the “ch” sound is smooch softer, and ends with a more relaxed “waa”.
