Peony fans – there's a chance you've been pronouncing the plant name wrong this whole time

Are you guilty of any of these mispronunciation mistakes?

Assortment of flowers in a garden
(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you're a self-proclaimed plant parent, can you be certain that you're pronouncing the names of the plants in your care correctly? Yep, let that one sit for a second...

Following the Chelsea Flower Show trends and the rise of bloomcore, a new study revealing the most commonly mispronounced plants has surfaced and we've got the inside scoop – have you mistakenly been mispronouncing the names of these plants all this time?

Flowers and pink dahlias arranged in vases

(Image credit: Future PLC / Salsabil Morrison)

The most commonly mispronounced plant names

Given their Latin origins and often misleading spellings, we can't blame you for just missing the mark when pronouncing them as they can be challenging for many (us included).

With this in mind, online language learning platform, Preply, gathered and analysed Google Search data for 250 of the most popular flowers and houseplants to create the ultimate plant pronunciation guide – so you don't have to (everyone say thank you).

Assorted flower garden

(Image credit: Getty Images)

1. Peony – 'PEE-uh-nee'

According to Preply's research, Peony is the most commonly mispronounced flower, with an average of 260,640 people searching for pronunciation guidance every year.

Commonly known as the traditional floral symbol of China, peonies can often leave people tongue-tied, but Preply has revealed that the correct way to say it is 'PEE-uh-nee' – let's not forget that one.

A closeup of cut roses in glass jam jars

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2. Orchid – 'aw-kuhd'

This one takes the second spot, and we're not surprised considering its spelling and what we usually know of the 'ch' sound in words. The pronunciation of this plant is searched by 240,040 people annually.

Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae and are correctly pronounced 'aw-kuhd.'

Pink orchids

(Image credit: Getty Images)

3. Hyacinth – 'hy-uh-sinth'

Coming in at number three is Hyacinth, with 203,520 annual searches. It's also made many an appearance in Netflix's Bridgerton as the name of the Bridgerton family's youngest daughter.

This fragrant, spring-blooming perennial is correctly pronounced 'hy-uh-sinth.'

Purple hyacinths

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Some honourable mentions from the rest of the table...

  • Chrysanthemum – 'kruh-san-thuh-muhm'
  • Dandelion – 'dan-duh-lai-uhn'
  • Hibiscus – 'huh-bis-kuhs'
  • Lilac – 'lai-luhk'
  • Basil – 'BAZ-uhl'
  • Dahlia – 'day-lee-uh'
  • Poinsettia – 'poyn-seh-tee-uh'
  • Hydrangea – 'hai-drayn-juh'
  • Bergamot – 'buh-guh-mot'
  • Cactus – 'kak-tuhs'
  • Tulip – 'choop-luhp'

Balcony with colourful wildflowers

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There are probably a couple more that come to mind when you think of commonly mispronounced flowers, but we think this is a pretty fair overview of some of the most common stragglers that we often overlook.

Now, the next time you hear somebody mispronounces one of your favourite plants, you can kindly correct them in confidence.

Did you learn something new from this guide?

Jullia Joson
Junior Writer

Jullia is Ideal Home’s Junior Writer. She’s always loved all things homes and interiors, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Nottingham where her love for writing blossomed following her internship at ArchDaily. Now focused on home tech and cleaning, Jullia works on writing features and explainers to help people make the most of their home appliance investments, putting the newest launches through their paces. When she isn’t writing, she loves exploring the city, coffee shop hopping, and losing hours to a cosy game or book.