Bagel
Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy via Pexels

A hilarious slip of the tongue shows how even the simplest words can trip us and reminds us that sometimes the best part of getting it wrong is laughing about it.

 

South Africa (11 September 2025) – There is no such thing as a true master of pronunciation! No matter how polished we think our speech might be, every one of us has had that moment where we trip over a word or worse, confidently mispronounce it without even realising. But mispronouncing bagel? Now that one is hard to let go. But, we are not judging.

In this clip, we see it all unfold. Siyamthanda Jwacu proudly says bagel his way, fully convinced he has nailed it. Almost as if he is saying “bang-el”. And its the confidence that he says it with that had his friends laughing. Then, in the kind of rescue only a good friend can pull off, his buddy gently steps in with the correction. What follows is just laughter that is less about getting it wrong and more about sharing the joy of realising we are not as perfect as we think.

It’s funny, but it’s also a little familiar. We’ve all been there, right? Confidently throwing a word into a sentence, only to later learn we’ve been saying it wrong for years. Those little slip-ups become great stories, often remembered with the same kind of laughter these two shared.

So here’s a question for you: what’s that one word you used to (or still do) pronounce with complete confidence, only to find out later you’d been getting it wrong the whole time?


Sources: Siyamanthanda Jwacu
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About the Author

Karabo Peter is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Passionate about sharing stories of growth and resilience. From sports to the ways business, travel, and art shape communities. When she’s not writing, she’s likely out on a run or discovering new coffee spots.

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