The Hyperforeignism Trap

Born from a desire to sound authentic and worldly, hyperforeignism is what happens when a speaker over-applies the rules of a foreign language to a loanword, often resulting in a pronunciation that is incorrect in both English and the original language. It’s the linguistic equivalent of trying too hard—a well-intentioned misstep on the road to respectful pronunciation.

What Exactly is Hyperforeignism?

At its core, hyperforeignism is a specific type of hypercorrection. Hypercorrection occurs when we’re so determined to avoid a common error that we over-compensate and apply a rule where it doesn’t belong. For example, a child who learns that “me and my mom went to the store” is incorrect might start saying “the gift is for my dad and I”, over-applying the “I” rule.

Hyperforeignism is just this, but with loanwords. A speaker learns a rule about a foreign language—like “the letter ‘j’ in Spanish sounds like ‘h'”—and then applies it with gusto, sometimes in the wrong place or even to a word from a completely different language.

The psychology behind it is understandable. We want to show respect for the word’s origin, or perhaps signal our own cultural awareness. But with only a little bit of knowledge, we can easily fall into the trap of making assumptions that are not quite right.

The Hyperforeignism Hall of Fame

Hyperforeignisms are everywhere once you start listening for them. They often involve mixing up rules from different Romance languages or misinterpreting silent letters and stress patterns. Here are some of the most common offenders.

From Spanish, with a French Twist

Spanish loanwords are frequent victims of hyperforeignism, often because speakers misapply rules from French, another prominent source of English loanwords.

• Mojito: The correct Spanish pronunciation is roughly “mo-HEE-toh”, with the ‘j’ making a soft /h/ sound. A common anglicization is simply “mo-JEE-toh” (with a hard ‘j’). But the hyperforeign version is “mo-ZHEE-toh”, where the speaker inserts the ‘zh’ sound from French words like je or beige. It’s an attempt to be non-English that lands in the wrong country.
• Jalapeño: Similarly, this should be “ha-la-PEN-yo.” Applying the French ‘zh’ sound to make it “zha-la-PEN-yo” is a hyperforeign slip-up.
• Machismo: This Spanish word an interesting case of cross-language confusion. The ‘ch’ in Spanish is pronounced like the ‘ch’ in “cheese”, making it “ma-CHEEZ-mo.” A hyperforeign pronunciation is “ma-KIZ-mo”, which mistakenly applies the Italian rule where ‘ch’ preceding an ‘i’ or ‘e’ is a hard /k/ sound (like in Chianti).

The Faux-French Accent

French gives us some of the most cringe-inducing and common hyperforeignisms, largely because many French loanwords are fully assimilated into English with their own standard (and correct!) English pronunciations.

• Foyer: In French, this is pronounced “fwah-yay.” In English, the standard, long-accepted pronunciation is simply “FOY-er.” Insisting on “fwah-yay” in an otherwise English sentence isn’t more correct; it’s a hyperforeignism that ignores the word’s naturalization into our language.
• Notre Dame: This one is context-dependent. The cathedral in Paris is “No-truh DAHM.” The university in Indiana, however, is pronounced “No-ter DAYM.” Applying the French pronunciation to the American university is a classic hyperforeign move.
• Prix: In “Grand Prix”, the final ‘x’ is silent; it’s “pree.” Some speakers, assuming all final letters must be dropped, might say it correctly. But others, trying to avoid a simple-sounding pronunciation, add an erroneous ‘k’ sound (“preek”), possibly over-applying a rule they half-remember about other French consonants.

An Italian Mishap

Food provides a rich menu of hyperforeignisms, and Italian is a prime source.

• Bruschetta: This is the superstar of the hyperforeignism world. In Italian, the ‘sch’ combination makes a hard /sk/ sound. The correct pronunciation is “broo-SKET-tah.” The common mispronunciation, “broo-SHET-tah”, comes from applying the English ‘sh’ sound (or even the German ‘sch’ sound) where it doesn’t belong.
• Espresso: There is no ‘x’ in this word. Yet, the pronunciation “ex-PRESS-o” is rampant. This likely stems from a false analogy with English words like “express.” It’s a hypercorrection based on an English, not Italian, pattern.

Beyond Romance Languages

The trap isn’t limited to French, Spanish, and Italian.

• Kimono: Japanese words generally have a more even stress pattern than English words. The correct pronunciation of “kimono” is “ki-mo-no”, with each syllable given roughly equal weight. The Westernized, hyperforeign version emphasizes the middle syllable—”ki-MO-no”—imposing a familiar English stress pattern where it doesn’t exist.
• Shibboleth: This is perhaps the most ironic hyperforeignism of all. This Hebrew word refers to a linguistic test used to identify outsiders. The original story in the Bible describes a group who could not pronounce the “sh” sound, saying “sibboleth” instead. Today, some English speakers, trying to sound learned, pronounce the word “shi-BO-leth” with a hard /th/ sound, as if it were ancient Greek. In doing so, they are phonetically failing the very test the word describes!

Is It Always Wrong? The Murky Waters of Loanwords

So, should you agonize over every foreign word you use? Not at all. The key is to understand that language is fluid, and the goal is communication. This isn’t about being a “pronunciation police.”

Many loanwords become fully adopted into English, and with that adoption comes a new, standardized English pronunciation. “Foyer” (“FOY-er”), “Paris” (“PA-riss”, not “Pa-REE”), and “croissant” (with a soft, American ‘r’ and a final ‘t’ sound) are perfectly correct in an English context. Insisting on a pitch-perfect native pronunciation can sometimes be more pretentious and less clear than just using the standard English version.

There’s a difference between a genuine attempt to learn and a hyperforeign affectation. The key distinction lies in context and consistency. If you’re a language learner speaking with a native or fellow learner, using the original pronunciation is great practice. But in everyday English, the anglicized version is often the most appropriate choice.

Embrace the Learning Curve

Ultimately, hyperforeignism is a fascinating side effect of a globalized world. It shows that we’re curious, engaged with other cultures, and trying to connect. While the results can be a bit comical, the intention is usually a good one.

So the next time you hear someone order a “broo-SHET-tah”, you can smile to yourself, knowing the linguistic journey that word has been on. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes yourself—after all, it’s far better to try and miss the mark than to never try at all.