Many people listening to Sabrina Carpenter’s summer bop, “Espresso,” heard the lyric “I guess so” as “queso”, which happens to mean “cheese in Spanish. As nonsensical as that lyric seems in the song, it reveals why we mishear song lyrics. This universal experience is especially common in songs with fast tempos, distinctive accents, or rarely used words. The team at Preply examined commonly misheard lyrics through the lens of language learning. They believe that the features that confuse listeners in songs are the same qualities language learners should be exposed to. They think listening to music is great language practice. Listening actively to a song while verifying the lyrics can reveal surprising mistakes, even for native speakers. Look through the team’s results to see which lyrics might have tripped you up. Elton John has the most misheard lyric of all time, while Lady Gaga is the most misheard artist. You’ll find plenty of funny and eye-opening mistakes on the team’s lists.
infographic by: preply.com
