I have been pronouncing "quinoa" wrong for 6 years. I just found out.

I first encountered quinoa in 2018 at a health food restaurant in Shibuya. The menu said "quinoa salad." I did not know how to pronounce it. I looked at the letters and made a decision: "kwih-NO-ah." This felt correct. It looked like it should sound that way. For six years I have ordered quinoa at restaurants. I have said "kwih-NO-ah" with complete confidence approximately 200 times. I have recommended quinoa to friends and family. I have said "you should try kwih-NO-ah, it's very nutritious." I have had entire conversations about the health benefits of "kwih-NO-ah." Last Tuesday my coworker Tanaka-san was watching a cooking video. The host said the word. I heard it. Time stopped. "KEEN-wah." KEEN. WAH. I said nothing. I went to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror for four minutes. I need $1 to process this. There is more to this story. It gets worse. 🙏