When Windex Isn’t Just for Windows: The Hilarity of Misheard Words

Widex Hearing aids or are they Windex Hearing aids?

If you’ve ever misheard someone, welcome to the club—it’s not just people with hearing loss who mix up words. Whether it’s background noise, a moment of distraction, or just plain creative listening, we’ve all had those moments when what we thought we heard was completely different from reality.

Take Widex, for example—a well-known brand of hearing aids. But you’d be amazed how often people ask me about “Windex hearing aids.” I know exactly what they mean, but I can’t help it—my brain immediately jumps to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. You know, the movie where Windex is a magical cure-all? “Got a rash? Windex. Broken heart? Windex. Hearing loss? Windex!” Honestly, I can’t decide if I should laugh or grab a spray bottle for dramatic effect. Remember when D.T. wanted to use bleach to get rid of COVID-19? I think people would have thought it funnier had he used Windex instead of bleach. (Spoiler: Don’t spray your ears with Windex or ingest as it is poison.)

But this mix-up isn’t just limited to hearing aids. Even people with perfect hearing fall victim to word confusion all the time. The English language—and, let’s face it, human speech in general—lends itself to some epic misunderstandings:

• Have you ever ordered “a cup of hot apple cider” and had someone thinks you said “hot apple spider”?
• Or told a friend you were wearing a “plaid shirt” only for them to ask, “What’s a plant shirt?”
• One time, someone thought I said I was going to the “Audi-ologist” to get my car checked. Close, but no.  I am an audiologist.  What? If only I had .05 cents for everytime someone said “what”?  Do they not know what an audiologist is or did they not hear me or are they being funny! 

We all hear what we expect to hear sometimes, and that’s where the comedy lies. In the world of hearing aids, though, these misunderstandings can be particularly entertaining.

• Phonak becomes “fanak” (perfect for your retro tech needs).
• Oticon turns into “Odicon” (vroom vroom, anyone?).
• And, of course, Starkey gets transformed into “Snarkey,” which takes an entirely different turn.

But it’s not just about the laughs—it’s also a reminder of how we process and interpret the sounds around us. Mishearing words is part of being human, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a hearing problem. Sometimes, it’s just life playing a little joke on us.

So, whether you’re looking for Widex hearing aids (not Windex!) or just enjoying the humor of everyday word mix-ups, we’re here to help. And if you do happen to bring up “Windex hearing aids,” don’t worry—I’ll get you fitted with the real deal. But I might quote My Big Fat Greek Wedding while we do it, just for fun.