Can you pronounce Nike, Porsche and Ikea right?

Brand names most commonly mispronounced (and how to get them right)

Many popular brands are commonly mispronounced.  They are the brands and products we use every day, but are you certain you know how to pronounce their names right? From cars and food, to fashion and beer – it seems there are certain names we can’t seem to say right.

Though it’s the place most Brits head to for bargain furniture, Swedish brand Ikea, commonly pronounced ‘eye-key-ah’ should actually be referred to as: ‘ih-key-yah.’

Nutella, which has long been Britain’s favourite hazelnut chocolate spread, is officially pronounced ‘new-tell-uh’ – not ‘nuh-tell-uh’ as many UK fans use.

This announcement made headlines back in September 2015 when the Italian manufacturer Ferrero made the revelation on the official Nutella website in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Similarly sporting brand Nike has caused much debate about the pronunciation of its name, taken from the Greek goddess of victory.

The name is pronounced ‘ni-key’ not ‘nyke’ as it is commonly known.

This was made clear in June 2014 when Philip Knight, the chairman of the board of directors at Nike, was sent a letter asking him to circle whether Nike is pronounced as ‘Nike’ or ‘Nikey’.

Ben Martin and Kendal Peters, who sent the letter, posted a photo of the returned sheet where the latter is circled.

Fashion brands can also cause people to trip over their words. French maker of high-end luxury goods Hermes, which traditionally specialised in leather, is sometimes pronounced ‘her-meez’, like the Greek god of war instead of ‘Air-mez’.

Adidas, another sports brand, is pronounced ‘a-DEE-das’ with the emphasis on the second syllable, not ‘AH-dee-das’

Car brands can also prove tricky to pronounce. German automobile manufacturer Porsche is pronounced ‘por-sha’, not ‘porsh’, and South Korean car company Hyundai should be said ‘hun-day’, not ‘hi-yun-dai.’

German Volkswagen is also a bit of a tongue-twister. The ‘L’ is, in fact, silent, so the word is pronounced ‘vo-ks var-gen’.

Miu Miu, an Italian high fashion line named after designer Miuccia Prada, is correctly pronounced ‘mew-mew’

Popular lager Stella Artois often has people fooled with its French name. While it is common for people to pronounce the ‘S’ on the end, the correct way to order this drink is ‘stel-ah ar-twa’.

Hoegaarden, producers of a wheat beer from Belgium, is normally pronounced ‘ho-gar-den’ by Brits ordering the drink. However, in the country where it is made it is referred to as ‘who-gar-den.’

Another faux pas is referring to French brand Givenchy as ‘ga-vin-chee’. Those wanting to master this pronunciation need to affect a slight French accent and say: ‘zhee-von-she’.

Favourite of the Kardashians, Balmain is pronounced ‘bal-ma’ and Balenciaga has a soft ‘C’ – pronounced ‘bah-len-see-ah-gah.’

Also very confusing for some is Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot.

Though to Brits it may read as ‘hub-lot’, the correct way to pronounce the name is ‘oo-blow’.

Italian brand Bulgari, known for its jewellery, watches and fragrance is also commonly referred to as ‘bul-gar-ree’, which is incorrect. It should in fact be pronounced: ‘bul-guh-ree’.

CAN YOU PRONOUNCE THEM ALL?

BRAND NAME

Nutella

Ikea

Hyundai

Porsche

Nike

Hoegaarden

Moschino

Hermes

Fage

Ocado

Hublot

Jean Paul Gaultier

Givenchy

Balmain

Balenciaga

Volkswagen

Lambourghini

Adobe

Del Monte

Yves Saint Laurent

Louis Vuitton

Stella Artois

Miele

Miu Miu

Bulgari

Huawei

Adidas

Renault

Chevrolet

Tag Huer

CORRECT PRONUNCIATION

New-tell-ah

Ik-key-ah

Hun-day

Por-sha

Ni-key

Who-gar-den

Moss-key-no

Air-mez

Fah-yay

Uh-car-doh

Oo-blow

Zhon Paul Go-tee-ay

Zhee Von-She

Bal-ma

Bah-lee-see-ah-gah

Vo-ks Var-gun

Lam-bor-gee-nee

Ah-doh-bee

Del Mon-tay

Eves San Loh-ron

Loo-ee Vi-ton

Stell-ah Ar-twa

Meal-uh

Mew Mew

Bull-gah-ree

Wah-way

A-DEE-das

Ren-oh

Shev-ro-lay

Tag Haw-yer

source: Daily Mail