Nike how to pronounce

How do you pronounce Nike? US vs UK, what is the right way to say it out loud

If you’ve been battling about how to correctly pronounce Nike, Goal has all the information you need

Nike is one of the world’s leading sportswear brands, but there can be some confusion on how to pronounce it correctly.

The popular sports outfitter has kitted out the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and now Liverpool.

Depending on where you’re based in the world, such as in the United States or United Kingdom, you might have picked up a certain way to pronounce the brand name.

Those in America, for example, might pronounce it with a long «e», whilst those in the UK might pronounce it with a singular syllable to rhyme with «bike».

But what really is the right way? Goal has all the answers.

What is the correct way to pronounce Nike?

The correct way to pronounce «Nike» is so that it rhymes with «spiky».

So if you’ve been pronouncing it that way this whole time, congratulations – you’ve been right!

But if you’ve been saying it so that it rhymes with «bike» or «like», however, we’re sorry to tell you that you’ve been doing it all wrong.

The myth of how to say the popular sportswear brand’s name was debunked in 2014, when two men wrote a letter to Nike chairman Phillip Knight asking him to confirm the pronunciation.

«We had had this friendly bet between us for a while now and decided to write to Phillip Knight to once and for all settle one of life’s biggest unanswered questions,» they told Sportsmail.

«We included a stamped addressed envelope inside the letter so that he could simply circle the answer and send it back to enlighten us all. We didn’t actually think that he would do it. But all credit to him, a few weeks later the letter returned!»

Have You Been Pronouncing «Nike» Wrong Your Whole Life?

Seriously. how do you say it?

Nike is known worldwide for its sneakers, athletic gear, and iconic “Just Do It” slogan. But what’s not so universally known: How the heck you’re supposed to pronounce the brand’s name.

When you say the word “Nike,” what sound comes out of your mouth? “Nigh-K,” “Nee-Kay,” Ni-Key”?

Based on the way it’s spelled, the popular fitness brand’s name appears like it should rhyme with words like “bike” or “hike.” But is that actually how it’s supposed to be pronounced? Have you been saying it wrong you entire life?

More From Women’s Health

According to The Independent, back in 2014, two students named Ben Martin and Kendal Peters wrote to Nike chairman Phillip Knight to settle the debate once and for all (or, as they put it “answer one of life’s big unanswered questions»).

Knight confirmed that it is, in fact, pronounced “Ni-Key,” by circling that option on the letter, before sending it back to the students.

In other words, it rhymes with “spikey” not “bike”. If you’re still uneasy about how you’re spouting off «Nike,» here’s a visual and auditory guide to help you out:

Of course, this still begs the question: Why does this word that’s spelled like “bike” have an extra verbal syllable? It’s pretty simple actually. The company was named after the ancient Greek goddess of victory, Nike, which is pronounced ni-key, reports Business Insider.

So, there you have it. You can ditch the stress of how to properly pronounce Nike. And the next time you need to say it out loud, “Just Do It.”

Kristine Thomason is the fitness & wellness editor at Women’s Health, where she edits, writes, and helps oversee the food and fitness sections of the website and magazine. She’s also a NASM-certified personal trainer. Kristine has spent her editorial career focused on health and wellness—that includes teaming up with certified trainers to create workout routines, reporting on fitness trends, and interviewing experts about the latest health and wellness research. She’s an NYU graduate with a degree in journalism and psychology. In the past, her work has also appeared in Health, Men’s Health, Greatist, Refinery29, and more.

Why is Nike pronounced «naikee» and not «naik»?

A word ending with e usually doesn’t have a vowel at the end like bike and strike, so why is Nike different?

7 Answers 7

Because Nike was the Greek goddess of victory (see Wikipedia) and final ‘e’s are not silent in Greek. Similarly, the final ‘e’ should be pronounced in the name Irene, as it is in other Greek-derived names like Chloe, Zoe and Phoebe.

English spelling does not have a one-to-one relationship with English pronunciation, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that «Nike» does not rhyme with «bike» and «strike» (except for when it does—apparently, there are some speakers who don’t use the «official», disyllabic pronunciation for the brand).

«Nike» is from a Greek word-form, unlike «bike» and «strike»

To answer the question about why: «bike» and «strike» are spelled with the «silent e» that in present-day English is used to indicate a «long vowel» pronunciation. («Bike» is an oddly formed shortening of «bicycle», coined fairly recently; «strike» comes from an Old English verb that had long /iː/.)

The «e» in Nike serves a different function: as Kate Bunting mentioned, this word is derived from Greek νίκη/Νίκη, meaning «victory/Victory (capitalized when used to refer to the goddess personifying the idea of victory)». The letter «e» in English «Nike» is a transliteration of the Greek letter η (eta).

The «traditional» English pronunciation of Latin and Greek

The Great Vowel Shift established a «traditional English pronunciation of Latin» (also used for Greek words) that continued to be used as a system for some time

There exists a tradition of pronouncing Latin words in English with certain characteristically English vowel qualities, and a tradition of pronouncing Greek words as if they were Latin words. Janus Bahs Jacquet referenced the Great Vowel Shift in a comment; this tradition did originate from this sound change, but my understanding is that not all words pronounced according to this tradition were actually taken into English before the Great Vowel Shift (which according to Wikipedia is thought to have occured approximately between 1400 and 1600).

It became an established convention for pronouncing all Latin and Greek words used in English, including words that were borrowed at some point after the Great Vowel Shift (although alternative systems have also existed alongside this system for a long time).

In the traditional English pronunciation of Latin, word-final «-e» is pronounced like the «-y» in «happy»

Word-final «e» in the traditional English pronunciation of Latin and Greek is typically pronounced with the same vowel as the word «happy«; sometimes represented in the IPA as /i/. I’m not totally sure of the history of this pronunciation (in traditional British «Received Pronunciation», this is not quite the same vowel as «long e»; it’s instead considered to be the same vowel as «short i»). But it applies to Greek names ending in «e» like Nike, Calliope etc. the same as it applies to Latin words like simile, sine or carpe.

(There actually has been a tendency for word-final «e» to be reinterpreted as «silent e» in a number of words or phrases from Latin, such as «vice versa», «bona fide» and «rationale«. However, as far as I know, this kind of reinterpretation has not yet come to be considered standard for the name «Nike».)

Alternative pronunciations exist for some words from Latin and Greek, but not for Nike as far as I know

The «traditional English pronunciation of Latin» (and Greek) is also why the i in «Nike» is pronounced as an English «long i» (IPA /aɪ/). The i’s in via and viva are sometimes pronounced the same way. A competing «restored» or Continental-European-style pronunciation uses the English «long e»/»ee» sound (IPA /iː/). The restored pronunciation and English-style pronunciation have competed for a while; I forget exactly when the English-style pronunciation stopped being used in Latin pedagody in England. (It seems to have occured before 1920: John Sargeaunt’s description published that year of The Pronunciation of English Words derived from the Latin says «This pronunciation is now out of fashion».)

But I have never heard of /niːki(ː)/, /niːkeɪ/ or /niːkɛ/ being a common pronuncation in present-day English. The pronunciation of a vowel in a word from Greek or Latin according to one pronunciation system or the other is often inconsistent and hard to explain; e.g. restored /ɑː/ is almost always used nowadays in the word «drama», but fairly rarely used in the word «data» (a word that also shows variation, apparently especially in American English, between a pronunciation with English «long a»—which is what would be regular according to the «traditional» system—and one with English «short a»).

The only alternative that seems to exist is the spelling-pronunciation /naɪk/ mentioned in the first sentence and in the comments above.

(The name «Irene», as Kate Bunting mentioned, also comes from a Greek form ending in η. The pronunciation ending in /n/ might be a spelling pronunciation; I think I have also read an alternative explanation of it as possibly being influenced by the pronunciation of the French form Irène. Final vowels in Latin/Greek words correspond to «mute e» a bit more often in French than in present-day English; another similar example is the word systole, from Ancient Greek συστολή, where the final «e» is mute in French but not in standard present-day English.)

History of the transliteration «Nike»: my amateur findings

I’m confident that «Nike» is pronounced /ˈnaɪki/ in accordance with the «traditional English pronunciation of Latin», but as I mentioned, I am less certain about when this pronunciation became established, since the earliest use of «Nike» in English that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) records is from 1846:

T. S. Carr Man[ual of] Classical Mythol[ogy] xvi. 144 Nike..or ‘Victory’, was the daughter of Pallas & Styx, and was greatly honoured by the Greeks. Sometimes she is repersented as borne in the hand of Minerva.

Actually, looking through Google Books there seem to be at least a few somewhat older examples:

..and that dedicated to Nike Apteros, or Wingless Victory.

And there is a slightly older example of «NIKE» being used as the transliteration of the word in reference to the concept of victory, rather than the goddess:

A Greek etymology has been given to it [the name Veronica] from PHERO, to bear ; and NIKE, victory

The 19th century may seem a bit late for the first recorded occurences in English of a name that dates back to antiquity. My guess is that it may have been more common in the past to simply spell the word/name in the Greek alphabet, which used to be more commonly used in scholarly works in English than it is presently. And rather than giving a transliteration of the Greek, a translation as «victory/Victory» or a Latin translation «victoria/Victoria» might be given alongside (or simply instead of) the Greek-alphabet spelling.

Some examples of «Νίκη/ΝΙΚΗ» being used without transliteration in English texts from before the 1840s:

On the car is written ΧΡΥΣΟΣ; on the victorious Genius ΝΙΚΗ, and on the third one ΠΛΟΤΟΣ.

VICTORIA, one of the deities of the Romans, called by the Greeks νικη, supposed to be the daughter of Titian and Styx.

. this æra is marked on coins with the inscription ΕΤΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΗ, i. e. the year of victory.

«Nice»: an alternative transliteration that I don’t think has been used much

A transliteration more along the lines of conventional Classical Latin adaptation of Greek loanwords into Latin would use C instead of K, resulting in «Nice» (compare «cinematic» and «kinematic» for a similar example of variation that is actually lexicalized). The regular pronunciation of this would be /ˈnaɪsi/, although I guess it’s impossible to know for sure how people actually intended for it to be pronounced (some people apparently pronounce «encephalitis» with a /k/ sound, despite the spelling).

It’s been hard for me to find evidence of «Nice» being used to refer to the Greek goddess of victory, because it has certain homographs that are more common: the adjective «nice», the French place-name «Nice»—which interestingly enough actually is derived from Greek νίκη—and the place name «Nice» that was used in the past to refer to the ancient city of Nic(a)ea in Anatolia, location of the Christian ecumenical council called the «First Council of Nicaea» or «First Council of Nice».

But «Nice» is used in at least one source as a transliteration of the name of this goddess:

VICTORIA, one of the deities of the Romans, called by the Greeks Nice, supposed to be the daughter of the giant Pallas, or of Titian and Styx.

As you can see, it appears to be a revised version of the 1819 Pantalogia entry that used «νικη».

The transliteration «Nice» for the name of a mythological human woman, and for the non-personified concept of victory, seems to occur in Bell’s New Pantheon (1790) and in A Dictionary of Polite Literature, Or, Fabulous History of the Heathen Gods (1804):

NICE. Daughter of Thespius.
NICE MARATHONI. A Grecian anniversary observed by Athenians upon the 6th of Boedromion, in memory of that famous victory which Miltiades obtained over the Persians at Marathon.

The related name «Berenice» is often spelled with «c», as is the derived name «Bernice» and the probably-derived name «Veronica».

The transliteration «Nike» is also used in German, and has been for some time

As DavePhD pointed out in a comment, it is possible to find the transliteration «Nike» in use in German texts from before 1846:

Another example of «Nike» used in German can be seen in the following text from 1841: Nike in Hellenischen Vasenbildern; eine archaeologische Untersuchung, by Georg Rathgeber.

This makes me wonder if the use of the spelling «Nike» in German scholarly works might have had some influence on the use of «k» rather than «c» in this name in present-day English. It seems at least possible to me, but I don’t know how plausible it is.

Nike how to pronounce

H m as it is read in Russian. How to pronounce brand names correctly

So that trips to fashion boutiques and beauty corners do not turn into an illiteracy exam, we have compiled a list of how to pronounce the names of brands with which you often have difficulty with correct pronunciation.

How to pronounce the names of fashion brands correctly

Buying clothes and shoes from well-known brands makes our life seriously difficult. Now, not only can we not live without our favorite Christian Louboutin pumps, but we also don’t know how to pronounce the brand name correctly. You should not try to translate the brand name into Russian on your own, at best they will simply not understand you, and at worst, you will look ridiculous.

Herve Leger Is a French brand that became famous for the invention of the bandage dress. Previously Hervé Peugnet, but Karl Lagerfeld advised the designer to change the hard-to-pronounce surname to Léger. Pronounced Herve Leger.

Yves Saint Laurent Is a French fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent, therefore we speak only as Yves Saint Laurent.

Manolo Blahnik Is an English brand specializing in the production of women’s shoes. In Russian, the brand name sounds correctly as Manolo Blahnik.

As a bonus, we give another name of a popular brand that does not get along in the heads of Russian fashionistas.

Fausto Puglisi Is another Italian brand that can often be difficult to pronounce. To speak correctly Fastu Puizi.

Other designer brands and brands

To find out, the British magazine iD decided to conduct a fashionable lesson on illiteracy by releasing a training video. In a four-minute lesson, along with a show of collections, models voice the names of brands, from Azzedine Alaïa to Zegna.

How to pronounce the names of beauty brands

30 famous brands whose names are mispronounced

Where is your Zirox, I need to print a document: that’s what an American would say

See also What do the names of car brands really sound like?

If you are not aware of such interesting subtleties, then we suggest you listen to how the names of 30 world brands are read. A nice bonus after reading: you will make fewer mistakes. So go ahead!

Tissot: «Tissot»

Pronounced «Tissot». The letter «T» is not readable. By the way, one of the world’s oldest watch brands from Switzerland!

Canon: «Kiya-non» or «Ke-non» or in Japanese «Ke-non» with the stress on the last syllable

The brand from Japan has a very wide range of pronunciation.
Here is a video featuring a selection of Japanese brands from a native speaker:

Lego: «Lego»

Amazon: «Ema-zone»

Amazon, although it is more convenient to speak Russian, but the American will think that you are deliberately distorting the word and correct it: Spell this word «Amazon», please!

Adobe: / əˈdoʊbiː /, «Ado-bi»

It turns out that my whole life I read the name of this mega-corporation wrong. That’s how it is!

Vodafone: «Wo-da-fon»

One of those company names that does not hurt the ear of a Russian person. But it’s still not very clear what they are doing. It seems like a cellular operator, or something

The name is an abbreviation for VOice DAta FONE (phone).

Volkswagen: / fɔlksˈvaːɡn / Volks-Wagen

Almost as it is written and pronounced. Without changes.

Porsche: / ˈpɔʁʃə / «Pór-she»

Xiaomi: «Siao-mi»

We call it «Xiaomi», but in fact you need to call the brand «Xiaomi», without the «K» in front.

ebay: «i-Bay»

If you are looking for various trinkets, then this is the place for you!

Pull & Bear: «Pool & Bea»

Although the brand was founded in Spain, it has an English name. For example, a chain of stores of affordable clothing and fairly commodity accessories is pronounced as «pull-and-bea» (not «bir» at the end). But if people do not have any special problems with pronunciation, then many have been fighting over the translation for years. What does it mean? Pull and Bear? Actually, not really, rather, «pull and wear.»

Virgin: / virgin / «Weo-jin»

Those who know English will not get confused. For everyone else, let’s say that the word «virgin» (virgin, Mother of God) is not read as «vir-gion» or similar, but «vejin».

Coccinelle: «Coc-si-nel» or «Ko-chi-nelle»

Samsung: «Sam-dream»

No matter how strange it may sound, but initially, in Korean, this word sounds exactly as you heard it in the native pronunciation. Not Samsung, but Samson, with an emphasis on the first syllable, with a muted «o».

Nivea: / nivea / «Ni-vea»

It seems that there is nothing difficult in reading such an advertised company, but even here people sometimes screw up. The pronunciation in German is higher, but we used to call it «nivea».

Balenciaga: «Ba-len-siaga»

As it is written, and pronounced: «balenciaga». Just the name of the Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga.

Ray-Ban: «Ray-Ban»

Givenchy: «Ji-wan-shih»

French fashion house founded in 1952 by Hubert de Givenchy. Guess where its name came from? That’s right, from the name of the creator. Someone builds Ilyushins, and someone sews Jivanshi.

Correct pronunciation of popular brand names

Are you sure you are pronouncing brand names correctly, such as popular cars, sneakers or clothing? To test yourself and correct the mistakes you have, you should look at our selection.

Statistics show that more than half of people pronounce the names of popular brands absolutely incorrectly. In order not to be one of them and not to look like an illiterate person during the next trip to fashion boutiques, you need to learn how to pronounce at least the most popular brands correctly. We will be happy to help you with this.

1. Hermes

2. Levi’s

In many countries of the world, the name of this famous brand of denim clothing is used in two versions: «Levis» and «Levis».

The second version is more widespread in English-speaking countries, since their name Levi (the creator of the first jeans was called Levi) reads like «Levi».

At the same time, many do not know that at birth the founder of the brand received the name Loeb, but after moving to the United States, it was changed to Levy. Summing up, we come to the conclusion that, according to the grammar of the English language and the word source, the correct version is still «Lewis».

3.Dsquared

4 Philipp Plein

5. Moët & Chandon

The problems of correct pronunciation also affected the world famous champagne brand. Many are sure that it is necessary to remove the letter «t» in the first word when translating, but this is not the case, since the second «n» in the second word is excluded. The ampersand (sign &) is read in French like «e». The result is Moet e Shando.

6. Lamborghini

One of the most famous manufacturers of luxury sports cars is based in Italy and does not make Lamborghini, but Lamborghini. At the same time, it is worth noting that it is the first incorrect option that is widespread in Russia, so even the Google automatic search system gives it out.

7. Christian Louboutin

The shoe brand that many girls dream of is often misnamed. A huge number of people and even those who are interested in fashion make mistakes in the pronunciation of the surname, for example, «Louboutin» or «Lobutan». At the same time, the real name of the designer is translated as «Christian Louboutin».

8 Porsche

9 Agent Provocateur

10. Samsung

Another shocking information, especially for fans of the technology of this brand. Russian-speaking people pronounce it like «Samsung», but according to the rules, you need to say «Samson», putting an emphasis on the first syllable. In translation, the name means «three stars».

11 Balmain

12 Nike

13 Xerox

It will surprise many that the most popular manufacturer in the field of printing technology is not pronounced «Xerox». In America, if a word begins with the letter «x», then it will always be read like «z». It would be interesting to look at the bewilderment of the sellers in the store if they were asked to show the new Zirox model.

14 Hyundai

15. Garnier

Most often, people pronounce P at the end of the name, which is fundamentally incorrect, since this letter is not pronounced in French. Good examples: Gaultier, couturier, which means «Garnier» is the correct pronunciation.

16 Daewoo

17. Huawei

The name of the Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei Technologies Co. translates as «Chinese achievement». Like the vast majority of Chinese words, 华为 consists of two syllables (not three!). Correct pronunciation of «Wavey».

18. Correct pronunciation of designer names and brand names

Let’s pay attention to a few more famous brands, the names of which people like to distort:

Badgley Mischka Is not the name of one person at all, but the names of the founders of this designer brand, Mark Badgley and James Mishka.

Check yourself with Anews: do you know how to pronounce the names of world famous brands, whose products you may use every day or would like to buy someday.

1. Garnier

That’s right: GARNЕ (hereinafter, the stressed vowel is in bold)

2 Nike

The name of the American sports brand is nothing more than the name of the Greek goddess of victory. In English, Nika is spelled Nike and is pronounced with an AND at the end. But, probably, few people know or think about it, so almost everyone in the world, except for the Americans themselves, reads this word according to the usual English rule, and it turns out wrong.АYKI

3 Hyundai

By the way, find out: What is the meaning behind the Hyundai logo and a dozen other famous brands

4. Samsung

And this Korean word means «three stars.» What does Russians associate this with? With cheap cognac and cheap hotels, but not with electronics and household appliances that Samsung produces. For Koreans, however, the word «three» has the ancient meaning of «mighty multitude.» Moreover, by coincidence, in Korean the word sounds almost like the name of the famous biblical strongman.

Correct: CАMSON

However, the distorted Russian pronunciation of Samsung has long been established, so it cannot be corrected (yes, in general, there is no need). But in English Samsung sounds much closer to the original.

5 Daewoo

Still, the Koreans are funny people: this financial and industrial conglomerate was named «Great U». It sounds just like hello from Soviet childhood: Veselchak Wu, Great and Terrible, Outsiders V. But seriously, Woo is the name of the founder and former chairman of the Daewoo group, Kim Woo-Chun. As for the pronunciation, the first letter D is deceiving.

7 Porsche

It seems that everyone knows that the name of the creator of this cool German car brand was Ferdinand Porsche, but cars are often called in English (or French) manner, without the final E. Especially if the model name follows, for example, «Porsche Cayenne». Maybe it’s more euphonious for the Russian ear, but still it’s illiterate.

Correct: PОRSHE (Pоrshe kaiеn)

In topic: Porsche and Hugo Boss. History of the brands of the Third Reich

8. Mercedes

Incorrect: Mercedес

Correct: MEPCЕDES (this is what the Germans themselves say)

But, as in the case of Samsung, the wrong stress in this word has long been considered the norm in Russia.

9. Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy

LVMH is a conglomerate of French luxury brands of clothing, accessories, «champagne for millionaires» Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon and brandy Hennessy. Almost all of the above is pronounced incorrectly in Russia. Let’s go in order.

Louis Vuitton

Incorrect: Louis Vuitton, Vitan, Wuyton, Vyaton

Correct: LUИ WUITTОН

Moët is the name of the French winemaker of the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries, who was the first in the Champagne province to produce exclusive sparkling wine.

Correct: MOЭТ

Hennessy

This famous cognac comes from France, but is named after the Irishman who founded the distillery. So, in theory, the English version of pronunciation familiar to everyone is Xеnnessy is also true. But when it’s not about cognac, but about a French brand, especially as part of a conglomerate, we cannot say that.

Correct: ANNESSИ (full: Louи Wuittоn Moэt Annessи)

Moët & Chandon

Wrong: Moe and Shandon, Moe and Shandon, Moet and Shandon

The surname Chandon was borne by the husband of Moet’s great-granddaughter, who joined the family business as a major partner.

Correct: MOET-E-SHANDОH (read as one)

Dom Pérignon

Incorrect: Dom Perignon

The brand is named after a Benedictine monk who was one of the pioneers in the production of excellent champagne. Both words end with the same nasal O, which is absent in Russian, so the sound is conveyed by the letter N.

Correct: DON PERINОН

10. TAG Heuer

This is the “power” of the word: in another mouth this prestigious Swiss watch brand will instantly become an almost obscene curse.

Incorrect: Tag / Tag Hoer, Heuer, Heyer, Hoer, Euer, Yor and God knows how

Did you know: how to pronounce the names of the world’s fashion brands correctly?

1. Levi’s

2. Carolina Herrera

By no means «Herrera», not «Harrera», but Carolina Herrera.

3. Chloe

4 Nike

ua from Nike and your favorite sneakers from the Nike brand.

5. Hermes

6. Guess

7. Louis Vuitton

In this case, the correct version is actually not as difficult to pronounce as people come up with, from «Louis Wyutton» to «Lewis Wuitton». The correct option is «Louis Vuitton».

8. Moschino

It is worth noting that most people know that it is correct to say «Moschino», but there are also those who like the «Moshin» variation. Do not repeat this mistake.

9. UGG`s

Yes, yes, all of us the familiar version of «Ugs» is wrong. It is correct to say «Ags».

10. Givenchy

Brand names that you definitely mispronounce

The rock underwear company is based in the UK, but insists that we pronounce its name in the French manner, which is «AjAn Provocater». In a passionate half-whisper.

Badgley Mischka

Mark Badgley and James Mishka are upset when Russian customers call their brainchild «Budley Mishka.» Do not offend Mishka, pronounce it correctly.

Balmain

English-speaking mods say «Balmain», but don’t be silly. This French name reads «Balman».

Burberry

Even the regular customers of TSUM regularly try to blurt out «Burberry», but the only correct option is «Burberry».

Chloe

The founder of the brand was called Gaby Aion, but her own name seemed to her clumsy, so she borrowed the name of a friend for the name of the brand. Nice and sentimental, you will not say anything. In Russian, this name is usually written as “Chloe” or “Chloe”. But the name Chloe should be pronounced as «Chloe» with an emphasis on «E».

Chopard

According to the rules of English, this name should be read as «Chopard», but forget about Shakespeare’s language, or you will disgrace yourself. This is a French name, and it reads like «ShopAr».

Diptyque

Expensive niche perfumes are called «Daptic», but not «Diptic» or «Diptych».

Ermenegildo Zegna

At first glance, not a name, but a tongue twister, but it reads relatively simply: «ErmanageIldo Zenya.»

Evian

The water that stands like the fresh milk of a unicorn is not called Evian at all. The French say «Evyon», which is what they wish for you.

Hermès

Of course, he is not «Hermes» and not «Hermes», and this is understandable to the merchant from the clothing store. Aesthetes read this name as «Erme», and it seems that from the point of view of cunning French grammar they are doing everything right. But there is a subtlety: the brand is named not in honor of the god of trade, but in honor of the founder, whose name sounds like Thierry Ermes. Say that.

Herve Leger

Damn French, again they poke around here with their unreadable letters. Read this name as «Erve Lezhe», with an emphasis on the last «E».

Kiehl’s

Lamborghini

Levi’s

Loewe

Lanvin

The surname of the founder of the fashion house sounds like «Lanvin», but certainly not «Lanvin» and not «Lanvin».

All over the world, from Tokyo to Mexico City, this brand is called «Nike», and only in Russia they say «Nike». But the name of the Greek goddess Nike in English sounds exactly «Nike», and the brand was named after her. And this famous squiggle is not an overgrown comma, but its wing.

Proenza Schouler

You yourself are «Sharpie». The name of this American brand sounds like «Proenza Scooler».

Pierre Cardin

The same story as with Lanvin. The name of the designer sounds like «Pierre Cardan».

Ralph Lauren

Snag: the surname is clearly French and most pronounce it like «Lauren». But the brand is American. And it will be right like this: «Ralph Lauren».

Sephora

Serge Lutens

Vera Wang

ZuXel

Olga Lysenko
Preview photo: Shutterstock
Photo in text: fragments of advertising campaigns

8 sports brands we mispronounce

The sheer number of sporting goods manufacturers on the market throws us into a stupor. And not only because it is becoming more and more difficult to choose the right equipment.

Another problem that we often encounter when entering a multi-brand store is how the complex names of foreign companies are pronounced? And, it would seem, with those that are constantly heard, everything is clear. And in Russia you will probably be offered what you need, no matter how you say it.

But what if you went shopping, for example, to Europe? We will tell you how to pronounce the names of sports brands so that they will definitely understand you.

old school Converse

Columbia sportswear

Dsquared 2

The brand was created by a duo of designers from Canada, twin brothers. They are known for their special philosophy, which makes fashion collections that are designed not only for the catwalk, but also for ordinary comfortable everyday life. The complex name of the Italian brand is a play on words that reads «DiscUrt».

Burton Snowboards

Fans of active winter recreation have probably come across this manufacturer. This company was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. Accordingly, its name is read as «Burton Snowboards».

The outfit seems to be sorted out. Let’s move on to more expensive shopping. It turns out that we also often mispronounce some brands of sports cars.

Porsche

Mercedes-Benz

It would seem much easier. However, when pronouncing this firm, the main difficulty lies in the stress. The car was named after the girl Adriana Jellinek, the daughter of the Austrian businessman Emil Jellinek.

By the way, Americans also soften the last syllable. They get something like «MersEdis».

Brand names that almost everyone mispronounces

Do you often have difficulty pronouncing the names of well-known foreign brands? Even if not, you’d be surprised how many of the brand names that have entered the spoken word are not pronounced correctly by most people.

But it’s not too late to learn how to pronounce them correctly. Here is a list of 20 brands that most people make mistakes when pronouncing:

1. Lamborghini

The correct pronunciation of the Italian brand is «Lamborghini». In Italian, if «g» is followed by «h», then the combination is pronounced «g». You often hear «Lamborghini», but the Italian brand should not be pronounced with an American accent.

2. Hermes

It is wrong to pronounce «Hermes», «Hermes», «Erme». The name of the brand, which is also a fashion house, sounds like ErmEs. It was named not in honor of the god of Ancient Greece Hermes, but after the name of Thierry Hermes, the creator of the brand.

3 Balmain

In the fashion environment around the world, the pronunciation of «Balmain» is widespread. Which is completely wrong. The French name is read «Balmand», in honor of the couturier Pierre Balmain.

4. Christian Louboutin

Among the wide variety of pronounced names of this brand, such as «Louboutin», «Lobutan», «Labutin» and others, the only correct one will be «Christian Loubutan».

5. Burberry

6. Chloe

In Russian, the spellings “Chloe” and “Chloe” are often used, but one should write and pronounce “Chloe”, emphasizing “E”.

7 Agent Provocateur

8. Louis Vuitton

The Fashion House, originally from France, has the pronunciation «Louis Vuitton», but not «Louis Vuitton» and not «Vyuteon».

9. UGGs

10. Levi’s

Not Levis, but Levis, in honor of its creator, Levi Strauss, a German with Jewish roots.

11 Nike

12 Porsche

13 Xiaomi

14. Huawei

Not Huawei, but Woway. Yes, it is «Woway», it is recommended to remember.

15 Mitsubishi

You don’t need to say «Mitsubishi», there is no «sh» in Japanese. They even pronounce sushi like «sushi». Mitsubishi will be correct.

16. Ritter sports

According to German rules, a chocolate bar reads like «Ritter Sport» and nothing else.

17 Hyundai

Not Hyundai, not Hyundai, but Hyundai.

18. Evian

The name of the water is pronounced in French «Evien», and not «Evian», as many believe.

19. Desigual

Most often, you can hear something close to the correct «Disigual», but more precisely «Desiual» will be.

20. Moët & Chandon

Don’t listen to those who say «Mine and Shandon». This brand of champagne is correctly called «Moet e Shadon».

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published on caprizulka.ru according to the materials babnik-24.ru

Published by: Inga Proznich

20 correct brand names that are always misinterpreted

Let’s be up-to-date and remember the correct brand names, which do not misinterpret them as soon as possible. So:

The name of the brand comes from the name of the goddess of victory Nika and in the original sounds «Nike». This is how it is pronounced in the United States. However, ignorance of this fact on the one hand, and the rules for reading the English word «nike» on the other hand, led to widespread use in Europe in general and in Russia in particular of the incorrect transcription of «Nike». An essentially incorrect name not only stuck and stuck, but is also used in the name of the company’s official representative in Russia.

2. Lamborghini

The Italian manufacturer of luxury sports cars is called Lamborghini. According to the rules of reading in Italian, if after the «g» is «h», then it reads like «G». However, the mispronunciation of «Lamborghini» is so widespread in Russia that even the Google autosearch system gives it exactly. But if you tell Lamborghini in the usual Italian way, you will be looked at as an idiot who has inflicted a serious insult.

The cosmetic renaming, despite the media weight, has not yet helped: the network people continue to write the name in the old manner, and even in full transliteration: garnier, garnier, garnier and even guarantor.

And in the sub-brand naming, without Karl and Clara, you can’t figure it out at all: Color Naturals, Douser Blond Garnier, Garnier Bel Color

4. Hyundai

Translated from Korean «Hyundai» means «modernity». The correct Russian transliteration of this word is «Hyundai» with an emphasis on the last syllable. In Russian advertising, they delicately try not to pronounce the name, limiting themselves only to the English spelling, although the spelling «Hyundai» is used on the official website of the company. The people of the Korean automaker are also called «Hyundai» and «Hyundai», and even «Hyundai».

Similar difficulties with reading Hyundai are found in other countries. Therefore, for advertising cars in the United States, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners came up with a slogan designed to help Americans remember the correct pronunciation of the brand in English: “Hyundai. Like Sunday. » Please note that the brand name has been slightly adapted for the Americans.

A similar confusion arises with the pronunciation of the names of some Hyundai car models. So, the Hyundai Tucson SUV is most often called Tusan, Tuksan, Tucson, Tucson. In fact, Hyundai Tucson is named after a North American city in the state of Arizona and is correctly pronounced as Tussan.

Pronounced «Porsche» with an accent on the first syllable named after the founder of the company Ferdinand Porsche. The Russians either confuse the stressed syllable, or lose the ending, wondering why then the final «e» in the name of the luxury SUV Cayenne (Porsche Cayenne) is not read.

An interesting situation with the pronunciation of the brand name ASUS (Asus) in the United States. From the lips of the Americans, ASUS looks like a not quite decent «asses». The company is even forced to carry out advertising and educational work about the correct pronunciation of the name of the trademark, derived from the word Pegasus (Pegasus).

6. Be-Em-Ve

8. Moet e Shando

Contrary to the opinion widespread in Russia, in the name of a world famous brand of champagne, when pronouncing, it is not the «t» in the word Moёt that is removed, but the «n» in the word Chandon. The conjunction «and», represented in the name by an ampersand, is read, as it should be in French, «e».

Not «Hauer», not «Auer» and not even «Yer» (there are also such bold proposals). Heuer watch production was founded in Switzerland in 1860 by the Swiss Eduard Hoyer. The TAG prefix appeared in the surname only in 1985, it means Techniques d’Avant Garde, «avant-garde technique». The abbreviation itself is the name of the company, which owned the watch brand for 14 years, until it was bought by the LVMH concern.

10. Lewis or Levies

Careful research has revealed that both options have long and firmly entered general use, and even in the United States, both options exist.

People continue to be interested, to argue, to prove, but the whole evidence base in this case comes down to two points: native English speakers most often speak Levi, because according to the rules of English the name Levi is read as «Levi»; but the creator of the first jeans was named Levi.

Levi Strauss was a German Jew who was named Loeb at birth. At the age of 18, he moved from his native Bavaria to San Francisco, and his name, for ease of pronunciation in the States, became Levi. And if you follow the grammar of the English language, then «Lewis» is more correct.

11. Ermes

The name of the luxury French brand came not so much from the name of the ancient Greek god Hermes as from the name of the founder. The fashion house was created by Thierry Hermes in 1837. And therefore, it is more correct to say not «Hermes» and not «Erme», but «Ermes» with an emphasis on the last syllable. Or «ermez», if closer to the English pronunciation. In addition, the emphasis on the E in the second syllable suggests reading the letter S at the end of the word.

12. Mitsubishi

The Russian office of the Japanese automaker Mitsubishi in its latest campaign has focused on the Mitsubishi variant.

The penultimate sound in Japanese is actually read as a cross between «s» and «sh», but closer to «s» than to «sh», so the overwhelming majority of Japaneseists and translators from Japanese continue to insist on «Mitsubishi».

The same system of Polivanov, adopted in 1930 and still not rejected, is quite clear about the «ts» and «ts». «Tc» is a simple tracing paper from the English language, in the alphabet of which there is simply no sign to denote the sound «t». And we have, and therefore, Mitsubishi is correct. Consequently, the version of the Russian office is puzzling twice.

13. Zirox

14. Discuaed

Dsquared is a title that is not easy to read if you see it for the first time. And it is completely impossible to reproduce its correct pronunciation in Russian letters. And nevertheless, the Russian youth knows very well that Dsquared is pronounced in Russian like “Discovery” or “Discverd”. Maybe not quite right, but it just so happened.

15. Lowenbroy

Löwenbräu (German: Lion’s Brewery, pronounced Lowenbrau, often mispronounced as Lowenbrau in Russia) is a German brewery based in Munich.

16. Clarence

17. Bulgari

The last letter was dropped immediately in order to give the name a more Italian sound.

18. Samson

How to pronounce the names of cosmetic brands

So that trips to fashion boutiques and beauty corners do not turn into an illiteracy exam, we have compiled a list of how to pronounce the names of brands with which you often have difficulty with correct pronunciation.

French brands and brands

Herve Leger Is a French brand that became famous for the invention of the bandage dress. Previously Hervé Peugnet, but Karl Lagerfeld advised the designer to change the hard-to-pronounce surname to Léger. Pronounced by Hervé Leger.

Yves Saint Laurent Is a French fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent, therefore we speak no other than Yves Saint Laurent.

American and British brands

Manolo Blahnik Is an English brand specializing in the production of women’s shoes. In Russian, the brand name sounds like Manolo Blahnik.

As a bonus, we give another name of a popular brand that does not get along in the heads of Russian fashionistas.

Italian brands and brands

Fausto Puglisi Is another Italian brand that can often be difficult to pronounce. It is correct to say Fastu Puizi.

How to pronounce the names of the most famous brands in the world

We know these brands well, we have heard their names in films, videos and songs many times, but we still make mistakes when we pronounce their names. Therefore, in this article we will find out which names of world famous brands are most often pronounced incorrectly, and we will find out how the name of your favorite brand sounds in English. Let’s get started!

In the first place we have a Swedish brand of clothing and cosmetics, which stands out for its affordable prices, and also for the fact that clothes from there can be seen not only on ordinary fashionistas, but also on Hollywood stars. In addition, two stores of this brand have recently opened in Ukraine, so it’s time to learn how to pronounce its name correctly.

So, it is wrong to say «emchendam», despite the fact that now it is a very popular inscription on T-shirts;) It is necessary to say «h-n-um», just like that, without the additional sound «d», which many say because of the symbol » & ”, Which means“ and ”. Let’s watch the video to memorize the correct pronunciation.

Tommy Hilfiger

Admit it, you read it like «Tommy Halfiger»? Yes, yes, this is a typical mistake when pronouncing the name of this brand. By the way, do you know that Tommy Hilfiger is an American multinational corporation, a fashion house, a manufacturer of expensive clothes, shoes, perfumes, accessories and furniture with a network of boutiques around the world?

Also, this socially active brand has developed clothing for people with disabilities. Let’s watch this great video and remember that it is correct to say «Tommy Hilfiger».

Mercedes

The situation with the name of this brand is identical. English speakers pronounce it as «bi-um-double-u», but the Germans insist that the name should sound like «bi-um-wee». Well, in fact, in order not to be verbose, we suggest watching a video of how to pronounce the names of German cars in English from a charismatic German

Disney

Ugg is a fashion brand of footwear and apparel that began its history with lamb boots invented by an Australian surfer, but is now owned by an American company. It is also known to Ukrainian consumers: almost everyone has had boots from this brand at least once in their life, and we all pronounce the name of this brand incorrectly, do you also say «uggs»? Therefore, we study together and memorize the English «agg». Watch the video to make sure and explore now.

Versace

And the last Italian brand name that you definitely have to pronounce correctly. And our final video will help you with this, there the name is pronounced so many times that you should repeat it in a row in order to remember the pronunciation of all the brands that we learned about today.

In general, the principle is quite simple: you find out in which language the name is written, and read the name according to the rules of that language.

An example of a training video from youtube

Exceptions

If you pronounce the brand name for a Russian-speaking person, in the stream of Russian speech, then the name may change.

The reason is simple: the language is often very different from the Russian language. And, for example, some of the sounds in English are, in principle, absent in Russian. Therefore, the sounds become coarser. Marks & Spencer is «Marks and Spencer» for a Russian-speaking person, but an Englishman practically does not pronounce the sound [p].

Or H&M is «H&M» for Russian-speaking people, but an English-speaking person will read it a little differently, swallowing the sound [d]

More examples

Here are 14 popular brands that we have specially written in Cyrillic to make it easier for you to pronounce them.

Let’s not torment with theory: if Russian is your native language, you already know perfectly well how to choose the ending. For example: see a new jacket at H&M, discounts at Hugo Boss.

Here we just want to nod: this is how you can and should say. Not changing the ending is a grammatical mistake.

Competently

Illiterate

Names can be written in Cyrillic

If you write in Latin, use the dependent word

To understand what a dependent word is, just take a look at an example.

No
Discounts have started at Zara.

Yes
Discounts started at Zara store

Such a word can be easily declined, and after it the brand can be written in Latin: for the Tommy Hilfiger brand, from the Oysho store.

Put the name in Cyrillic in quotation marks

If the name is written in Cyrillic, it must be written with quotation marks, Christmas trees: «Adidas».

If it is in the Latin alphabet (Adidas), the quotes are not needed: the word in the Latin alphabet in the Cyrillic text stands out noticeably.

The Nike (that’s Ni-key) store in Manchester. Photograph: Alamy

The Nike (that’s Ni-key) store in Manchester. Photograph: Alamy

N ike rhymes with «bike», doesn’t it? Well, no, actually it rhymes with «spiky». Nike chairman Philip Knight has confirmed the correct way to pronounce the brand’s name, after two men sent him a letter asking him to circle either «Ni-ke» or «Ni-key» and answer what they called «one of life’s big unanswered questions».

To celebrate, here’s a definitive guide to the pronunciation (not pro-noun-ciation!) of some other commonly mispronounced brand names.

Hermès

Nightmare: another Greek deity turned global brand. Obvious, isn’t it? You take «her», add «me», and put an «s» on the end. Put them together and what have you got? «Her-mees». Mais non, non, non! In fact, one drops the «h», and sounds the «e» as in «dress». Plus you need to sound the s more like a z: «Ermez».

Givenchy

How about this? «Given» (noun or adjective or – if you prefer – the Irish goalkeeper), plus «Chi» (as in tai chi). «Given-chi». Mais non, again. Rather, one softens the «g», sounds the second syllable as in «on» and softens the «chi» to «shi». Ji-von-shee. How do we know? Givenchy’s glum-sounding footsoldiers say it thus in ads for their high-end scents.

Porsche

Does this sound like the Shakespearean heroine (Portia) or like that thing that keeps the rain off (porch)? More like the former – it definitely has two syllables, and their official spokespeople confirm as much in their stupendously boring promotional videos.

Adidas

Long «i» or short? Wars have been fought over less. Run DMC adjudicated on this vexed issue years ago in their stirring if hagiographic hip-hop paean to their footwear of choice. «A-deee-das,» they sang. But, with respect, what do Run DMC know? This side of the pond, we wear trainers, not sneakers, and keep that «i» nice and short. Who’s right? There is no Nike-like ruling on the pronunciation of Adidas.

Saucony

Another trainer brand with a confusing name? You’d better believe it. Take a female pig, the thing you put ice cream in and the kind of appreciative noise Wallace makes when he’s had some fine Wensleydale cheese. Put them together: «Sow-cone-ee». Nope. It’s more like «sock-a-nee», say Saucony’s people in their eye-wateringly tedious promo films. That sounds unprepossessing and pretty stupid, but no more so than «Sih-NECK-doh-kee», which is how you should say synecdoche should the occasion arise. Which it won’t.

Audi

Remember American war hero and actor Audie Murphy? Me neither, but his first name was pronounced «Or-dee», which – quite possibly – has led to confusion about the pronunciation of the uninteresting motor car company. It’s not pronounced «Or-dee», but «Ow-dee» – imagine you’re a cowboy who drops his aitches if that’s any help. Which it probably isn’t.

Yves Saint Laurent

Another day, another hard-to-pronounce French couture brand. You don’t get this sort of problem with Paul Smith. Here’s how to say it: drop all the terminal letters and say the first syllable like the woman who got banished with Adam from the Garden of Eden. Got it? «Eve san law-ron» (but don’t sound either «n» too strongly). There’s also this fun footage of a Frenchman making an oreille de cochon of trying to teaching English speakers how to say Yves Saint Laurent. As he suggests, you could always just say YSL.

Moët et Chandon

The «t» in Moët, somewhat counterintuitively, is sounded. The result should sound like «Mwet eh Shan-don» rather than «Mway e Shan-don». Apparently one says it this way because Monsieur Moët was of Dutch-German origin. The same doesn’t apply with rival champagne brand Veuve Clicquot: don’t sound the terminal «t» like a loser. Don’t look at me like that – I don’t make the rules.

Hope that helps. Next time on Pronunciation Today: does «scone» rhyme with «on» or «own»?

This article was first amended 3 June 2014 to remove a section on Kurt Geiger, which had been included in error. It was further amended on 4 June to remove references that suggested Wallace, one half of the animated duo Wallace and Gromit, comes from Yorkshire when he is, in fact,a Lancastrian according to the story.

This article was again amended again on 9 June 2014 to reinstate the name of Wallace’s favourite cheese. Although Wallace lives in Lancashire, he is partial to Yorkshire’s Wensleydale cheese.