26+ Famous Brand & Celebrity Names You’ve Been Pronouncing Wrong This Whole Time

Pronounced Like: “wah-KEEN Fee-nux”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $80 million*

Joaquin Phoenix is a once-in-a-generation talent, and his movies have included hits like Joker, Napoleon, Gladiator, Beau Is Afraid, Her, and the upcoming project, Joker: Folie a Deux, which is sure to sell out AMC and Cinemark theaters everywhere when it comes out in 2024.

Joaquin Phoenix ©Harald Krichel/Wikimedia

Have you been saying his first name correctly? While “Phoenix” is pretty much common knowledge, “Joaquin” is a bit tricker. You say it, “wah-KEEN,” pronouncing “Joa” and “quin” as two wildly different sounds.

Pronounced Like: “NIGH-key”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $31.3 billion*

Nike has become such a common brand that it’s hard to imagine someone not knowing how to pronounce it. But, just in case, you say Nike as “NIGH-key,” not “NIKE,” “NEE-kay,” or some other weird way to say it.

Nike ©TY Lim / Shutterstock.com

Nike is a name almost everyone knows, and perhaps you have some of its shoes or apparel in your closet. Recently, the brand was valued at over $31 billion, leaving its competitors, such as Adidas and Under Armour, in the dust.

Pronounced Like: “Air-MEZ” 
Net Worth/Brand Value: $218 billion*

A lot of us may feel tempted to pronounce Hermes “HER-mez” or “HER-meez,” but that would reveal that we are not connoisseurs of the luxury, Parisian brand, which has been around since the mid-1830s.

Hermes @Google/Pinterest

“Air-MEZ” is how you say Hermes, if you want to sound like a true French person. Hermes is one of the most expensive brands in the world, and their bags cost about as much as a down payment on a Ford or Chevy.

Pronounced Like: “Ah-VAY-dah”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $1.1 billion in yearly revenue*

When it comes to high-end beauty, Aveda is a name that a lot of people gravitate towards. The brand is owned by Estee Lauder and BeautiControl, and it has been around since the late 1970s.

As far as how to pronounce it, you’ll want to say Aveda like, “Ah-VAY-dah,” not “Uh-VEE-da.” Though the spelling of the brand might seem like you’d want to say it the second way, alas, that is not correct.

Aveda @Google/Pinterest

Pronounced Like: “uh-DALE”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $220 million*

Back in 2022, crooner Adele blew fans’ minds when she gave an interview (which you can find on YouTube) where she told everyone that they’d been pronouncing her name wrong this whole time.

Adele ©Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Instead of pronouncing Adele like “uh-DELL,” the “DELL” is actually pronounced “DALE.” The “Hello” singer has had hit after hit on the radio, and she is one of the most famous musicians in the world…and yet, we’ve all been saying her name wrong. 

Pronounced Like: “OO-blow”
Net Worth/Brand Value: Unconfirmed 

“OO-blow” is how you say Hublot, no matter how tempting it may be to say it, “HEW-blot.” Hublot has been making luxury Swiss watches since the eighties, and the brand name has been pronounced wrongly ever since.

Hublot @crmjewelers/Pinterest

Hublots aren’t cheap, and the lowest-cost models will still cost somewhere in the high four figures. There’s even a Hublot MP-05 LaFerrari (905.JX.0001.RT) that costs $482,000—more than most peoples’ homes! 

Pronounced Like: “bal-MAH” 
Net Worth/Brand Value: $522 million in 2016*

Luxury fashion house Balmain is a celebrity favorite (you can often see Kim Kardashian rocking Balmain on Instagram), and the French brand’s products are usually quite expensive, thanks to the craftsmanship and materials involved.

Balmain @Google/Pinterest

“Balmain” is said as “Bal-MAH,” so pronounce it without the “n” if you want to say it like Kim K. Though Balmain may seem inaccessible to most of us, the brand’s value is still over half a billion, according to 2016 reports.

Pronounced Like: “EVE-sahn la-RAHN” 
Net Worth/Brand Value: $20 billion (Kering Brand Value)*

Owned by Kering and bringing in over $5 billion in revenue is Yves St. Laurent, another French brand that Americans find tricky to pronounce. “EVE-sahn la-RAH” is how you smoothly say this luxury brand’s name.

©OceanProd/stock.adobe.com

“YUH-vez SAINT LOR-ahnt” is usually how it is pronounced by people not in the know. That said, if you can afford a $19,000 Muse Bag, you can probably say the brand name however you want, without question.

Pronounced Like: “HIGH-um”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $30 million*

Haim is a rock band based in L.A., and it is led by a trio of sisters, Danielle, Alana, and Este Haim. You can find their music on Spotify (where they have over six million listeners) and other platforms.

Haim ©Raph_PH/Wikimedia

Haim recently corrected the many fans saying the band’s name wrong. Though “HAME” is a popular way to pronounce the band’s moniker, the correct way to say it is with two syllables, not one. You pronounce Haim “HIGH-um.”

Pronounced Like: “Zen-DAY-ah”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $22 million*

Zendaya, who goes by a mononym, is one of peoples’ favorite actresses and singers. She has won two Emmys and a Golden Globe, and people loved her in projects such as Euphoria, Spider-Ma, Dune, The Greatest Showman, and more.

Zendaya ©DFree/Shutterstock.com

As far as how you say her name, don’t pronounce “DAY” as “DIE.” Zendaya’s name is pronounced “Zen-DAY-ah,” which is what it looks like phonetically, even though a lot of us say the middle syllable incorrectly.

Pronounced Like: “VOKS VAR-gun” 
Net Worth/Brand Value: $65.37 billion*

Volkswagen is one of the biggest automakers in the world, with a slew of high-end subsidiaries to its name. The German company is often mispronounced by the Western world (while, West of Germany, that is).

Volkswagen @Google/Pinterest

“VOKS VAR-gun” might seem completely counterintuitive, but that’s how you pronounce the brand in a true German way. It’s hard, as that pronunciation goes against every phonetic lesson Americans have been taught.

Pronounced Like: “Vur-SAH-chay”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $2.12 billion in 2018*

Americans pronouncing Versace wrong is a pet peeve of Donatella’s, according to an interview she gave a few years ago. Though the luxury brand is often pronounced, “Ver-SACH-chee,” that is not how you say it.

Versace @ebay/Pinterest

“Vur-SAH-chay” is the right way to pronounce the name of the Italian luxury company, which is famous for its flashy, bright prints and exotic colors. That’s how you say it like a true Milan, Italy native.

Pronounced Like: “Uh-DOE-bee” 
Net Worth/Brand Value: $257.06 billion*

You might be reading this with Adobe installed and running on your computer, but are you saying the name of the software company correctly? “Uh-DOE-bee” is how you pronounce the brand’s moniker.

Adobe @AutomationWorkz/Pinterest

A lot of people might want to say “Ah-DOHB” or “Add-OH-bee,” but the pronunciation above is the right way to say it. Headquartered in California, Adobe brings in almost $16 billion in revenue, so any mispronunciations of its name haven’t hurt it too badly.

Pronounced Like: “Too-vay-LOO”
Net Worth/Brand Value: $9 million*

You might have jammed out to Tove Lo’s music on Spotify or Apple Music, but that doesn’t mean you’re saying her name correctly. The Swedish pop star’s name is pronounced, “Too-vay LOO.”

Tove Lo ©Daniel Åhs Karlsson/Wikimedia

Not “TOHVE LOH” or “Toh-VAY LOH.” That’s the hazard of being a foreign pop star who crosses international boundaries—you’re going to have to teach both your fans and your critics to say your name the right way.