Language experts reveal the most misunderstood fashion brands

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You see them everywhere – from ubiquitous advertising to drugstore shelves. But you’re not exactly sure how to pronounce them. If you face this fundamental uncertainty when it comes to some of the world’s most popular fashion and beauty brands, you’re not alone. Like really not only. Language experts recently compiled a list of the brands people look to most often for pronunciation guidance. Read on to find out what they are and how to resolve the language when referring to them.

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Daily Mail reports that online language learning platform Preply analyzed Google Search data for the 300 most popular fashion and beauty brands and determined the top 10 most mispronounced.

The most uncertainly pronounced fashion brand is Hermès: every month, 8,100 people search for “how to pronounce Hermès or “how to say Hermès.” The French luxury retailer is pronounced “EHR-mez.”

Versace company logo on T-shirt.
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Number two in the fashion space is Louis Vuitton, which leads to 7,080 pronunciation searches each month. The correct pronunciation is “Lou-ee VWEE-tah-n.”

Number three is Versace (5,120 monthly searches). Fans of the cult film will remember that the brand’s pronunciation made for an unforgettable moment in the film Showgirls— but most people’s “correct” pronunciation is actually wrong. The brand’s creative director, Donatella, is known for telling people it’s “Ver-sah-CHEH,” not “Ver-sah-CHEE.”

The woman carrying the Givenchy bag.
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The fourth most sought-after fashion brand is Givenchy, the classically elegant house that Audrey Hepburn wore. Breakfast at Tiffany’s. They are pronounced “Jee-VOHN-Shee”.

Number five – a bit of a surprise – is Gucci, the Italian fashion powerhouse that was the subject of Lady Gaga’s latest film and most of the recent Harry Styles talking points. The correct pronunciation is “GOO-Chee”.

L'Occitane en Provence store in Valencia
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Researchers also found that popular beauty brands also give people articulatory anxiety. They found that every month, 1,810 people search for the correct pronunciation of L’Occitane, the luxury French retailer of beauty and home products. (It’s “Lox-EE-tahn.”)

CeraVe—the popular drugstore brand of moisturizers and skin care products—was the second most searched for (1,170 per month). If you haven’t caught one of the brand’s ubiquitous TV commercials lately, the t is pronounced “CER-ah-vee.”

Estee Lauder Perfectionist pro bottle on shelf.
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Numbers three through five in the beauty category are Schwartzkopf (Shvaats-Kopf), La Roche-Posay (La-Rou-Shh Po-say) and Estee Lauder (Ess-Tay Law-Der).

If you’re planning to launch your own style megabrand, you might want to heed the advice these founders didn’t and keep things simple. “The brand name is extremely important. Potential customers will quickly form an impression of your company or product from the name,” said Daniele Saccardi of Preply. “It’s important to consider how the name is likely to appear to someone who speaks another language or may have trouble understanding the meaning. A brand that’s easy to pronounce is also important. You don’t want a name that be mispronounced. as this will simply cause confusion among customers.”

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