How to Pronounce Brand Names: 30+ Popular Brands With IPA

You’re about to recommend a new phone, or compliment someone’s bag, and then you realise you’ve only ever seen the brand name written down. “Is it Hermès or ‘Her-miss’? Xiaomi or ‘zy-oh-mee’?” Brand names are tricky because they come from many languages and follow no single set of rules. This guide shows you how to pronounce brand names with IPA and simple respellings, grouped by type, and explains why some brands have more than one accepted pronunciation.

Company pronunciation or everyday pronunciation?

Before the lists, one thing helps. Many brands have two versions: the way the company says it in its home language, and the way most people say it in English. Both can be fine.

There’s no need to correct anyone. If you’re talking with someone who uses the English version, use it too. If you’re speaking to a customer service team or a salesperson from the brand, they’ll usually say it the company way, and it’s polite to match.

Fashion and luxury brands

French brands usually drop the final consonant and stress the last syllable, which is why “Hermès” ends with a “z” sound but “Chanel” ends with “el.” Italian brands like Gucci and Versace use “ch” for “cc” and “c” before “i” or “e,” which is the same rule we used in our guide to how to pronounce food names.

“Louis Vuitton” is hard to write in IPA, because the French sounds don’t map exactly to English ones. The respelling above is the closest everyday approximation.

Sportswear brands

“Nike” is a common surprise. It’s two syllables, “NY-kee,” not one syllable that rhymes with “bike.” That’s because it’s named after the Greek goddess of victory.

Tech brands

“Xiaomi” and “Huawei” are Chinese names, and the English versions are close approximations of the Chinese sounds. “Xiao” sounds like “shao” or “show,” and “Huawei” starts with a “wah” sound, not “hoo-ah-way.”

Car brands

“Porsche” has two syllables, and the final “e” is pronounced. Many people say it as one syllable, “Porsh,” but the company’s pronunciation is “POR-shuh.”

Want to hear how this sounds right now? Type any word into the Free Pronunciation Tool and listen to it in 4 accents.

Everyday brands

“Häagen-Dazs” is an invented name that was designed to sound Scandinavian. There’s no official foreign word behind it, which is why “HAH-gun DAHZ” is the standard version.

Why brand names are so hard

Three reasons:

1. They come from many languages. German, French, Italian, Swedish, Korean, Chinese and Japanese brands all end up in English.
2. They’re invented. Some brands are made-up words, so they don’t follow rules at all.
3. Companies choose how they’re said. The “right” version can be decided by marketing, not by language rules.

If you’re unsure about a particular brand, listen to the audio and check the company’s own website or adverts, which often use the official version. For help with how to use audio, see pronunciation audio online.

Practise in a sentence

Say these three sentences slowly, then at normal speed:

1. “She bought a Hermès scarf and a Porsche key ring.”
2. “My Xiaomi phone has a Nvidia chip.”
3. “We built a Lego model after we ate Nutella pancakes.”

For any name you stumble on, break it into syllables first and find the stress. If you need help, see our guide to word stress in English.

A 10-minute practice plan

1. Pick five brands you’ll actually say.
2. Listen to each in the tool, three times, then once slowly.
3. Check the IPA. If the symbols are new, see how to read IPA.
4. Say each name five times, then in a sentence.
5. Record yourself and compare it with the audio.
6. Add five more tomorrow.

For longer word lists, see how to pronounce English words online, and use a word pronouncer whenever you need a quick check. For similar guides, see our lists of place names and medical words.

Mistakes to avoid

• Saying “Nike” as one syllable. It’s “NY-kee.”
• Dropping the final syllable in “Porsche.” It’s “POR-shuh.”
• Saying “Hermès” as “Her-miss.” It’s “air-MEZ.”
• Treating one version as the only correct one. Several brands have two accepted pronunciations.
• Over-correcting other people. Everyday English versions are fine.
• Guessing instead of checking. A few seconds with the audio is enough.

Questions people ask

How do you pronounce Nike?

NY-kee, in IPA /ˈnaɪki/. It has two syllables.

How do you pronounce Hermès?

air-MEZ, in IPA /ɛrˈmɛz/. The “H” is silent.

How do you pronounce Xiaomi?

show-MEE, in IPA /ʃaʊˈmiː/.

How do you pronounce Porsche?

POR-shuh, in IPA /ˈpɔːrʃə/. It has two syllables.

Is there only one correct pronunciation for a brand?

Not always. Some brands have a company version and a common English version, and both can be fine.

Why do brand names sound so different from how they look?

Many come from other languages, and some are invented. English spelling doesn’t always match their original sounds.

Try three brands now

Pick three brands from this page that you weren’t sure about. Type each into the tool, listen three times and say them out loud. Then say one of the practice sentences as if you were telling a friend.

Want to hear how this sounds right now? Type any word into the Free Pronunciation Tool and listen to it in 4 accents.