People in the UK are more likely to Google the correct pronunciations of fashion brands and retailers than any other types of brand names, according to a new study using Google search data.
HR software provider Ciphr (pronounced Sy-fuh ), which conducted the research to support the launch of its new logo, analysed Google search queries for the terms ‘how to pronounce…’, ‘how do you pronounce…’, and ‘pronunciation…’ to identify the top 40 most searched for brand name pronunciations in the UK over the past 12 months.
And when the results were in, dining chain Chipotle, fashion retailer Shein, and sporting giant Nike were the three most searched for brands that people had problems with pronouncing correctly - with a combined 8,150 average monthly searches.
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Luxury brands Moët, Hermès and Porsche followed shortly after, just ahead of L'Occitane, Adidas, Krispy Kreme and Peugeot in the rankings. Combined, these 10 brands accumulated a combined 18,980 monthly searches relating to pronunciation on Google alone.
However, it's not just Brits who are having problems distinguishing correct dialect. Global pronunciation dictionary Fonvo reveals that the words Chipotle, Nike, Moët, Hermès, Porsche, L’Occitane, Adidas, Krispy Kreme, and Peugeot have been listened to a combined 3,384,100 times - with no comparable data available for Shein.
Many of these global household names are well aware of misspoken pronunciations, or at the very least accepting that they may differ from country to country - and to counter this, they have shared instructions and videos on social media channels on how to phonetically say their names properly.
Over half (57%) of the top 40 brand names in the list compiled by Ciphr, with a combined 21,640 average monthly searches, belong to fashion brands or retailers, such as Napapijri, IKEA, LOEWE, and Primark - with the next most searched type of brand were food and beverage producers (15%).
These include Freixenet, Laphroaig, Nutella, and Old Mout Cider (which are pronounced Fresh-eh-net , La-froyg , New-tell-uh , and Ohld Moot Sy-duh respectively).
Around 10% of the top 40 most searched for brand-related pronunciations are car manufacturers, with Hyundai (pronounced High-unn-digh in the UK, rather than Hun-day like it is in the US) and Škoda (pronounced Shko-dah ) among those included.
Technology and hospitality brands account for 15% of the searches (7.5% each), including, interestingly, Google itself, which amassed 1,050 average pronunciation-related monthly searches. The only pharmaceutical brand to be included in the top 40 list was Pfizer, although many Google users may possibly have been searching for the pronunciation of the new brand name of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine Comirnaty, which was announced last August.
The top 25 most searched for brand name pronunciations, ranked by average monthly searches on Google, are:
| Brand name |
How to pronounce |
Average monthly searches on Google |
| Chipotle |
Chip-oat-lay |
2,990 |
| Shein |
She-in |
2,770 |
| Nike |
Ni-key |
2,390 |
| Moët |
Mo-wet |
2,290 |
| Hermès |
Er-mez |
1,850 |
| Porsche |
Por-shuh |
1,530 |
| L'Occitane |
Lox-ee-tan |
1,520 |
| Adidas |
Ah-dih-dahs |
1,440 |
| Krispy Kreme |
Krisp-ee cream |
1,130 |
| Peugeot |
Puh-jo |
1,070 |
| Freixenet |
Fresh-eh-net |
1,060 |
| |
Goo-guhl |
1,050 |
| Moschino |
Mos-key-no |
1,010 |
| Napapijri |
Na-pa-peeh-ree |
920 |
| NICCE |
Nee-chee |
910 |
| Huawei |
Wah-way |
880 |
| Givenchy |
Zjee-von-shee |
810 |
| Hyundai |
High-unn-digh |
740 |
| IKEA |
Ee-kay-uh |
740 |
| LOEWE |
Loh-wev-eh |
720 |
| Primark |
Pr-eye-mark |
720 |
| JACQUEMUS |
Zhak-moose |
700 |
| Laphroaig |
La-froyg |
700 |
| VEJA |
Vey-ja |
690 |
| Nutella |
New-tell-uh |
690 |
David Richter, director of marketing at Ciphr, says: “Ciphr recently introduced its new look logo as part of a wider brand refresh. One key aspect of this is that our company name, which is pronounced Sy-fuh , is now written in lowercase as one word. Previously, it was an all-caps acronym (CIPHR), which has, admittedly, caused people to stumble over its pronunciation at times over the years.
“To help reinforce the slightly unusual pronunciation of our brand name in an interesting way, we decided to research which brand name pronunciations are searched for most often in the UK – and supply some tips on how they are usually pronounced. Surprisingly, the latter wasn’t quite as simple as it sounds, as many brand name pronunciations are hotly debated online, even when coming directly from the source, while many have no definitive ruling from the brands themselves.
“Either way, it’s been fun compiling our top 40 list of the most searched for brand name pronunciations in the UK. Why not take a look and see how many you are pronouncing differently?”
A quiz based on the top 10 most searched for brand name pronunciations is available at https://www.ciphr.com/brand-name-pronunciation-quiz.
The full top 40 list of the most-searched-for brand name pronunciations in the UK, including pronunciation tips and Google search statistics, is available to view here.
How many of these have you been pronouncing wrong?
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