Hi guys, welcome back to English with Max.
In this video we're going to look at how to say the names of 100 well-known
brands in English. Some of these brands are not from English-speaking countries
and they have foreign names, but even those brands have a standard or a couple
of standard pronunciations in English. In other words, we anglicise them. There are some people who say that if a
word is foreign, we should try to say it exactly how it is said in the original
language, but if you do that, one of two things will happen. Either native English
speakers just won't understand you or you will sound pretentious. So in this video I'm going to give you
the most common English pronunciations of these brands. I'll also point out the
differences in British and American English. For the foreign names I'll
also try to give you the original pronunciations. Not because you need
to learn them. I just think it can be interesting to hear the difference. We're first going to look at some car brands.
Now this is a German brand and in German it's pronounced Audi. Audi. But in English
we say Audi. Audi. This one is a British brand and it's pronounced Bentley. Bentley.
Some people pronounce the T very clearly, so they say BenTley, but most
people say Bentley. Bentley. Now we have another German one. In German this is
BMW. BMW. But in English we say BMW. BMW. Now we have a French company. In French
this is pronounced Citroën. Citroën. But in British English people normally say
Citroën. Citroën. In American English people usually say Citroën. Citroën.
And I have also heard people say Citroën. Citroën. This one is a Japanese brand.
I don't speak any Japanese, so I don't know how the Japanese say it, but in British
English we say Honda. Honda. In American English it's Honda. Honda. Now we have a
very easy one. This is an American brand and it's pronounced Jeep. Jeep. Now we
have one from South Korea. I don't speak any Korean, so I don't know how Koreans
say it, but in English we say Kia. Kia. If you're Korean and you happen to be
watching this, please let me know in the comments. Is it very different or very
similar? Now we have an Italian brand. My Italian's not very good, but I know
that in Italian it's something like Lamborghini. Lamborghini. In British
English we say Lamborghini. Lamborghini. In American English the R is pronounced,
so people say Lamborghini. Lamborghini. Now we have Lexus. Lexus. I didn't realise
that this is actually a Japanese brand. Like I said, I don't speak any Japanese
so I'm not really sure how the Japanese say it, but in English we say Lexus. Lexus.
If you are Japanese or you speak Japanese, please let me know in the
comments. Now we have another Italian company. In Italian this is Maserati.
Maserati. In British English people say Maserati. Maserati. In American English
people usually say Maserati. Maserati. Again we have a Japanese brand.
In British English this is pronounced Mazda. Mazda. In American
English it's usually Mazda. Mazda. Here we have another German company
and in German this is pronounced Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz.
But in British English we say Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz.
In American English the R is pronounced, so it's Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz.
Another Japanese one - in British English this is Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi. In American
English it's usually Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi. And now some more French cars. In French
this is pronounced Peugeot. Peugeot. In British English people say Peugeot. Peugeot. In American English it's usually Peugeot. Peugeot. Here's another German one. In German this is pronounced Porsche. Porsche. In British
English it's Porsche. Porsche. There are some people who say Porsche, but normally
it's people who know a lot about cars. Most people just say Porsche. In American
English it's similar, but the R is pronounced. It's Porsche. Porsche. Again I
have heard some Americans say Porsche, but I get the impression it's mainly
people who are really interested in cars. This one is Japanese, and in British
English we say Toyota. Toyota. In American English it's usually Toyota. Toyota.
Here's the last one for the cars. This is another German name and in German it's
pronounced Volkswagen. Volkswagen. In British English I've heard a couple of
different pronunciations, but I think the most common one is Volkswagen. Volkswagen.
But some people do say Volkswagen. Volkswagen. In American English people usually say
Volkswagen. Volkswagen. Now we're going to look at some fashion
labels. This one is a German brand and in German it's pronounced Adidas. Adidas. But
in English we either say Adidas. Adidas. Or: Adidas. Adidas. Now we have an
Italian brand. In Italian it's something like Armani. Armani.
But in British English this is Armani. Armani. In American English
it's similar, but the R is pronounced. It's Armani. Armani. This one is a British
label and in British English it's pronounced Burberry. Burberry. In American
English you pronounce the first R so it's Burberry. Burberry. This one is an American brand. This is
pronounced Calvin Klein. Calvin Klein. Okay, now this one is a French brand. In French this is pronounced
Cartier. Cartier. In British English we say Cartier. Cartier. In American English
it's Cartier. Cartier. Here we have another French one. In French this is
pronounced Chanel. Chanel. In English we say Chanel. Chanel. And now we have
another French one. In French this is pronounced Christian Dior. Christian Dior.
In British English it's either Christian Dior. Christian Dior. Or: Christian Dior.
Christian Dior. In American English it's usually Christian Dior.
So you pronounce the R at the end. Christian Dior.
This one is an American brand. In British English we say Converse. Converse. It's
not ConVERSE. Ok? We stress the first syllable. CONverse. In American English
the O sound is a bit different and the R is pronounced. It's Converse. Converse. Ok,
now we have an Italian label. In Italian it's something like Dolce e Gabbana.
Dolce e Gabbana. But in English we say Dolce and Gabbana. Dolce and
Gabbana. Here we have another Italian label and in Italian it's pronounced
Fendi. Fendi. In English it's very similar. We say Fendi. Fendi. Here's another Italian brand. In Italian
it's Gucci. Gucci. But in English we say Gucci. Gucci. Now we have a Swedish brand.
I have no idea how the Swedes say this, but in English we say H&M. If you want to
slow it down, you can of course say H and M, but when we speak we
normally say H&M. H&M. And another French one. In French this is
pronounced Hermès. Hermès. In British English it's a Hermès. Hermès. In American English
the R is pronounced, so it's Hermès. Hermès. And now we have a well-known
American brand, which is pronounced Levi's. Levi's. It's not Lev-ees. It's Levi's.
Another French one. In French this is pronounced Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton.
In British English it's Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton. In American English it's
very similar. It's Louis Vuitton. Louis Vuitton. Here we have another American
brand. This one in British English is Michael Kors. Michael Kors. It's not
Mish-ah-el. It's Michael. Michael Kors. In American English, you pronounce the R, so
it's Michael Kors. Michael Kors. Here's another American brand. This is
Nike. Nike. There are some people who say Nike and technically that's incorrect,
but honestly I wouldn't correct somebody if they said Nike because lots of people
say it and everybody will still understand you. This one is
Pandora. Pandora. This is apparently a Danish company, which I
didn't know, and I have no idea how the Danes say it, but in English we say
Pandora. Pandora. This is another Italian brand and in Italian it's pronounced
Prada. Prada. That's probably not perfect because it's a bit difficult for me to
roll my Rs, but in any case, in English we don't roll the R at all. It's just
Prada. Prada. Now we have Ralph Lauren. Which is an American company. Something
else I didn't know. In British English it's Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren. Some
people say Ralph LaurEN, but apparently it's supposed to be Ralph LAURen.
In American English it's very similar. It's Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren. This one is UGG UGG.
Lots of people think that this is an Australian company, because UGG boots
were first made in Australia and New Zealand, but this is actually an American
company. We pronounce this UGG. UGG. Now we have a
Japanese brand. In British English this is Uniqlo. Uniqlo. In American
English it's very similar. It's just the last sound that changes a bit. It's Uniqlo.
Uniqlo. Now we have another Italian brand. In Italian this is pronounced something
like Versace. Versace. But in British English we say Versace. Versace.
In American English you pronounce the R, so it's Versace. Versace. And now we have
another French one. In French this is pronounced Yves Saint Laurent.
Yves Saint Laurent. In English we kind of pronounce it like the French. We say Yves Saint Laurent.
Yves Saint Laurent. Yves Saint Laurent. And now we have Zara. This is a Spanish
brand and most Spaniards pronounce it Zara. Zara. But if you say that to a
native English speaker, they will not know what you're talking about.
In English we say Zara. Zara. Now we're going to look at some food
and drink brands. This is much more interesting. The first one is
Ben & Jerry's. This is an American brand. If you say it slowly,
it's Ben and Jerry's, but normally when we speak, we just say Ben & Jerry's. Ben
& Jerry's. Now we have an American beer. In British English this is pronounced
Budweiser. Budweiser. In American English you pronounce the R,
so it's Budweiser. Budweiser. And now another American brand.
This is Campbell's. Campbell's. Yes, the P is completely silent.
We don't say CamPbell's. We say Campbell's. Campbell's. I don't think this
one needs any introduction. I'm sure you've all heard of it. In British
English it's Coca Cola. Coca Cola. Although it's often shortened to "Coke".
"Coke. In American English it's pronounced Coca Cola. Coca Cola. And it's also
shortened to "Coke". Coke. Here we have another American company.
In British English. This is Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' Donuts.
In American English it's Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' Donuts. Another French brand. In
French this is pronounced Évian. Évian. In British English it's Évian. Évian.
And in American English it's Évian. Évian. And now
we have Häagen-Dazs. This is actually an American company.
Lots of people think that it's a Scandinavian company - I used to think
that as well - but no, it's American. This is pronounced Häagen-Dazs. Some
people also say Häagen-Dazs. Häagen-Dazs. Now we have a Dutch brand. I believe we
pronounce it pretty similarly to the Dutch. In English we say Heineken.
Heineken. Another American brand. This one is Heinz. Heinz. This one is also
American. In British English we pronounce this Kellogg's. Kellogg's. In American
English it's Kellogg's. Kellogg's. And yet another American brand.
In British English this is pronounced Kraft. Kraft. In
American English it's Kraft Kraft. And now we have a British brand. This is Lipton.
Lipton. When we talk about the tea we usually say Lipton's tea. Lipton's tea.
This one is pronounced M&Ms. It's an American brand. If you say it slowly, its
M and M's, but when we speak we usually say M&Ms. M&Ms. Another one that needs
no introduction - in British English this one is McDonald's. McDonald's.
Be careful. It's not Mac-DonAld's. Ok? It's McDonald's. In American English
it's McDonald's. McDonalds. And now some more chocolate. Well, kind of.
This is an Italian brand and in Italian it's pronounced Nutella. Nutella. But
in English we say Nutella. Nutella. Here's another American brand in British English. This is pronounced Oreo. Oreo. In American
English it's usually Oreo. Oreo. Here's a fun fact. Apparently Oreo cookies are vegan. And how could I mention Coca Cola
without mentioning this one. This is Pepsi. Pepsi. And now some Italian beer.
In Italian this is pronounced Peroni. Peroni. In British English it's Peroni.
Peroni. In American English the O sound changes a bit. It's Peroni. Peroni.
Next we have Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut. No, this isn't Italian. This is an
American chain. Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut. And again another American brand.
In British English this is Snickers. Snickers. It's like
knickers with an S at the beginning. In American English the R is pronounced, so
it's Snickers. Snickers. In British English this is pronounced
Starbucks. Starbucks. In American English the R is pronounced,
so it's Starbucks. Starbucks. And then you might get a bit hungry and
want to grab a Subway. Yes this is pronounced Subway.
It's not "soob-way". It's Subway. Subway. And after that you
might want to clean your teeth a bit by chewing some Wrigley's gum. Yes, this is
pronounced Wrigley's. Wrigley's. The W is completely silent, so just ignore that.
It's Wrigley's. Now we're going to look at some brands
related to technology. In British English this one is Adobe. Adobe. It's not "Adohb".
It's Adobe. In American English the O sound is a bit different, so it's Adobe.
Adobe. Now we have Alibaba. This is a Chinese company, but clearly
this isn't a Chinese name. In English we pronounce it
Alibaba. Alibaba. You can also pronounce the first part as
"Ahli", so you can say Alibaba. But both are correct. Alibaba. Alibaba. And I'm sure you
all know this one. In British English people usually say Amazon. Amazon.
In American English it's normally Amazon. Amazon. Now we have Android. An-droid.
Android. Now we have a Japanese brand. Again, I have no idea how this is said in
Japanese, but in English we say Canon. Canon. It's not CanON, ok? It's CANon.
Canon. I think this one is pretty similar in most languages. In English we say eBay.
eBay. If it's very different in your language, please let me know in the
comments. This one is Google. Google. It's not "Guh-gel". It's Google. Now we have
Huawei. This is a Chinese company. I don't speak Chinese so I have no idea how it's
said in Chinese, but in English we say Huawei. Huawei. Next we have Microsoft. In
British English: Microsoft. Microsoft. It's not "micrO-soft". It's Microsoft.
In American English the last O is a little bit different. It's Microsoft. Microsoft.
We have another Japanese brand. In British English
this is Nikon. Nikon. In American English it's actually quite different. It's Nikon. Nikon. Now we have a Finnish
company. In British English this is Nokia. Nokia. In American English
it's normally Nokia. Nokia. Here is a very easy one. This is PayPal.
PayPal. PayPal. And now we have Phillips. Phillips is actually Dutch.
I didn't know that. I don't know how the Dutch say it, but in English we say
Phillips. Phillips. And now one from South Korea. I think in Korean it's something
like Samsung. You can let me know in the comments if you speak Korean, but in
any case, in English we say Samsung. Sam-sung. Samsung. Here we have a German
brand and in German it's pronounced Siemens. Siemens. In English
we say Siemens. Siemens. And here we have another Japanese
brand. In British English this is Sony Sony. Although some people
say "sohnee". If you say that, people will still understand you. In American English
it's usually Sony. Sony. Now we have another Japanese brand.
In British English this is Toshiba. Toshiba. Americans also
usually say Toshiba or "Toshiba". Toshiba. In British English
this one is Uber. Uber. In American English the R is pronounced
so it's Uber. Uber. In British English this one is Vodafone. Voda-fone. Vodafone.
In American English it's Vodafone. Voda-fone. Vodafone. And now one with an X.
In British English this is Xerox. Xerox. Yes, the X is just a "z".
Xerox. In American English it's Xerox. Xerox. And I'm sure you all know this one,
but in case there were any doubts, this is Yahoo. Yahoo. Here's another one that I
hope you all know. In British English this is pronounced YouTube. YouTube.
But lots of people say it "you-chube", so the T becomes a "ch". YouTube. In American
English it's usually YouTube. YouTube. And now we're just going to look
at some miscellaneous ones. The first one is Disney. Disney. It's not
"diss-nay". It's Disney. Disney. This one is pronounced just like the bird. I know it
looks like "dohv", but it's Dove. Dove. And now a very easy one.
This is FedEx. Fed-Ex. FedEx. And now we have the British department store
Harrods. It's not "har-OHD's". The last vowel is a schwa. It's Harrods. Harrods.
And
you know those shops which are really hard to get out of? Well, you can think
the Swedes for those. Yes, this is a Swedish brand. I think in Swedish it's
pronounced IKEA. Something like that. But in English we pronounce it
IKEA. IKEA. And now something that I really miss from my childhood, so
much so that I actually have a T-shirt with it... This is Lego. This is a Danish
company and I think in Danish it's something like Lego, but in English we
say Lego. At least that's the British pronunciation. Lego. In American
pronunciation the O is a bit different. It's Lego. Lego. And now a British company.
This is Marks and Spencer. It's often shortened to M and S. M&S. In American
English you pronounce the Rs, so it's Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer.
In British English this one is Mastercard. Mastercard.
In American English its Mastercard. Mastercard. And here's another French
brand. In French this is pronounced Michelin. Michelin. In English we say Michelin.
Michelin. This one is a German brand. In German this is pronounced Nivea.
Nivea. In English we say Nivea. Nivea. And now we have Target. This is an American
company, but there is also an Australian company with the same name, and I just
learnt that they aren't actually connected. Anyway, in British English this
is Target. Target. Sometimes people make jokes and they say that it's actually
"Tar-jay" because that makes it sound a little bit more sophisticated. Target is
quite a cheap shop, both in Australia and in the US. In American English you
pronounce the R, so it's Target. Target. This one is Visa. Visa. Yes, it's
pronounced the same as the travel document. Visa. And yes we've reached the
final one. In British English this is Walmart. Wal-mart. Walmart.
In American English this is Walmart. Wal-mart. Walmart. Thanks very much for watching.
Please let me know in the comments if you found any of
these pronunciations surprising. I know it can sometimes be a bit strange to
hear a brand in a foreign language if you've only heard it in your own
language. At least that has been my own experience. If you found this
interesting, please share this with your friends and don't forget to subscribe.
See you next time! We're first... We have an... and... to pronounce... and it's pr... Coca Cola... Yves Saint Laurent. Laurent. Volkswa... Peroni.
