8 sports brands whose names we pronounce incorrectly

The sheer number of sporting goods manufacturers on the market leaves us stumped. And not only because it is becoming more and more difficult to choose the right outfit. Another problem we often encounter when entering a multi-brand store is how do we pronounce the complicated names of foreign companies? And, it would seem, everything is clear with those that are constantly on the rumor. Yes, and in Russia you will surely be offered what you need, no matter how you say it. But what to do if you went shopping, for example, in Europe? We tell you how to pronounce the names of sports brands so that you are accurately understood.

Nike

We have long been accustomed to pronouncing the name of this brand as “Nike”. However, it comes from the name of the Greek goddess of victory Niki. Therefore, it should be pronounced “Nike”. Ignorance of this fact led to a wide distribution of the first version in the Russian-speaking environment. It took root so well that it was used in the name of the official representative of the company in Russia. That is, the pronunciation of “Nike” will not be considered a mistake, but in order for you to be properly understood abroad, we advise you to stick to the second version.

Converse

Another name in which Russian speakers often make mistakes. The main one is an attempt to pronounce it as “Converse”, which in English means communication. Despite the identical spelling, Americans themselves pronounce the name as “Converse” with the stress on the first syllable.

Columbia sportswear

This is an American company, a manufacturer and supplier of clothing and accessories for outdoor activities. A common mistake is the pronunciation of “Columbia”. But here it’s simple, memorize as in the song – “Columbia Pictures” does not represent. But Columbia Sportswear does!

Dsquared2

The brand was created by a duo of designers from Canada, twin brothers. They are known for their special philosophy, which makes fashion collections that are designed not only for the catwalk, but also for ordinary comfortable everyday life. The complicated name of the Italian brand is a play on words that reads “DiskuErt”.

Burton Snowboards

Fans of active winter recreation have probably encountered this manufacturer. This company was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. Accordingly, its name reads “Burton Snowboards”.

We’ve sorted out the equipment. Let’s move on to more expensive shopping. It turns out that we often mispronounce some brands of sports cars too.

Lamborghini

It’s an Italian car. So, we need to apply the rules of the Italian language to the name, not English, as we are used to. The combination “gh” in Italian is read as “g”. So the correct pronunciation would be “Lamborghini”.

Porsche

And this car Russian speakers like to call it in English without the last vowel. However, this brand was created by the German designer Ferdinand Porsche. So the most correct way to pronounce it is “Porsche” – with stress on the first syllable and a vowel at the end.

Mercedes-Benz

It would seem to be much simpler. However, when pronouncing this company, the main difficulty lies in the accent. The car was named in honor of a girl Adriana Jellinek – the daughter of Austrian entrepreneur Emil Jellinek. Her family nicknamed her Mercedes (from Sephardic “mercy, grace”) – the accent in the nickname falls on the second syllable. This means that the company-manufacturer is called “Mercedes-Edes”, and most Europeans pronounce it that way. By the way, Americans also soften the last syllable. They pronounce it something like “mersedis”.