19 Celebrity Names You’re Probably Pronouncing Wrong

Marissa LaliberteUpdated: Jul. 30, 2021

Your friends will probably keep saying these stars' names wrong, but here's how to pronounce…

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Rihanna

Don’t say: Ree-AH-nuh… Instead say: Ree-AN-uh.

2 / 19

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Ralph Fiennes

Don’t say: Ralf Fines… Instead say: Rafe Fines. (Don’t miss these other words even smart people say wrong.)

3 / 19

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Amanda Seyfried

Don’t say: SAY-freed… Instead say: SIGH-frid. (Mamma Mia! Check out these words that everyone mispronounces.)

4 / 19

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Martin Scorsese

Don’t say: Scor-SAY-see… Instead say: Scor-SEZ-ee. (Scorsese has a thing for directing gangster movies, but did you know assassin originally meant hashish eater? Find out other words that changed meanings here.)

5 / 19

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Demi Moore

Don’t say: DEM-ee… Instead say: Duh-MEE

6 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Eva Mendez

Don’t say: EE-va… Instead say: AY-va

7 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Lindsay Lohan

Don’t say: LOW-han… Instead say: LOW-en

8 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Ralph Lauren

Don’t say: Luh-REN… Instead say: LAW-ren (Yes, like the girls name—no fancy accent necessary.) (Don’t miss these other commonly mispronounced company names.)

9 / 19

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Steve Buscemi

Don’t say: Boo-SHEM-ee… Instead say: BOO-seh-mee

10 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Ioan Gruffudd

Don’t say: Eye-OH-an GRUFF-ud… Instead say: YO-an GRIH-fith

11 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Zooey Deschanel

Don’t say: ZOO-ee DESH-a-nel… Instead say: ZOH-ee Day-shuh-NELL

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Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Don’t say: The guy from 12 Years a Slave… Instead say: CHOO-ih-tell EDGE-ee-oh-for

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Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Kaley Cuoco

Don’t say: CAL-ey Ko-KO… Instead say: KAY-lee KWO-ko

14 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Julianne Hough

Don’t say: How or Hoe… Instead say: Huff

15 / 19

Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Rachel Weisz

Don’t say: Whys… Instead say: Vice.

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Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Chloë Sevigny

Don’t say: Klo-EH Suh-VIG-nee… Instead say: KLO-ee SEV-uh-nee

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Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Don’t say: Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones… Instead say: Nee-ko-LY COS-ter–Wall-DOW.

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Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Charlize Theron

Don’t say: CHAR-lees Ther-OWN… Instead say: Shar-LEES THAIR-en

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Emma Kapotes/Rd.com, iStock

Liev Schreiber

Don’t say: Leave SHREE-bur… Instead say: LEE-ev SHRYE-bur

Sources: stylecaster.com, hellogiggles.com, huffingtonpost.co.uk, hollywood.com, people.com, wdish.com

Originally Published: September 09, 2016

Originally Published in Reader's Digest

Marissa Laliberte

Marissa Laliberte-Simonian is a London-based associate editor with the global promotions team at WebMD’s Medscape.com and was previously a staff writer for Reader's Digest. Her work has also appeared in Business Insider, Parents magazine, CreakyJoints, and the Baltimore Sun. You can find her on Instagram @marissasimonian.