5 celebrity names you’re probably saying wrong
By Camden Mondeaux on March 23, 2020
Even though you’ve been talking about them for years, there’s a chance you’ve been saying these celebrity names wrong.
By: Cami Mondeaux
There’s no shame. But here’s a helpful guide for some of the celebrity names you may have been butchering throughout their careers.
Don’t believe me on any of them? Well, I’ve attached evidence for each.
1. Zendaya
Odds are, you might be one of those people who pronounces her name as “Zen-die-a.” But, what if I told you: that’s incorrect.
It’s actually pronounced the way it’s spelled. “Zen-day-a.”
2. Ariana Grande
Most likely, you’ve been pronouncing her last name the same way you order your drink from Starbucks: Grande, as in “Grawn-day.”
But, that’s not technically correct.
According to an interview with Genius, you actually pronounce her last name as “Gran-dee.” That’s how she grew up saying her last name, but then her brother suggested changing the pronunciation to be funny (and perhaps so people could actually say it).
But the actual pronunciation comes from her grandpa, whom Ariana loved and always supported her career.
3. Timothée Chalamet
Of course you’ve said his name before. He’s a total heart throb. But, while fans fight over whether you’re saying his last name correctly… you’ve actually been saying his first name wrong.
It’s not “Timothy” like we all thought. It’s actually pronounced “Tim-o-tay.”
But, of course Timothée is too nice to correct anyone. Until Graham Norton finally asked him about it.
When Norton says, “I thought it was pronounced ‘Tim-o-tay’,” Chalamet responds by saying, “It’s supposed to be.”
But, he resorts to letting fans call him whatever they want — whether it’s Timothée, Doug or Alex.
4. Taylor Lautner
The once-heart-throb of our generation as the werewolf in the “Twilight Saga” Taylor Lautner was all teenage girls talked about for a while. But, while they obsessed over his abs and biceps they were actually saying his name incorrectly.
Referring to him as Taylor Launter, pronounced “Lott-ner” is actually wrong. His last name is “Laut-ner.” Don’t believe us? Hear it for yourself.
4. Rihanna
Say her name, say her name, say her name. But please, do it correctly.
Odds are, this entire time you’ve been pronouncing her name like everyone else in the world: “Ri-ha-na.” Since then, she’s actually tried to set the record set.
It’s “Ri-anne-uh.”
5. Chrissy Tiegen
The Twitter-queen and baking mogul has also had to set the record straight on how to say her last name: it’s not “Tee-gen” it’s “Tie-gen.”
But, at this point she’s not trying to correct people. It’s too much work, she says.
If she tries to push the whole “Tie-gen” thing, only half of people will say it correctly — and she’s not down for that. In fact, sometimes when people say “Tie-gen” she corrects them to say “Tee-gen.”
So, who really knows?
