Celebrity names you've been mispronouncing for decades

Barbra Streisand is a legendary figure in music thanks to an incredible career spanning six decades. By this point, you'd think we'd know how to say her name, but apparently, we've been getting it wrong! “My name isn’t spelled with a ‘Z,'” she said in a 2023 interview with the BBC. “It’s Strei-sand, like sand on the beach. How simple can you get?” Streisand took this complaint directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook when she heard that even Siri was pronouncing it incorrectly! Thankfully, Cook was open to her feedback. “Tim Cook was so lovely,” Streisand confirmed. “He had Siri change the pronunciation.” She added, “I guess that’s one perk of fame!”

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Taylor Lautner -

Taylor Lautner shocked fans with the realization that we've been saying his name wrong for over a decade! The actor and child star first hit the big time back in 2008 when he was cast as Jacob in the 'Twilight' film series as a teenager, and though we've all been pronouncing "LOT-ner," while appearing on 'The Unplanned Podcast With Matt & Abby' he announced, "It is technically LOWT-ner." He added, “It is my fault that nobody knows how it’s actually pronounced because I never corrected anybody for decades.”

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Lindsay Lohan -

Lindsay Lohan is one we thought we had all figured out, which was why it was a surprise to hear her pronounce it differently when she launched her TikTok account. She shared a quick intro vid saying "Hey everyone. It’s Lindsay Lohan," and the crowd went wild. She pronounced her name "Lowen," rather than the expected "Low-han" like the rest of us have been saying for decades!

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Chiwetel Ejiofor - The award-winning actor, best known for his role in '12 Years a Slave' (2013), was born in England to Nigerian parents. His name is pronounced CHOO-ih-tell EDGE-ee-oh-for.

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Saoirse Ronan - The 'Brooklyn' (2015) actress' full name is Saoirse Una Ronan. Her Irish name is pronounced SEER-sha Ro-nan.

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Joaquin Phoenix -

If you speak fluent Spanish and English, you should have no problem pronouncing the Oscar-winning actor's name. If not, we'll help you out. This is how to pronounce it: Wah-KEEN FEE-niks.

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Famke Janssen - The 'X-Men' actress is Dutch, so some people might struggle to pronounce her name properly. Famke Janssen is pronounced FOM-kuh Yans-Sen.

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Djimon Hounsou - The 'Blood Diamond' (2006) actor was born in Benin. This is how you pronounce his name: JEE-mahn hahn-SOO.

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Zach Galifianakis -

Can you pronounce the comedic actor's Greek surname? It's GAL-i-fe-nak-iss.

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Gabourey Sidibe -

The 'Precious' (2009) star's name is pronounced GAB-or-ay SIH-dih-bay.

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Milla Jovovich -

Remember the actress with cool orange locks in 'The Fifth Element' (1997)? Like her character's hair, the actress' name is quite original too. It's pronounced MEE-lah YOH-ve-vich.

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Quvenzhané Wallis -

The 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' (2012) actress' first name is actually a combination of the first syllables of her parents' first names (Qulyndreia and Venjie). The actress name is pronounced Kwuh-VEN-jah-nay Wall-iss.

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Mia Wasikowska -

The Australian actress has both British and Polish ancestry. Her name is pronounced MEE-uh VAH-shee-KOF-ska.

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Stellan Skarsgård - If you don't speak Swedish, you might struggle to pronounce the 'Good Will Hunting' (1997) actor's name. It's Stell-an Skars-gord.

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Chloë Sevigny - She's an indie movie darling, but can you pronounce her name? It's KLO-ee SEV-uh-nee.

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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau -

You probably know the Danish actor from the hit show 'Game of Thrones.' But can you pronounce his name? It's Nee-ko-LY COS-ter Wall-DOW.

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Joe Manganiello -

The actor has Italian, German, Austrian, Croatian, and Armenian ancestry. This is how you pronounce the 'True Blood' star's name: Joe MANG-gə-NEL-oh

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Ioan Gruffudd -

The Welsh actor also has a somewhat challenging name to pronounce. YO-an GRIH-fith is how you say his name.

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Sade -

Like her real name, Helen Folasade Adu, Sade is sometimes mispronounced. It's shar-DAY.

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Charlie Hunnam - You probably remember him best as Jax Teller from 'Sons of Anarchy,' but the British actor's name is Charles Matthew Hunnam. CHAR-lee HUH-nuhm is how you pronounce his name.

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Julianne Hough - The actress and dancer also has a last name prone to be mispronounced. It's simply Huff.

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Charlize Theron - The actress was born in Benoni, South Africa. Her surname Theron is of Afrikaner descent. Shar-LEES THAIR-en is how you pronounce her name.

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Shia LaBeouf -

The famous actor has Ashkenazi Jewish and Cajun ancestry. This is how you pronounce his name: SHY-uh Luh-BUHF.

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Ralph Fiennes - The actor found great success after starring in 'Schindler's List' in 1993. His surname, however, is not very easy to pronounce. This is how you do it: Fynz.

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Martin Scorsese -

You probably have heard the director's name so many times that you're likely familiar with it now. The correct pronunciation is MAR-tin skor-SEH-see.

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Demi Moore - The same goes for the famous actress. And while it may seem like a pretty straightforward name to pronounce, some people get it wrong. It's Duh-mee Mor.

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Amanda Seyfried - The 'Les Misérables' (2012) actress' surname is of German origin. Her last name is pronounced SIGH-fred.

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Rachel Weisz -

The English actress has Hungarian-Jewish roots from her father's side and Italian-Austrian Jewish heritage from her mother's side. Her name is pronounced RAY-chull Vice.

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Sinéad O'Connor -

The late Irish singer-songwriter's name is often mispronounced. This how you pronounce it: shih-NAID o-KAH-nur.

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Matthew McConaughey -

The actor's surname is a bit of a tongue twister, but fear not. This is how you pronounce it: Mih-KAH-nuh-hay.

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Gotye -

The Belgian-Australian music artist found great success with the 2011 hit 'Somebody That I Used to Know.' Go-tee-YAY is how to pronounce his stage name.

Sources: (IMDb)

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Barbra Streisand -

Getty Images

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Taylor Lautner -

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Lindsay Lohan -

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Chiwetel Ejiofor - The award-winning actor, best known for his role in '12 Years a Slave' (2013), was born in England to Nigerian parents. His name is pronounced CHOO-ih-tell EDGE-ee-oh-for.

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Saoirse Ronan - The 'Brooklyn' (2015) actress' full name is Saoirse Una Ronan. Her Irish name is pronounced SEER-sha Ro-nan.

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Joaquin Phoenix -

If you speak fluent Spanish and English, you should have no problem pronouncing the Oscar-winning actor's name. If not, we'll help you out. This is how to pronounce it: Wah-KEEN FEE-niks.

Getty Images

6 / 32 Fotos

Famke Janssen - The 'X-Men' actress is Dutch, so some people might struggle to pronounce her name properly. Famke Janssen is pronounced FOM-kuh Yans-Sen.

7 / 32 Fotos

Djimon Hounsou - The 'Blood Diamond' (2006) actor was born in Benin. This is how you pronounce his name: JEE-mahn hahn-SOO.

8 / 32 Fotos

Zach Galifianakis -

Can you pronounce the comedic actor's Greek surname? It's GAL-i-fe-nak-iss.

9 / 32 Fotos

Gabourey Sidibe -

The 'Precious' (2009) star's name is pronounced GAB-or-ay SIH-dih-bay.

Getty Images

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Milla Jovovich -

Remember the actress with cool orange locks in 'The Fifth Element' (1997)? Like her character's hair, the actress' name is quite original too. It's pronounced MEE-lah YOH-ve-vich.

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Quvenzhané Wallis -

Getty Images

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Mia Wasikowska -

The Australian actress has both British and Polish ancestry. Her name is pronounced MEE-uh VAH-shee-KOF-ska.

Getty Images

13 / 32 Fotos

Stellan Skarsgård - If you don't speak Swedish, you might struggle to pronounce the 'Good Will Hunting' (1997) actor's name. It's Stell-an Skars-gord.

14 / 32 Fotos

Chloë Sevigny - She's an indie movie darling, but can you pronounce her name? It's KLO-ee SEV-uh-nee.

15 / 32 Fotos

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau -

You probably know the Danish actor from the hit show 'Game of Thrones.' But can you pronounce his name? It's Nee-ko-LY COS-ter Wall-DOW.

Getty Images

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Joe Manganiello -

The actor has Italian, German, Austrian, Croatian, and Armenian ancestry. This is how you pronounce the 'True Blood' star's name: Joe MANG-gə-NEL-oh

Getty Images

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Ioan Gruffudd -

The Welsh actor also has a somewhat challenging name to pronounce. YO-an GRIH-fith is how you say his name.

Getty Images

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Sade -

Like her real name, Helen Folasade Adu, Sade is sometimes mispronounced. It's shar-DAY.

Getty Images

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Charlie Hunnam - You probably remember him best as Jax Teller from 'Sons of Anarchy,' but the British actor's name is Charles Matthew Hunnam. CHAR-lee HUH-nuhm is how you pronounce his name.

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Julianne Hough - The actress and dancer also has a last name prone to be mispronounced. It's simply Huff.

21 / 32 Fotos

Charlize Theron - The actress was born in Benoni, South Africa. Her surname Theron is of Afrikaner descent. Shar-LEES THAIR-en is how you pronounce her name.

Getty Images

22 / 32 Fotos

Shia LaBeouf -

The famous actor has Ashkenazi Jewish and Cajun ancestry. This is how you pronounce his name: SHY-uh Luh-BUHF.

Getty Images

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Ralph Fiennes - The actor found great success after starring in 'Schindler's List' in 1993. His surname, however, is not very easy to pronounce. This is how you do it: Fynz.

Getty Images

24 / 32 Fotos

Martin Scorsese -

You probably have heard the director's name so many times that you're likely familiar with it now. The correct pronunciation is MAR-tin skor-SEH-see.

NL Beeld

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Demi Moore - The same goes for the famous actress. And while it may seem like a pretty straightforward name to pronounce, some people get it wrong. It's Duh-mee Mor.

26 / 32 Fotos

Amanda Seyfried - The 'Les Misérables' (2012) actress' surname is of German origin. Her last name is pronounced SIGH-fred.

27 / 32 Fotos

Rachel Weisz -

The English actress has Hungarian-Jewish roots from her father's side and Italian-Austrian Jewish heritage from her mother's side. Her name is pronounced RAY-chull Vice.

Getty Images

28 / 32 Fotos

Sinéad O'Connor -

The late Irish singer-songwriter's name is often mispronounced. This how you pronounce it: shih-NAID o-KAH-nur.

Getty Images

29 / 32 Fotos

Matthew McConaughey -

The actor's surname is a bit of a tongue twister, but fear not. This is how you pronounce it: Mih-KAH-nuh-hay.

Getty Images

30 / 32 Fotos

Gotye -

The Belgian-Australian music artist found great success with the 2011 hit 'Somebody That I Used to Know.' Go-tee-YAY is how to pronounce his stage name.

Sources: (IMDb)

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Celebrity names you've been mispronouncing for decades

Some stars have really difficult names to pronounce

19/03/25 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Trivia

We live in a multicultural world, so it's natural that our favorite celebrities have ancestry from all over the globe. For some celebrities, this means that their names can have origins in languages we're not familiar with, and if we don't speak that language, we might struggle to pronounce them correctly. In this gallery, you'll find a list of celebs with names that are often mispronounced. Of course, we'll tell you how to pronounce the names correctly!

Browse through and find out which names you have been pronouncing right, and those you haven't...