You've been pronouncing Guinness wrong - expert clears up 'embarrassing' mistake

15 June 2023 , 14:41

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Guinness is one of the most popular beers in the world (stock image) (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

There's nothing like a pint of beer in the sunshine, and as there's a national a heatwave at the same time as National Beer (Thursday, June 15), you might be planning on celebrating.

We all have our favourite brands when it comes to beer, but it turns out you could be mispronouncing one of the most popular ones.

According to language learning platform Preply, one of the most mispronounced beers in the world is Guinness, which is also the UK's bestselling draft beer.

One in every nine pints pulled in UK pubs is a Guinness, so it's especially embarrassing that many of us are mispronouncing this famous Irish stout.

One in every nine pints pulled in the UK is a Guinness (stock image) (AFP via Getty Images)

According to the language platform, one of the most 'popular' mispronunciations of Guinness around the world is 'Gooin-is'.

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Luckily, they've explained how to pronounce it properly, so you don't need to embarrass yourself when you go to order one in a pub.

Sylvia Johnson, Language expert from Preply, said: "The emphasis is much more on the 's' at the end of the name rather than the 'ee' sound at the start."

The correct pronunciation of the Irish brand, which originated in Dublin in 1759, is "Gi-nuss".

Many English people might find foreign brand names particularly hard to pronounce. Sylvia explained: "Each language has its own unique set of sounds and pronunciation patterns. English speakers may find it challenging to reproduce certain sounds that are present in other languages.

"For example, languages like German or Czech may have specific consonant clusters or vowel sounds that do not exist in English, making it harder to pronounce words accurately."

Apparently we're pronouncing Heineken wrong (stock image) (PA)

According to the research, there are several other European brands English people tend to mispronounce.

For example, you may not be pronouncing the Italian Birra Moretti correct, as "it's all about perfecting your Italian pronunciation".

While many mispronounce it "Birra More-et-ti," it should be pronounced "Bi-ruh-muh-reh-tee".

Another Italian brand that we're apparently getting wrong is Peroni, even though the "margins of mispronouncing are small". However, "with a few little tweaks you will be pronouncing the thirst-quenching beer like a true Milanese in no time".

So instead of saying "Per-on-knee," make a slight tweak and say "Per-own-i" instead.

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Meanwhile, Heineken, which is easily one of the most recognisable beers in the world, is also another one people struggle with.

Despite it featuring in no less than eight James Bond films, many still pronounce the Dutch brand "Hei-knee-ken," when it should be "Hai-nuh-kn".

Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz