Difficult Designer / Brand Pronunciation

Alexandre Herchcovitch - Ah-le-xan-dreh Hair-ch-coh-vih-tch
 
I think Hermes should be Air-mez instead of er-mez

I think so too. The word "Hermès" in IPA is ɛɻˈmɛz, so it'd be pronounced something like this: 'E' as in bet, 'r' as in borrow/butter, 'm' as in mime, 'e' as in bet, and 'z' as in zoos.

So basically, in simpler terms, it'd be air-mez, like you say. ;) The stress is on the M because of the ' mark in ɛɻˈmɛz.
 
i went to an exhibit at FIT in nyc, many years ago on Elsa Schiaparelli and everyone there, at least the new yorker's were saying " SHAP- uh-relly"
 
Well... I'm always confused about Proenza-Schouler ... some people say Skool-er and others Shoe-ler. :unsure:

Well, the correct pronunciation would be "sh"...like "shhhh". In the US, we'd americanize that probably and pronounce it with an "sk" sound. But the correct pronunciation would be "shhh".
 
I think so too. The word "Hermès" in IPA is ɛɻˈmɛz, so it'd be pronounced something like this: 'E' as in bet, 'r' as in borrow/butter, 'm' as in mime, 'e' as in bet, and 'z' as in zoos.

So basically, in simpler terms, it'd be air-mez, like you say. ;) The stress is on the M because of the ' mark in ɛɻˈmɛz.

You should never say "air-mez"...unless you don't mind sounding like Jessica Simpson in French. :blush:

The "e" in France (and in Germanic languages) is very different from the "e" in English. The E would be a short one...ALMOST like the "e" in "get but combined with a really subtle "ah" sound. I think it's quite confusing or difficult to describe unless you're forced to hear it everyday...then you really begin to notice the difference.

Just, whatever you do...don't say "air-mez".
 
Chaiken. I have no idea of where the emphasis is or which pronunciation they're using for that "ai" sound...the American "ai" combination or another way?
 
You should never say "air-mez"...unless you don't mind sounding like Jessica Simpson in French. :blush:

The "e" in France (and in Germanic languages) is very different from the "e" in English. The E would be a short one...ALMOST like the "e" in "get but combined with a really subtle "ah" sound. I think it's quite confusing or difficult to describe unless you're forced to hear it everyday...then you really begin to notice the difference.

Just, whatever you do...don't say "air-mez".


Okay, I just finished speaking with French boyfriend and he said it's not "air" (definitely) and it's not "mez" at the end....the sound at the end is "mess".

The "er" in Hermes is difficult to describe; the mouth placement in the sound is very different from the English mouth placement and it produces a different sound. "Air" will sound quite Texan in comparison...
 
the only tip i would give to the "er" is to do it as if you wear going to pronounce A (that's the subtle ah that prettygeekysis was mentioning i guess) but try to pronounce E... it's really weird at first and of course it's not like you have to stop and do that everytime you wanna pronounce it, but if you get the sound a couple of times it jsut comes naturally after that...

i dont even know if people think of it this way... but it worked for me, and i am quite sure i pronounce those right :blush: :flower:
 
Okay, I just finished speaking with French boyfriend and he said it's not "air" (definitely) and it's not "mez" at the end....the sound at the end is "mess".

The "er" in Hermes is difficult to describe; the mouth placement in the sound is very different from the English mouth placement and it produces a different sound. "Air" will sound quite Texan in comparison...

and your french bf is right....
it's def. NOT Er-MeZ..... it sounds like merguez....:lol::lol:

I would say air-Mess....
but actually i'm not sure i correctly pronounce air.....:doh:

Maison Martin Margiela... would be...
Mézon Mar-tin ("in" like in "un" (one in french).... and not Martin-e like I guess you english pronounce...) Mar-dgie-la


but forget it.... because i was an a** in phonetics lesson.....so I don't know how you could pronounce what's i'm writing....
 
berlinRocks... it's just a matter of how it is pronounced in both languages (i guess being the same word makes it even more complicated)
l'accent grave (french) è et l'accent aigue (english)

how do you pronounce GILES? it shouldnt be too difficult, but Is and Es and OOs in english really confuse me sometimes! (giles as in the one who did the very heavy knits last winter)
 
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Well, the correct pronunciation would be "sh"...like "shhhh". In the US, we'd americanize that probably and pronounce it with an "sk" sound. But the correct pronunciation would be "shhh".

Once again, it's a difference between ITALIAN and GERMAN pronounciations. In German, the 'sch' is a softer sound like 'shh'. In italian, it's harder like 'sk'
 
this one always drives me nuts.

hermes. it's not "her-meez," or even "air-mez." it's "ehhr-mezz." you pronounce the "ehhr" almost as if you were scratching your throat, so to speak, hence why it's not "air," either.
 
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Chaiken. I have no idea of where the emphasis is or which pronunciation they're using for that "ai" sound...the American "ai" combination or another way?

i wonder if it's pronounced like the producer/writer's name, ilene chaiken? she pronounces her's as "chay-ken."
 
I've always thought that the Nice in Nice Collective was pronounced like the English word Nice. Someone corrected me recently saying it was pronounced like the city in France, with a hard E sounding I. I've never heard it pronounced that way so I was curious. Hope someone knows ! thanks !
 
I'm glad I found this thread. I never know how to say the name and I always worry sounding like a fool. Well, to myself at least because everyone I know is clueless as well (but don't care). ^_^
 

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