15 Commonly Mispronounced Celebrity Names

John Travolta and Ricky Gervais flubbed names on the national stage but, honestly, it happens to all of us. Here are some famous names that we all have had a hard time pronouncing correctly and, most likely, still don’t know how to say.

David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo gained a lot of praise as Louis Gaines in “The Butler.” Many have stumbled over the English actor’s name and when Brad Pitt recently presented him with the Breakthrough Performance Award for an Actor at the 2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival awards Gala, he taught the audience how to pronounce his name through song. He used the “Olé, Olé, Olé” and Coldplay’s “Yellow” to demonstrate how to do so and when Oyelowo accepted the award he quipped, “You know you’ve broken through when Brad Pitt sings your name!”

Demi Moore

Demi Moore is an A-list Hollywood star who’s been in the entertainment industry for over three decades but people still aren’t saying her name correctly. Because it looks just like the word “semi,” her first name is commonly mispronounced “DEH-mee.” The correct pronunciation is “Da-MEE.” Even though she’s been married and divorced three times, the “G.I. Jane” star has always used her first husband’s surname as her stage name.

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor was a star over in the U.K. before he became a familiar face here in the U.S. thanks to his critically acclaimed performance in “12 Years A Slave.” But his name is a lot harder to pronounce than it looks. Despite having a tongue twister for a name, the English born actor is reported to be the front-runner in becoming the villain in the next James Bond. If true, Ejiofor will play opposite Daniel Craig in the 24th installment of the film franchise.

Lupita Nyong’o

“12 Years A Slave” made another actress an international star and her name is also a tongue twister. Lupita Nyong’o won the Oscar for Best Actress making her the hottest breakout star of 2014. But just because her face was everywhere doesn’t mean that everyone knows how to pronounce her name. For those that are still having a bit of trouble, Nyong’o created a handy video that shows how to say her name in American, Mexican and Kenyan accents.

Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel is well known in the theater world but when the Broadway actress lent her voice to Disney’s blockbuster animated film “Frozen,” her voice was everywhere. Menzel was tapped to sing her Oscar-nominated song “Let It Go” at the Grammy awards last year and John Travolta infamously struggled to say her name, calling her, “Adele Dazeem.” A few weeks later, a John Travolta name generator was created where anyone could pop their name into the widget and have it “Travoltified.”

Leighton Meester

Looks can be deceiving and they certainly are when it comes to pronouncing Leighton Meetser’s name. You may be compelled to say “LEE-ton” because of how her first name is spelled but the correct pronunciation is “LAY-ton.” Meester starred in numerous film and television projects before she became a household name by landing the lead role in the young adult drama series “Gossip Girl.”

Idris Elba

You would think that Idris Elba’s name is pretty easy to pronounce but the English actor’s first name is commonly said wrong. At first glance, a lot of people might say, “EYE-dris” but it’s said, “EE-dris ELLE-ba.” His female fans certainly know how to say it correctly. He’s been eye candy and the top choice as Man Crush Mondays for fans here in the U.S. ever since he was drug dealer turned businessman Stringer Bell in the critically acclaimed HBO series “The Wire.”

Quvenzhané Wallis

At nine years old, Quvenzhané Wallis became the youngest actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Since her breakout performance in the 2012 “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” everyone has been trying to say her name correctly. Her unique first name has a special meaning. The first part, “Quven” is a combination of both of her parents’ names, dad Qulyndreia, and mom Venjie Wallis. The last part, Zhané, means “fairy” in Swahili. Ricky Gervais stumbled over her name at this year’s Golden Globes while presenting the award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, calling her something similar to “Quaven Johhny” Wallis.

Amanda Seyfried

You may think you are saying Amanda’s Seyfried last name right, but chances are you’re not. It’s pronounced “SIGH-fred,” not “SEE-fred.” Seyfried is probably used to people messing up her name. She began modeling at the age of 11 before switching over to acting a few years later. Surprisingly, Seyfried suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and says that stage fright has kept her from performing in theater.

Steve Buscemi

If you take a look at Steve Buscemi’s name and pronounce it the same way you would say “bruschetta,” then don’t feel bad because you’re not alone — though you would be wrong. It’s pronounced “Boo-SEM-e.” Buscemi is of Italian descent and he’s best known for playing some of the dirtiest, greasiest criminals and gangsters created. He’s garnered critical acclaim and a Golden Globe as Nucky Thompson in the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire.”

Djimon Hounsou

You know the face and you definitely know his body but you may not know how to properly say his name. Born in Benin, Djimon Hounsou moved to Paris as a young teenager and he was soon discovered and encouraged to pursue a career in modeling. Before becoming a successful actor, Hounsou, who’s name is pronounced “JEE-mahn” “Hahn-SOO,” was first introduced to many of us as the shirtless male lead in Janet Jackson’s steamy “Love Will Never Do Without You” music video.

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes’ name looks fairly easy to pronounce and if you were to stumble over it, chances are his last name would be the one to give you a problem. But his first name isn’t pronounced how you probable think it should be. It’s actually “RAY-ff.” The English actor has also played characters with tough names to pronounce. Famous for playing Lord Voldemort in the blockbuster “Harry Potter” franchise, Fiennes first won critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination as a Nazi war criminal Amon Goeth in “Schindler’s List.”

Chloë Sevigny

Chloë Sevigny’s father is of French Canadian heritage so that explains her last name. Pronounced “Seven-yee,” the Massachusetts native’s sense of fashion is as exotic as her last name and it’s what caught the eye of a fashion magazine editor. A 17-year-old Sevigny was asked to model for “Sassy Magazine.” After making her mark on the fashion world and being labeled the new “It Girl,” Sevigny made the transition to acting.

George Stephanopoulos

As co-host of ABC’s “Good Morning America,” we hear George Stephanopoulos say his name every weekday but there’s a lot of us that still trip over his last name. Pronounced “Stef-an-op-a-luss,” both of his parents are of Greek descent. The television journalist is also the chief political correspondent for ABC News as well as the host of ABC Sunday morning “This Week.” And in Stephanopoulos’ case, opposites attract. His wife is comedian/actress and “In Living Color” alum Ali Wentworth.