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Originally appeared on E! Online<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n A person\u2019s own name is the sweetest sound in their native language, but turns out these stars rarely hear theirs. <\/span><\/p>\n While some celebs like <\/span>Emma Stone<\/a> and <\/span>Warren Beatty purposefully go by <\/span>slightly<\/span> changed names professionally, other stars have assimilated to the wrong pronunciation so seamlessly, you might not even know it\u2019s incorrect. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy name is not actually pronounced Denzel<\/em>,\u201d <\/span>Denzel Washington clarified during a September appearance on <\/span>“Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/span><\/a>” \u201cMy name is pronounced Den<\/em>zel.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n However, the mispronunciation is something “The Equalizer” star actually encourages, since it began with his mother <\/span>Lennis Washington, who used the unique pronunciation to distinguish between him and his father, <\/span>Denzel Washington Sr.<\/p>\n \u201cMy mother would say, \u2018Den<\/em>zel?\u2019 and we\u2019d both show up,\u201d he recalled. \u201cSo she said, \u2018From now on, you\u2019re Denzel<\/em>.\u2019 That\u2019s how we got it pronounced Denzel<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, <\/span>Jason Kelce and <\/span>Travis Kelce<\/a> use an incorrect version of their last name \u2014 \u201cKel-see\u201d\u2014stemming from their dad <\/span>Ed Kelce. After all, the precise surname is actually \u201cKels.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n READ: <\/b>Denzel Washington reveals you\u2019ve been saying his name wrong throughout his career<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAt work, that was my work name,\u201d Ed told his sons during <\/span>a 2023 episode of “New Heights.”<\/span><\/a> \u201cEverybody at work did that so I just said, \u2018Fine, screw this, I\u2019m gonna do that.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to how his NFL star sons go about pronouncing the family title, though, Ed couldn\u2019t care less. As he put it, \u201c<\/span>Do whatever you want, that\u2019s what I did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, other stars are not so keen about fans saying their names incorrectly. In fact, <\/span>Paul Mescal would like to officially cut ties from the agave spirit that fans think his last name\u2019s homophone. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPeople get confused on how to pronounce my name because of the drink mezcal,\u201d the Normal People actor explained to <\/span>The Hollywood Reporter<\/span><\/a> in 2023. \u201cEverybody does it, except I pronounce it mess-cull.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As he put it, \u201cIf I launched a tequila line, I\u2019d call it Mescal\u2019s Mezcal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, other stars like<\/span> Zendaya<\/a> put out full-blown tutorials to ensure their name gets its stress on the proper syllables. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn case you are wondering it\u2019s Zendaya<\/em>,\u201d Zendaya said in <\/span>a video for Allure<\/span><\/a> in 2016. \u201cZ-E-N Zen, D-A-Y, Day, UH, A.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n For every star whose name you might be getting wrong, keep reading\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0“Spider-Man”\u00a0actress told\u00a0Town & Country\u00a0in August 2025 that people usually call her “kerr-sten” or “criss-ten.”<\/p>\n However, the correct way to say her name is “keer-sten.”\u00a0<\/p>\n “I don’t blame people,” she said. “You just give up.”<\/p>\n While “The\u00a0Equalizer”\u00a0star admitted it was his mother Lennis Washington who evoked the change due to he and his father having the same name, he confirmed fans have been saying his name wrong in 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is not actually pronounced Denzel<\/em>,\u201d he told\u00a0Jimmy Kimmel\u00a0during an appearance on his eponymous late night show at the time, before going on to pronounce his name with emphasis on the first syllable. \u201cMy name is pronounced\u00a0Den<\/em>zel.\u201d<\/p>\n Travis and brother\u00a0Jason Kelce\u00a0debated on their\u00a0“New Heights”\u00a0podcast whether to go by “Kel-see” or “Kels,” with Travis deciding to do the latter.<\/p>\n No, not like the liquor. The\u00a0“Normal People”\u00a0alum admitted to\u00a0The Hollywood Reporter\u00a0in 2023 that he may need to start his own beverage company with how often his name in mispronounced.\u00a0<\/p>\n “People get confused with how to pronounce my name because of the drink Mezcal,” he said. “Everybody does it. I pronounce it ‘Mescal’ and I wonder if I launched a tequila line I would have to, I would call it ‘Mescal’s Mezcal.’ I’m on the fence.”<\/p>\n Speaking with\u00a0E! News<\/a>\u00a0in February 2022, Lautner revealed\u00a0the first syllable of his\u00a0last name\u00a0rhymes with “out”\u00a0instead of being pronounced as “lot.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Edebiri has never complained about people getting her name wrong, but she has\u00a0said that it’s her “pet peeve”<\/a>\u00a0when people mispronounce\u00a0anyone’s\u00a0name, so make sure you pronounce hers like she’s introduced it herself, such as at\u00a0the Emmys in 2022<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alex Warren\u00a0called out Mongeau for the unusual pronunciation of her last name during a 2022 episode of the\u00a0“Locked In<\/a>”\u00a0podcast, to which she said, “Take it up with the French, I didn’t create it.”<\/p>\n After much speculation surrounding her moniker, the model set the record straight in\u00a0a TikTok<\/a>\u00a0shared by\u00a0Tory Burch, where she provided “the Polish way” to say it. She has also introduced herself by pronouncing her last name “Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee.”<\/p>\n While the “Habits” singer has embraced the more common pronunciation of her name, “TUV-LOW,” she clarified that’s not actually correct in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The Swedish way is ‘Toovaloo,'” she explained in\u00a0a TikTok at the time<\/a>. “But I will still answer to ‘TUV-LOW.'”<\/p>\n While Raven-Symon\u00e9’s character could see the future on\u00a0“That’s So Raven,” fans likely didn’t see this coming. The actress revealed in a January 2023 TikTok that her name has been mispronounced for years and is actually pronounced See-mon-ye.<\/p>\n After\u00a0Adam Sandler\u00a0accidentally mispronounced the Oscar winner’s last name during a December 2022 interview for\u00a0Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series<\/a>,\u00a0the\u00a0“George of the Jungle”\u00a0star swung in\u00a0with a trick\u00a0that can help fans\u00a0remember how to say the moniker correctly: Fraser rhymes with razor.<\/p>\n Yes, the sister duo\u00a0Este Haim,\u00a0Alana Haim\u00a0and\u00a0Danielle Haim\u00a0have also had to share the proper pronunciation back in 2013 \u2014 and you might still be getting it wrong. The four-letter word is actually two syllables \u2014 Hi-Um.\u00a0<\/p>\n But hey, no sweat if you have \u2014 even Alana has messed it up.\u00a0<\/p>\n “That was one, you’re wrong,” Danielle told her in\u00a0a 2013 tutorial video<\/a>.<\/p>\n To which Alana jokingly replied, “I’m not a sister, just so everyone knows. I’m an actress.”<\/p>\n While not\u00a0as\u00a0common later in her career, the\u00a0“Challengers”\u00a0actress has had to explain how to properly pronounce her singular moniker.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I think a lot of people see my name and think it’s more fancy than it is,” Zendaya explained in a video posted to her website in 2016. “They think\u00a0Zendaya\u00a0like\u00a0papaya. It’s just\u00a0day.”<\/p>\n During a\u00a0Q&A in October 2022<\/a>, the powerhouse singer praised a fan for\u00a0“perfectly” pronouncing her name as “uh-dale” when asking a question.<\/p>\n For her introductory video shared to TikTok in February 2022, Lindsay Lohan inadvertently set the record straight on how to correctly pronounce her last name, which is “Lo-wen<\/em>.”<\/p>\n The\u00a0“Clueless”\u00a0actress set the record straight on how to pronounce\u00a0her name on TikTok<\/a>. Alicia said she’s not bothered if fans don’t get it right, noting, “But my sweet mama didn’t like it … so for her … get it right! Ali-SEE-yuh.”<\/p>\n “My name is Kesha. Keh-sha,” the singer\u00a0said on TikTok<\/a>. “Not Keisha. Not Ketchup. Kesha.”<\/p>\n The\u00a0“Leftovers”\u00a0actor’s uncle revealed in\u00a0an interview with Apple TV+<\/a>\u00a0that we’ve all been pronouncing “Theroux” incorrectly, including Theroux himself!\u00a0<\/p>\n “The main character is played by Justin Theroux, my nephew,”\u00a0Paul Theroux\u00a0explained of\u00a0the actor starring in his novel’s television adaptation.\u00a0The novelist later poked fun at his nephew, saying, “Sometimes he calls himself Justin tha-row [laughs]. It’s a French name, it’s Theroux.”<\/p>\n The pop star dropped jaws in 2018 after she explained the correct way to say her last name.\u00a0When speaking about\u00a0her engagement to\u00a0Pete Davidson<\/a>\u00a0at the time, Grande discussed whether or not she’d take\u00a0his last name\u00a0in an interview\u00a0with\u00a0Beats 1’s\u00a0Ebro Darden<\/a>. That’s when she\u00a0blurted out\u00a0the “gran-dee” pronunciation when describing her own last name.<\/p>\n The\u00a0“Cravings”\u00a0cookbook author blew everyone’s mind when she shared the real way to say her last name. During an appearance on\u00a0“Live With Kelly and Ryan<\/a>”\u00a0in 2018, the model admitted it was her “fault” for the mispronunciation. “It’s been 25 years, I’m tired of correcting people,” she\u00a0expressed.<\/p>\n The lasso of truth! The\u00a0“Wonder Woman”\u00a0actress\u00a0chatted with\u00a0Jimmy Kimmel<\/a>\u00a0about the pronunciation (guh-dote) and the meaning of her last name, which is “Riverbank” in Hebrew. “The Gadot used to be\u00a0Greenstein,” she confessed of her original last name, but her parents “felt” it had more oomph.<\/p>\n Prepare to be mind blown.\u00a0During an\u00a0appearance on\u00a0“Conan<\/a>”\u00a0in 2012, the actor shared the “only two places that that is pronounced correctly, my last name, is in Sweden and in Ikea.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0star has openly discussed\u00a0just how\u00a0frequently people screw up his name. However, in 2011, he told\u00a0The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>\u00a0he’d never change it\u00a0because he was named after his step-grandfather, who pronounced it in the same way.<\/p>\n According to the legendary singer’s\u00a0IMDb page<\/a>, her stage name is pronounced shar-day.<\/p>\n In 2014, the\u00a0“Fargo”\u00a0alum confirmed his last name is pronounced boo-sem-ee\u00a0during a panel for\u00a0“Running Late with Scott Rogowsky<\/a>.” However, he said he\u00a0doesn’t “correct\u00a0people” if they say\u00a0boo-shh-em-me because “it’s not wrong.”<\/p>\n In 2014, the Oscar winner told\u00a0Jimmy Fallon\u00a0on\u00a0“The Tonight Show<\/a>”\u00a0that her last name is always botched. “They screw it up,” she quipped. “I almost want to make an audiotape on how to pronounce my name.”<\/p>\n Check(mate) your pronounciation of the\u00a0“Queen’s Gambit”\u00a0star, who\u00a0says her name like anne-ya<\/a> \u2014 and\u00a0not\u00a0awn-ya.<\/p>\n The\u00a0“Mean Girls”\u00a0alum has us all feeling like Karen because she\u00a0revealed in 2012<\/a>\u00a0during an interview with\u00a0Hollywood Streams\u00a0that the correct pronunciation of her last name is sigh-frid. Although, she admitted that her “sister says it differently” than she does.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nKirsten Dunst (Pronounced: Keer-Sten)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Denzel Washington (Pronounced:\u00a0Den<\/em>-Zel)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Travis Kelce (Pronounced: Kels)<\/h2>\n
Paul Mescal (Pronounced: Mess-Cull)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Taylor Lautner (Pronounced: Lout-Ner)<\/h2>\n
Ayo Edebiri (Pronounced: Eye-Oh Eh-deb-bri)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Tana Mongeau (Pronounced: Mo-Jo)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Emily Ratajkowski (Pronounced: Rat-Ah-Kof-Sky or Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee)<\/h2>\n
Tove Lo (Pronounced: Toov-a-loo)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Raven-Symon\u00e9 (Pronounced: See-mon-ye)<\/h2>\n
Brendan Fraser (Pronounced: Fray-zer)<\/h2>\n
Haim (Pronounced: Hi-Um)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Zendaya (Pronounced: Zen-DAY-uh)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Adele (Pronounced: Uh-Dale)<\/h2>\n
Lindsay Lohan (Pronounced: Lo-Wen)<\/h2>\n
Alicia Silverstone (Pronounced: Uh-Lee-See-Uh)<\/h2>\n
Kesha (Pronounced: Keh-Sha)<\/h2>\n
Justin Theroux (Pronounced: Tha-Roo)<\/h2>\n
Ariana Grande (Pronounced: Gran-Dee)<\/h2>\n
Chrissy Teigen (Pronounced: Tie-Ghen)<\/h2>\n
Gal Gadot (Pronounced: Guh-Dote)<\/h2>\n
Jake Gyllenhaal (Pronounced: Yee-Len-Hey-Lo)<\/h2>\n
Ralph Fiennes (Pronounced: Ray-F Fines)<\/h2>\n
Sade Adu (Pronounced Shar-Day)<\/h2>\n
Steve Buscemi (Pronounced: Boo-Sem-Ee)<\/h2>\n
Charlize Theron (Pronounced: There-In)<\/h2>\n
Anya Taylor Joy (Pronounced: Anne-Ya)<\/h2>\n
Amanda Seyfried (Pronounced: Sigh-Frid)<\/h2>\n