Band Names You Don't Know How To Pronounce (and How To Pronounce Them Correctly)

Oct 07, 2013

Bands are running out of name ideas. All the obvious ones are taken, so bands are forced to get creative. They're leaving out letters, adding extra letters, including out-of-place symbols and numbers, and choosing foreign or made-up words. We can read and write about these bands all we want, but that doesn't help avoid that awkward situation when you have a conversation about Bon Iver for the first time and say, "Oh, I love Bawn Eye-ver, they're my favorite band!" and then some snob corrects you, looks at your like you're a poser, and spits at your feet. If you've ever been spit on because you don't know how to say Bon Iver, this post is for you.

1.

Bands are running out of name ideas. All the obvious ones are taken, so bands are forced to get creative. They're leaving out letters, adding extra letters, including out-of-place symbols and numbers, and choosing foreign or made-up words. We can read and write about these bands all we want, but that doesn't help avoid that awkward situation when you have a conversation about Bon Iver for the first time and say, "Oh, I love Bawn Eye-ver, they're my favorite band!" and then some snob corrects you, looks at your like you're a poser, and spits at your feet. If you've ever been spit on because you don't know how to say Bon Iver, this post is for you.

2. Lykke Li

Common mispronunciation: Like Lee

How to say it: 


Licky Lee

3. Haim

Common mispronunciation: Hame

How to say it:


Hyme or Hy-um

4. SBTRKT

Common mispronunciation: ess bee tee are kay tee

How to say it:


Subtract

5. Bon Iver

Common mispronunciation: Bon Eye-ver

How to say it: 


Bone Ee-VARE

6. Die Antwoord

Common mispronunciation: Dye Antwaurd

How to say it: 


Dee ANT-vword

7. Sufjan Stevens

Common mispronunciation: Suff-john Stevens

How to say it: 


SOOF-yawn Stevens

8. !!!

Common mispronunciation: ???

How to say it: 


chk-chk-chk

9. Sunn O)))

Common mispronunciation: Sun Oh

How to say it: 


Sun

10. Miike Snow

Common mispronunciation: Meekeh Snow

How to say it: 


Mike Snow

11. TNGHT

Common mispronunciation: Tee en gee h tee

How to say it: 


Tonight

12. CHVRCHES

Common mispronunciation: Ch-Ver-Ches

How to say it: 


Churches

13. Gotye

Common mispronunciation: Goat-yee

How to say it: 


GAW-tee-yay

14. Xiu Xiu

Common mispronunciation: Zhy-oo Zhy-oo

How to say it:


Zhou Zhou

15. Poliça

Common mispronunciation: Pol-ee-ka

How to say it:


Po-LEE-sa

16. MGMT

Common mispronunciation: Management

How to say it:


em gee em tee

17. Sigur Rós

Common mispronunciation: Sugar Rawse

How to say it:


SEE-gor Ross

18. Röyksopp

Common mispronunciation: Rawk-soap

How to say it:


ROYK-sop

19. The Raconteurs

Common mispronunciation: The Rack-on-tee-urs

How to say it:


The RAH-con-tuurs

20. Lunice

Common mispronunciation: Loo-neese

How to say it:


LOO-niss

21. Les Savy Fav

Common mispronunciation: Lez Say-vee Fave

How to say it:


Lay SAH-vee Fahv

22. Le1f

Common mispronunciation: Le one eff

How to say it:


Leaf

23. JMSN

Common mispronunciation: Jay em ess en

How to say it:


JAY-muh-suhn (like the whiskey)

24. WU LYF

Common mispronunciation: Woo el y eff

How to say it:


Woo Life

ChvrchesPigeons And PlanesBon Iver

latest_stories_pigeons-and-planes