Proof You’ve Probably Been Saying Marriott Hotel Wrong

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The Marriott Hotel wants travelers to respect their name.  

Actually, the hotel’s chairman David Marriott shared the proper pronunciation of the well-known chain-and it appears guests could improve how they say the vowels.

Okay, so listen, I was *there* at the Marriott Member Day on September 24th, and let me tell you, it was amazing! He – you know *who* – was talking to the crowd, and someone asked about how to say his name, Marry-ette or Marry-aht. And he was like, ‘I will respond to either, but let me just *teach* you all the *right* way!’ He seriously said, ‘The correct way to say it is actually Marry-ette.’ I mean, can you *believe* it? Marry-ette is the *only* way! I’ve been saying it right all along, obviously.

The correction surprised some viewers who commented on the video. One user confessed that “this is the first I have ever heard anyone pronounce it” as Marry-ette, while another admitted she “can’t un-learn” how she used to say the name.

Although David is okay with either way the name is said, he mentioned his wife-a teacher at East High School in Utah, the location where High School Musical was filmed-often had to gently correct students when they mispronounced her last name.

He explained that she had a student named Elliot who repeatedly called her Marry-aht. “Eventually, she talked to Elliot and asked, ‘Elliot, how do you say your own name?’ He replied, ‘Elli-ette.’ She then pointed out, ‘That’s correct, it’s not Elli-aht. It’s pronounced the same way as Marriott-Marry-ette.’”

It’s not the first time someone from the Marriott family has explained the origin of their name. Actually, Debbie Marriott Harrison-David’s sister and a global officer with Marriott’s Culture and Business Council-shared in 2022 that their name is pronounced Marry-ette.

And if saying their name is a bit tricky, she also mentioned several other words and phrases that rhyme with it.

“Many people say our name incorrectly. I want to clarify how to pronounce it,” she said in a The Points Guys’ TikTok video. “It’s Marry-ette – think of words like chariot, lariat, or even ‘carry it’ or ‘marry it.’ If you’re unsure, just find a rhyme!”

The Marriotts aren’t the only famous people correcting how others say their name. Keep reading to discover more celebrities’ names you might be mispronouncing…

The Spider-Man actress told Town & Country in August 2025 that people usually call her “kerr-sten” or “criss-ten.”

However, the correct way to say her name is “keer-sten.” 

“I don’t blame people,” she said. “You just give up.”

The Equalizer actor revealed that his mother, Lennis Washington, inspired him to address a long-standing issue: he and his father share the same name. He also confirmed that people have been mispronouncing his name since 2025.

“Actually, my name isn’t pronounced Denzel,” he explained to Jimmy Kimmel while on his talk show, and then clearly said his name, stressing the first syllable. “It’s pronounced Denzel.”

On their New Heights podcast, Travis and his brother Jason Kelce discussed how to pronounce their last name – whether it should be “Kel-see” or “Kels.” Travis ultimately chose to go with “Kels.”

In a February 2022 interview with TopMob News, Taylor clarified how to pronounce his last name. He explained that the first syllable rhymes with “out,” rather than sounding like “lot.”

Following a lot of discussion about how to pronounce her name, the model clarified it in a Tory Burch TikTok video. She explained the correct pronunciation in Polish, and has also introduced herself by saying her last name as “Rat-Ah-Cow-Skee.”

On That’s So Raven, Raven-Symoné’s character had the ability to see the future, but fans were surprised to learn something about the actress herself. In a January 2023 TikTok video, she shared that her name has been said incorrectly for a long time – it’s actually pronounced See-mon-ye.

Following Adam Sandler‘s unintentional mispronunciation of the Oscar winner’s surname during a December 2022 conversation for Variety‘s Actors on Actors, the George of the Jungle actor offered a helpful tip for remembering the correct pronunciation: Fraser sounds like razor.

In an October 2022 question-and-answer session, the famous singer complimented a fan for pronouncing her name exactly right – as “uh-dale” – while asking a question.

In a TikTok video she posted in February 2022, Lindsay Lohan unintentionally clarified the correct pronunciation of her last name, which is “Lo-wen.”

The Clueless actress clarified the correct pronunciation of her name in a TikTok video. Alicia explained she doesn’t mind if fans mispronounce it, but added, “But my sweet mama didn’t like it… so for her… get it right! Ali-SEE-yuh.”

“My name is Kesha. Keh-sha,” the singer said on TikTok. “Not Keisha. Not Ketchup. Kesha.”

According to an interview with Apple TV+, the uncle of the Leftovers actor shared that everyone – even Justin Theroux himself – has been mispronouncing his last name, “Theroux”!

Justin Theroux, my nephew, plays the lead role, Paul Theroux said, discussing the actor’s part in the TV series based on his book. The author then jokingly mentioned, “He sometimes pronounces his name as Justin tha-row [laughs]. It’s a French name, it’s Theroux.”

Everyone was surprised in 2018 when the pop star revealed how to properly pronounce her last name. While talking about her engagement to Pete Davidson on Beats 1 with Ebro Darden, Ariana explained whether she would change her last name. It was then that she unexpectedly shared the correct pronunciation of her own name, saying it was “gran-dee.”

The author of Cravings surprised everyone by revealing the correct pronunciation of her last name. While on Live With Kelly and Ryan in 2018, the model took responsibility for the common mispronunciation, saying it was her “fault.” She explained, “It’s been 25 years, and I’m just tired of having to correct people.”

The lasso of truth! The Wonder Woman actress spoke with Jimmy Kimmel about how to say her last name (guh-dote) and what it means – “Riverbank” in Hebrew. She revealed that “The Gadot used to be Greenstein,” but her parents “felt” that Gadot sounded stronger.

Get ready to be amazed! While on Conan in 2012, the actor revealed that his last name is pronounced correctly in “only two places: Sweden and at Ikea.”

The star has often talked about how often people mispronounce his name. But in 2011, he explained to The Hollywood Reporter that he wouldn’t correct them, as he’s named after his step-grandfather, who said it the same way.

According to the legendary singer’s IMDb page, her stage name is pronounced shar-day.

In 2014, the Fargo graduate revealed his last name is said boo-sem-ee while participating in a panel for Running Late with Scott Rogowsky. But he explained he doesn’t point out the mistake if someone says boo-shh-em-me, stating, “it’s not incorrect.”

I’ve been a fan of hers for years, and I remember when she was on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show back in 2014. She was talking about how people *always* mispronounce her last name! She joked that “They screw it up,” and she even said she almost wanted to record a pronunciation guide – an audiotape – just to set the record straight. It’s so frustrating when people can’t get a name right, especially someone as famous as she is!

Make sure you’re pronouncing the name of the Queen’s Gambit star correctly-she says it like ahn-yah, and not like awn-yah.

The Mean Girls actress has everyone thinking of Karen after sharing in a 2012 interview with Hollywood Streams that her last name is actually pronounced sigh-frid. She did mention, though, that her “sister pronounces it a bit differently.”

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2025-09-29 23:51