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Sports names can be tricky. With big names in Australia and around the world coming from a myriad of different heritages and cultures, we can often get the pronunciation wrong.
Here are some of the most famous athletes from Australia and the world who have names you’ve probably been saying wrong for a long time.
Daniel Ricciardo is of Italian descent and has an Italian pronunciation of his name.
Daniel Ricciardo (Ri-chi-ardo)
This one is confusing because not only fans and commentators have pronounced the F1 star’s surname as ‘Ri-cardo’, Daniel himself has been heard to say so.
The correct way to pronounce your last name is Ri-chi-ardo and you will find that your Italian family says it this way. Interestingly, when Daniel is in the presence of his family, he too will pronounce it in the traditional Italian way with the ‘i’.
It is likely that you have succumbed to saying ‘Ri-Cardo’ over the years to avoid confusion or because you simply got tired of correcting others.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is commonly known as ‘the Greek monster’
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Nigerian: YAHN-nees AH-ded-KOOM-poh) (Greek: AHN-teh-toh-KOOM-poh)
One of the biggest names in the NBA outside of LeBron James turns out to be very difficult to pronounce.
Complicating matters further is the fact that Giannis has Nigerian parents who raised him in Greece. That means two pronunciations, the traditional Greek way and the Nigerian way. That’s why most people will simply refer to him by his nickname, the Greek monster.
Manchester United striker Gabriel Jesus
Gabriel Jesus (GAY-bree-uhl JAY-zooss)
When most people in the Western world see Jesus, they pronounce it Jee-zuz. For those living in Latin nations, the ‘J’ is often silenced by ‘Hay-zooss’.
The Arsenal and Brazilian striker complicates matters with a slightly fused pronunciation, retaining the strong consonant ‘j’ while applying the Latin ‘zooss’ to the end.
Former Olympian Jana Pittman also competed at the Winter Olympics
Jana Pittman (Yah-nah Pitt-man)
Being unique is no stranger to this Australian athlete who started out as a hurdler and ended up as a luge runner at the Winter Olympics. Usually his first name is pronounced with a strong ‘j’ like Jane-uh, Jarn-uh or Jan-uh. However, Pittman is different, pronounced Yah-nah, like former 60 Minutes journalist Jana Wendt.
Bruno Fernandes has a very unique pronunciation of his name.
Bruno Fernandes (BROO-noh Fur-nandsh)
Usually, we are used to pronouncing this last name with a ‘fuh’ or ‘huh’ sound. For example, ‘Fuh-nan-dez’ or Huh-nan-dez’. However, this Portuguese name uses the traditional language to combine the ‘dez’ sound at the end with the ‘dshh’ sound.
The executor of Parramatta Junior Paulo
Junior Paulo (Joo-nee-ah Bar-loh)
There are a lot of complex Polynesian names in the NRL and the average soccer fan will have trouble with names like Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. The commentators have dedicated training sessions to ensure that they not only correctly pronounce Polynesian names, but are also in line with the Samoan and Tongan dialects.
One name many fans thought they had blocked was Parramatta prop Junior Paulo, pronounced ‘Poor-loh’. However, that is incorrect, because a capital P is pronounced with a B sound in Samoa. In addition to this, his name is pronounced with a ‘Bar’ sound instead of the ‘Pau’ sound we are familiar with in the Anglo-Saxon name Paul.
Young Roosters NRL talent Joseph Sua’ali’i
Joseph Sua’ali’i (Soo-ah-ah-li-ee)
The young giant of the Sydney Roosters has quickly heralded himself as an NRL force, but fans and commentators are still adjusting to get his name right.
“It’s actually pronounced Joseph Sua’ali’i,” he said.
‘It’s kind of like people used to say Papalii, but it’s Papali’i.
‘Honestly, I’m not too stressed about it [being pronounced correctly] to be honest, but I’d be happy if everyone pronounced it the right way.’
Dane Gagai playing for the Maroons
Dane Gagai (Gug-eye)
The Queensland Maroons and Australian Kangaroos veteran has stuck with the pronunciation ‘Gag-eye’ for most of his career, to this day. However, in the correct Torres Strait dialect, he is actually pronounced ‘Gug-eye’.
Pepe is not pronounced as you think
Pepe Pepe)
We all call Brazil’s all-time great goalscorer Pele Pel-eh, so it’s only fitting that FC Porto’s central defender Pepe is called Pep-eh. Except we’re wrong.
It’s just Pep, without ‘eh’ at the end. UEFA officially corrected this in an official pronunciation guide, clearing the air by stating: “Pepe doesn’t use that second vowel if you pronounce his name in Portuguese.”
Christian Petracca (Pet-rah-cah)
The Melbourne Demons superstar is constantly confusing his last name with commentators and fans using the very Australian pronunciation ‘Pet-rack-ah’.
However, given his Italian heritage, the correct way to say his last name is ‘Pet-rah-cah’. “For the commentators listening, please pay attention,” she said in an AFL.com.au video.
Nic Naitanui’s name has been mispronounced for years.
Nic Naitanui (Nate-a-noo-ee)
The West Coast Eagles ruckman actually let this slide for a long time, only rightfully fans and commentators in 2020. It seemed to make little difference, though, as Aussie still mostly pronounced his name as ‘Nic Natter-nui’.
Even commentators have stuck to that pronunciation, though the correct way to say Nic Nat’s name in his native Fiji is ‘Nic Nate-a-noo-ee’.
Bruce McAvaney’s father was not happy about the last name being mispronounced
Bruce McAvaney (Mac-a-vanny)
It’s not just the players who have their surnames butchered, one of the most iconic sports callers in Australian history has had its name mispronounced for decades.
“My dad once said to me, ‘Why don’t you tell everyone we’re McAvaney? [pronounced Mac-a-vanny] and not McAvaney [pronounced Mac-a-veiny]?’ said the legendary sportscaster in 2017.
‘I said, ‘Dad, I really don’t care. He said, ‘Oh well I do,’ but he’s not with us anymore, dear old man, so it’s McAvaney. [Mac-a-vanny] but everyone calls me McAvaney [Mac-a-veiny].
‘I’ve been called worse.’
All footballers from all countries.
Correct pronunciation is not something that many Australians have widely adopted. They just pronounce how it should be phonetically and work with that.
However, The World Game includes thousands of different languages and dialects, so these names are often pronounced differently in your native language.
Australian commentator Lucy Zelic was recently criticized for having the decency to investigate the correct pronunciation of opposition players’ names and was quick to applaud her detractors, saying she was being respectful.