Most of us feel confident that we know how to pronounce the names of widely known companies. This included an Italian student I taught. I still recall the look of horror on his face when he realised he had been pronouncing a company name incorrectly ever since school. This is every second language learner’s nightmare, and I could tell he was thinking about all the people in front of whom he had made this mistake.
I cringe at my own mistakes, so I understand his embarrassment. But he isn’t alone; I have met other students who also struggle with this issue. For some, “A is for apple” as in the song …now I know my ay bee cee…
A deeply unhelpful song for second language learners.
If you would like to follow me for more British English pronunciation tips you can find me on TikTok: @englishfluencybeth