Q Talk

[Suziqzee]

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@CalminHeart wrote:

Q hires regular people, not professional speakers or newscasters.  There are countless pronunciations of words which vary by region within the country as well as internationally.  I can drive 60-90 minutes south, remain in my own state, and hear different pronunciation of words.  One way is not the only way.  

My last name is a doozie.  No one pronounces it correctly the first time.  It's not a big deal.  I usually laugh at how people say it.  

Life is too short.  People need to chill and enjoy the ride rather than nitpick everything to death.

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I get what you are saying, but the brand plainly explains its own pronunciation in the link I pasted above. It's not a regional variance, in this case. When I speak informally to my dear friend Anna, I call her "Annie," and pronounce her nickname the way the QVC hosts have been misprounouncing the "Ani" from Alex and Ani. When I ask my husband to fetch me one of my favorite Alex and Ani bracelets, I use the pronunciation they, themselves have specified for their own brand.

Mouths are very flexible, as minds ought to also be. It should take no extra effort to pronounce the brand name properly, but hey, I'm not going to lose sleep over it, lol. My original post was very specific to say it was just a "gentle" nudge. Any "nitpicking" or "lack of enjoyment" of the ride of life would only be inferred by the reader and not by myself, the OP.

[Alison Wonderland]

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@loriqvc wrote:

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@Sooner wrote:

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@Suziqzee wrote:

Just a gentle correction.

The jewelry line, "Alex and Ani" is pronounced "Alex" (like normal) and 'Ahh-nee," phonetically speaking. I keep hearing hosts and commercials pronouncing it, "Annie."

I live in Rhode Island where this line originated, so of course, I love it.

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@Suziqzee  If the hosts and commercials pronounce it that way, I feel sure they have the support of the company to pronounce it that way.

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Whether they're right or wrong in this instance, I have to disagree with your statement--there are plenty of hosts who mispronounce product names and other words on a consistent basis. I often wonder why no one steps in to help/correct them.

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This is so true. I remember watching Beauty Night and hearing Alberti pronounce "Obliphica" several different ways. I finally thought maybe he picked the right one, but the next week it was on a different show with another host who was pronouncing it another way.

At the heart of it, Alex & Ani is named for the founder's daughters. I can't imagine she'd just support everyone saying it incorrectly.

While that word is difficult, it's also very difficult to train your brain to say a word a new way when you've always said it another, like Ani being Annie. When I moved to Austin nearly 20 years ago, I learned that Manchaca Road is said like 'MAN-shack', Guadalupe is pronounced 'Guadaloop', Manor is 'MAY-ner' Burnett Road "is 'Burn-it', durn it." It took me many years to get used to those changes, even when I worked on Burnett Road and had to tell people the address with some frequency.

I feel for the show hosts who have to be able to speak knowledgeably about all kinds of brands and products, but I also expect them to get it right, just as I expect it from myself when I talk about the roads in my city.

[jubilant]

@Suziqzee

I agree with you.  I didn't take this to be nit picking at all. It's just as you said...... "a gentle correction".  When it comes to selling a brand name, I think it's important for both the company and QVC to get the name right.  That is just good business!  I would think QVC would address that with the host.  I would also think that the company would say something.  I know if it were my company, I would want to give QVC (as you put it so well)  ..."a gentle correction".

[Suziqzee]

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@jubilant wrote:

@Suziqzee

I agree with you.  I didn't take this to be nit picking at all. It's just as you said...... "a gentle correction".  When it comes to selling a brand name, I think it's important for both the company and QVC to get the name right.  That is just good business!  I would think QVC would address that with the host.  I would also think that the company would say something.  I know if it were my company, I would want to give QVC (as you put it so well)  ..."a gentle correction".

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Thank you, @jubilant. And, as it turns out, I posted this so long ago, I decided to review some videos of Alex-and-Ani jewelry presentations and both hosts, Sharon and Marybeth, pronounced the brand name perfectly correctly.