How To Correctly Pronounce Louis Vuitton

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Learn both the French and English pronunciations of the esteemed fashion house

Co-authored by Dan Hickey Reviewed by Kalee Hewlett

Last Updated: November 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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• Louis Vuitton French Pronunciation
|
• English Pronunciation
|
• Pronouncing LV Products
|
• More Fashion Houses & Designers
|
• Video
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• Tips

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You know that Louis Vuitton looks good, but how exactly are you supposed to say it? Most English speakers say something like “Loo-ee Vit-ahn,” but the true French pronunciation sounds like “Lwee VwitOH.” In this article, we’ll give you more tips on how to say Louis Vuitton like a true French speaker, plus show you how to pronounce some of the fashion house’s most popular bag names. With a little practice, you’ll sound tres chic in no time!

Louis Vuitton Pronunciation

• In French, Louis Vuitton is pronounced like “Lwee VwitOH.”
• In English, Louis Vuitton typically gets anglicized to sound like “Loo-ee Vit-ahn.”
• In either pronunciation, the S in Louis is silent.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Louis Vuitton French Pronunciation

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1. Pronounce Louis Vuitton like “Lwee VwitOH.” In French, Louis is said very quickly (almost like one syllable) and sounds like “Lwee” in English (the S is silent). In Vuitton, the U gets pronounced like a soft W and the I gets an “ee” sound (like “Vwee”). The ending -on has a silent N, so it sounds like a nasally “low” or “oh” syllable.

   • Pronouncing ou: Say the English O (as in “snow”), then purse your lips close together and start saying the English E (as in “free”) without moving your mouth. The combo of O and E sounds odd to English speakers but is the sound you'll want to use for Louis.
   • Pronouncing Vui: Try to keep your lips from pursing too closely so you don’t dig into the W sound too much for the letter U. The “ee” sound for letter I should be very quick, so if it ends up sounding a little like the I sound in “thin,” it's OK.
   • Pronouncing -tton: To sound French, “nasalize” the vowel by pronouncing it partly with your nose. Stop your lips from pursing like they would for the English O sound and keep your mouth open slightly with your tongue in the middle of your mouth.
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Section 2 of 4:

Louis Vuitton English Pronunciation

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1. English speakers commonly pronounce it like “Loo-ee Vit-ahn.” The name Louis sounds just like the male English name (like Louis Armstrong). The syllable Vuit gets simplified to “Vit” (rhymes with “fit”) and -ton becomes “tahn” (rhymes with “brawn”). Unlike in French, the N at the end of the word gets pronounced in English.

   • If you want to sound fancy with a fake French accent, pronounce -ton like “toh” (almost rhymes with “thaw”). This isn't quite how the French say it, but it can help give you that “just bought a new bag” feeling!

Section 3 of 4:

Pronouncing Louis Vuitton Products

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1. 1
   Say Damier like “dah-myay.” Once you've mastered the name of the label itself, try teaching yourself how to pronounce some of the tongue-twisting French names of its products. The first syllable in Damier is easy: “dahm” rhymes with “bomb.” Say -mier like “myay” with a slightly drawn out “ee” sound on the letter I.

   • Keep in mind that, in French, the -ier ending almost always has a silent R sound.
   • The French word damier literally means “checkerboard,” just like the pattern on the famous LV Damier bags.
2. 2
   Pronounce Multicolor as “mooltee-colohr.” To say this bag's name, use long vowel sounds for every vowel. The first syllable “mool” rhymes with “pool.” “Tee” is pronounced how it sounds. The third syllable “col” sounds like “coal” and the ending syllable sounds like “lore” (with a light, delicate R sound made by pressing the back of your tongue against the top of your mouth).

   • Don't forget that, in French, the letter I usually has an “ee” sound (not an “eye” sound). You wouldn’t say “mult-EYEcolor.”
   • The Multicolor handbag collection features the Louis Vuitton monogram pattern in multicolor against a black or white background.
3. 3
   Say Tahitiennes like “tah-ee-tee-enneh.” The tricky part of pronouncing Tahitiennes is ignoring the way it's spelled, which can cause problems for English speakers. Simply sound out the first three syllables: “tah,” “ee” (the H is silent), and “tee.” The ending -ennes is a little trickier and pronounced “enn-uh” (the S is silent). The final “uh” syllable should be delicate, but still audible.

   • Note that the French H sound here is very light or silent. The word doesn't have an audible “hee” like the English “Tahitian.”
   • The Tahitiennes bags feature a colorful LV monogram print on woven cotton canvas.
4. 4
   Pronounce Popincourt like “pope-in-cohre.” It’s tempting to pronounce this word like “Poppin Court,” but resist it! Instead, say “pope,” then “in,” then “cohre” (rhymes with “bore”). Use the same light, delicate R sound as in Damier to end the word, rather than a hard English R sound.

   • Don't pronounce the silent T at the end of the word. The last consonant is almost always silent in French except in very certain cases.
   • To sound more French, make the “in” syllable sound almost like you’re saying a nasally “ehn.”
   • The Popincourt bags are named after a market in Paris and resemble a tote bag you might carry your items in.
5. 5
   Say Batignolles like “bat-een-yoleh.” In French, the “gn” consonant pair makes a “nyuh” sound (like the N in “habañero”). With that in mind, pronounce Batignolles by sounding out the syllables “bat,” “een” (rhymes with “mean”), “yol” (rhymes with “role”), and “eh.” As with Tahitiennes, the final S is silent, but there is still a very light “eh” syllable.

   • The larger Batignolles bags are designed to be used as daily shoppers or briefcases.
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Section 4 of 4:

Pronouncing More International Fashion Houses & Designers

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1. Check out this quick guide to more haute couture name pronunciations. Fashion and design are international languages, and there are probably a few names or brands you’ve read about but haven’t been sure quite how to say! We’ve got you covered—here are some of the most popular designer names and how to pronounce them properly:

   • Anna Sui: Ann-ah Swee
   • Aritzia: Uh-RITS-ee-ah
   • Balenciaga: Bah-len-see-AH-gah
   • Balmain: Bal-MAH
   • Bvlgari: BOOL-gah-ree
   • Christian Louboutin: Krees-chawn Loo-boo-tahn
   • Comme des Garçons: Comb day Gar-sown
   • Givenchy: Zhee-vawn-shee
   • Hermès: EHR-mess
   • Issey Miyake: EE-say Mee-AH-keh
   • Jean Paul Gaultier: Zhawn Pawl GOH-tee-ay
   • Maison Margiela: May-ZOHN Mar-JHEL-ah
   • Moschino: Mohs-KEY-noh
   • Rodarte: Roh-DAR-tay
   • Uniqlo: YOU-nee-kloh
   • Yves Saint Laurent: Eve Sahn Loh-rahn

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Tips

• The Louis Vuitton brand is named after its founder, Louis Vuitton, a French craftsman and businessman who started the company in the 1850s. He originally began working as a trunk maker in Paris in 1837 and quickly earned a reputation for exquisite work.
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