You've Been Pronouncing This Store's Name Wrong All This Time
There are some stores that are so universally known, that we figure everyone shops there. From big company names to department brand stores, when it comes to shopping, there are some staples that we just can't live without. One furniture store that is globally known for being inexpensive and amazing is IKEA. The Swedish-based company is known for its easy-to-put-together furniture that totally won't break the bank when decorating your home.
One thing we know — or we thought we knew — about IKEA was how to pronounce the store name. I mean, who doesn't say "Eye-Key-Ah," am I right? For years, it's all we've been 100% sure about, other than the fact that their ice cream is absolutely to die for. However, a recent campaign video from the company has left the internet, and us, totally mind-blown. Why? Well, it turns out we've all been pronouncing IKEA wrong this entire time. Who knew?!
Here's how it's really supposed to be pronounced
It's well known that home store IKEA is a Swedish brand, not an American one. It's pretty obvious when the directions come in several languages. However, in their new "Change a bit for good" campaign video, a brand representative pronounces the big brand name totally differently than we have ever heard or said it before (via YouTube). In the video, the narrator pronounces it "Eee-Kay-Ah" and not "Eye-Key-Ah." I know, we're totally shocked, too.
As it turns out, because IKEA is a Swedish brand, the Swedish pronunciation is what they use when they are saying the name (via Hunker). They have a heavy emphasis on the "I" sounding like an "E" and the "K" sounding like "Kay." While that's the Swedish way to pronounce it and how they run it in their advertisements, American ads still pronounce it the good old-fashioned way we are used to.
But, if you wanted to say IKEA the way the brand has foreseen it from its creation, just know, you've been fooling yourself this entire time. Wild.