You walk into a perfumery, want to ask about "Hermès" – and hesitate. Or you say "Gwer-lane" and see the sales assistant smile. Don't worry: French, Italian and Turkish names confuse everyone. We have put together a practical guide to more than 40 brands – how to say them, where the stress falls (in capitals) and where each house comes from, so you can talk about perfume with confidence.
- Hermès is "air-MESS" – the "H" is silent, but the final "s" is pronounced.
- Guerlain is "gair-LAN", Givenchy "zhee-von-SHEE", Lancôme "lon-KOHM".
- Xerjoff is heard both as "KSER-joff" and "ZER-joff" – both are widely accepted.
- Byredo is "by-REH-doh", Nishane "nee-shah-NEH" with the stress at the end.
- A few simple rules for French, Italian and Turkish cover 90% of cases.
Five rules that settle most cases
- The French "H" is silent, and final consonants are usually not pronounced. That is why Hermès is "air-MESS" (an exception: here the "s" is heard), and Dior is "dee-OR".
- In French the stress falls on the last syllable. Lancôme, Chanel, Givenchy – all stressed at the end.
- "ain", "an", "en" are nasal. Guerlain sounds like "gair-LAN" with a slightly nasal "n", Laurent like "lo-RON".
- In Italian "ci/ce" is "chee/chay", "gi" is "jee" and "chi" is "kee". Gucci is "GOO-chee", Moschino "mos-KEE-no".
- In Turkish "ş" is "sh", "c" is "j" and "ı" (without a dot) is a short "uh". That is why Hacivat is "ha-juh-VAT".
Hermès, Guerlain, Givenchy – the most common traps
How to pronounce Hermès
The correct pronunciation is "air-MESS". Not "HER-meez" (like the Greek god) and not "her-MEEZ". The initial "H" is silent in French and the stress is on the last syllable. Interestingly, the final "s" is pronounced here – an exception typical of proper names. The house was founded in Paris in 1837 by Thierry Hermès as a harness workshop and still preserves that artisanal aesthetic – you can sense it clearly in fragrances such as Terre d'Hermès ("tair dair-MESS"). See all Hermès perfumes.
How to say Guerlain
"gair-LAN", with a nasal "n". "Gu" in French is a hard "g", and "ain" a nasal "an". One of the oldest perfume houses in the world (1828), creator of Shalimar ("sha-lee-MAR") and Habit Rouge ("ah-BEE ROOZH"). You will find the whole collection in Guerlain perfumes.
How to pronounce Givenchy
"zhee-von-SHEE". The French "g" before "i" sounds like the "s" in "measure", "en" is nasal and "chy" sounds like "shee". The fragrance Ange ou Démon is pronounced "ONZH oo day-MON" – "angel or demon".
The French perfume houses
France gives perfumery the most names – and the most reasons to hesitate. Here are the most important ones, arranged for quick reference:
| Brand | Pronunciation | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Hermès | air-MESS | Paris, 1837 – started as a harness workshop |
| Guerlain | gair-LAN | Paris, 1828 – one of the oldest perfume houses |
| Givenchy | zhee-von-SHEE | Hubert de Givenchy's fashion house, 1952 |
| Lancôme | lon-KOHM | founded in 1935 |
| Chanel | shah-NEL | Coco Chanel; N°5 dates from 1921 |
| Dior | dee-OR | Christian Dior, 1946; Miss Dior – 1947 |
| Yves Saint Laurent | eev san lo-RON | fashion house founded in 1961 |
| Mugler | moog-LAIR | Thierry Mugler; Angel (1992) created the gourmand genre |
| Frédéric Malle | fray-day-REEK MAL | a "perfume publisher", 2000 |
| Maison Francis Kurkdjian | meh-ZON fron-SEESS koork-jee-AN | 2009, the perfumer behind Baccarat Rouge 540 |
| Parfums de Marly | par-FUM duh mar-LEE | 2009, inspired by the court of Louis XV |
| Diptyque | dip-TEEK | Paris, 1961, also famous for its candles |
| Kilian | kee-LYAN | Kilian Hennessy, 2007 |
| Jean Paul Gaultier | zhon pol go-TYAY | the designer of Le Male (1995) |
Italian brands and the Xerjoff puzzle
Italian is easier – it is read almost as it is written, with a few rules for "c" and "g". The big exception is Xerjoff. The name is invented rather than an Italian word, so its pronunciation isn't clear-cut: in Italy and across much of Europe you most often hear "KSER-joff", while in English-language reviews it is "ZER-joff". Both versions are widely accepted in the perfume community, so you won't go wrong. The brand was founded in Turin by Sergio Momo and is known for its opulent bottles and fragrances such as Naxos – honey, tobacco and lavender. The whole range is in Xerjoff perfumes.
| Brand | Pronunciation | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Xerjoff | KSER-joff / ZER-joff | Turin, founded by Sergio Momo |
| Tiziana Terenzi | tee-TSYAH-na teh-REN-tsee | an Italian niche brand with a rich collection of extraits |
| Acqua di Parma | AH-kwa dee PAR-ma | Parma, 1916 |
| Gucci | GOO-chee | Florence, 1921 |
| Versace | ver-SAH-chay | Gianni Versace, Milan, 1978 |
| Dolce & Gabbana | DOL-chay eh gab-BAH-na | Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, 1985 |
| Prada | PRAH-da | Milan, 1913 |
| Bvlgari | BOOL-ga-ree | Rome, 1884; the "V" is the Latin "U" |
| Moschino | mos-KEE-no | Franco Moschino, Milan, 1983 |
| Valentino | va-len-TEE-no | Valentino Garavani, Rome |
| Giorgio Armani | JOR-jo ar-MAH-nee | Milan, 1975 |
Niche and other brands: from Byredo to Nishane
Byredo is pronounced "by-REH-doh" – the name comes from the English "by redolence" ("by scent"). It was founded by Ben Gorham in Stockholm in 2006. Nishane is "nee-shah-NEH" – from the Turkish word nişane, meaning sign or distinction. The house was founded in Istanbul in 2012, and fragrances such as Hacivat bear the names of the heroes of traditional Turkish shadow theatre – Hacivat and Karagöz. There is more from the brand in Nishane perfumes.
| Brand | Pronunciation | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Byredo | by-REH-doh | Ben Gorham, Stockholm, 2006; from "by redolence" |
| Nishane | nee-shah-NEH | Istanbul, 2012; nişane – "sign, distinction" |
| Amouage | ah-moo-AHZH | Oman, 1983 |
| Creed | KREED | an Anglo-French house tracing its history back to 1760 |
| Penhaligon's | pen-HAL-ih-gunz | London, 1870 |
| Jo Malone London | joh ma-LOHN | a British brand known for fragrance layering |
| Clive Christian | klyve KRIS-chun | a British luxury house |
| Roja Parfums | ROH-ja | by British perfumer Roja Dove |
| Burberry | BUR-buh-ree | England, 1856 |
| Narciso Rodriguez | nar-SEE-so rod-REE-gez | an American designer |
| Carolina Herrera | ka-ro-LEE-na eh-REH-ra | the "H" is silent – Spanish pronunciation |
| Rabanne | ra-BAN | Paco Rabanne; today the brand is simply Rabanne |
| Lattafa | la-TAH-fa | UAE, Arabic perfumery |
| Maison Margiela | meh-ZON mar-zhee-EL-a | Belgian designer Martin Margiela; the Replica line |
| Hugo Boss | HOO-go BOSS | Metzingen, Germany, 1924 |
| Le Labo | luh la-BOH | New York, 2006 |
And what about the fragrances themselves?
- Shalimar – "sha-lee-MAR", after the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore.
- La Vie est Belle (Lancôme) – "la VEE eh BEL", "life is beautiful".
- Ange ou Démon (Givenchy) – "ONZH oo day-MON".
- Terre d'Hermès – "tair dair-MESS", "the land of Hermès".
- Baccarat Rouge 540 – "ba-ka-RAH ROOZH".
- Naxos (Xerjoff) – "NAK-sos", after the Greek island.
- Kirke (Tiziana Terenzi) – "KEER-keh", Circe from the "Odyssey".
- Eau de Parfum / Eau de Toilette – "oh duh par-FUM" / "oh duh twa-LET".
Looking for more names to discover? Browse designer perfumes or dive into the world of niche fragrances. At Parfyum.bg everything is 100% original, delivered by DPD in 3–6 working days for 10 €, with secure online card payment.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce Hermès correctly – "HER-meez" or "air-MESS"?
The correct pronunciation is "air-MESS". The French "H" is silent and the stress is at the end. "Hermes" pronounced the English way is the Greek god, not the fashion house.
How do you pronounce Xerjoff correctly?
Most often "KSER-joff", and in English-speaking circles also "ZER-joff". The name is invented, so both versions are acceptable.
How do you pronounce Byredo?
"by-REH-doh", with the stress on the middle syllable. The name comes from the English "by redolence".
How do you say Nishane?
"nee-shah-NEH". The Turkish "ş" is read as "sh", and the stress usually falls on the last syllable.
How do you say Guerlain correctly?
"gair-LAN" with a slightly nasal "n". "Gu" is a hard "g", not "gw".
Now you know how to say them – time to discover how they smell.
Browse niche perfumes