band name pronunciations, alesana, pvris, gojira, sleater kinney
[Photos by: Alesana/Spotify, PVRIS/Lindsey Byrnes, Gojira/Stefan Brending, Sleater-Kinney/Spotify]

10 band name pronunciations that fans don't always agree on

If there’s one thing the alternative world is great at, it’s coming up with out-of-this-world band names and songs. We mean, we love taking vowels out of words, swapping a “V” in its place and the like.

With unique band names and made-up words, this obviously comes with some discourse relating to how the band name is actually pronounced. That’s especially true when it involves some of your favorite Warped Tour staples and rock bands in general. You may have disagreed with fellow fans on these 10 band name pronunciations below.

Read more: 21 alternative albums from 1998 that are still influencing bands today

The Acacia Strain

It’s a joke among metalcore fans to pronounce the band’s name as “The A-ca-ca Strain” ever since “How To Pronounce Band Names #2” by Jarrod Alonge went viral in the scene community. Some fans definitely still struggle with the actual pronunciation, though. From Reddit threads to Yahoo! Answers boards, people continuously wonder if they’re pronouncing the Acacia Strain correctly. Fans definitely interchange “Ah-kay-see-uh” and “Eh-kay-shuh.”

Chiodos

Despite breaking up in 2016, Chiodos still have die-hard fans, but that doesn’t mean everybody’s in agreement about how to say their name. Some fans swear it’s pronounced “Chai-oh-dos,” while others say “Chee-oh-dos.” According to the band, it’s certainly “Chee-oh-dos.” (Or “Cheetos” for those who are going by Alonge’s joke pronunciation.)

Gojira

  It’s tempting to hit that “j” pretty hard in the band name Gojira. However, many interviews with the French heavy-metal band reveal that their moniker is a bit more gentle. They pronounce it as “Go-jer-rah,” similar to the “j” sound you hear in the French word au jus. If you can’t break the habit, they surely won’t hold it against you, as music journalists and fans have been saying it like “Go-gee-rah” for years.

Saosin

Depending on which era Saosin were in when you first heard about the band, fans may pronounce it differently. When the band were in their fledgling stages with Anthony Green, he pronounced the name as “Say-ocean.” When he departed, the band switched the pronunciation to “Say-oh-sin,” just as it looks if you were to sound it out. Even Green got on board with the new pronunciation when he rejoined the group, but fans still go back and forth between the two.

PVRIS

It’s so tempting to say “Puris” or “Puh-vee-ris”—we get it. It’s pronounced “Paris,” as in the French city, and the “V” was a way for PVRIS to avoid getting sued by another existing band called Paris. However, people are still going to botch this name, including a broadcast reporter on TV, and the alt community immortalized this mistake on the internet. Major fans all know to say “Paris,” but new lovers of their music may find themselves struggling to figure out the correct pronunciation.

Alexisonfire

Your mom isn’t the only one who got confused when she saw the name Alexisonfire. To this day, many people see this and think “Alex is on fire.” However, the band intended for the name to be said as “Alexis on fire,” as they were inspired by adult film star Alexis Fire, who unsuccessfully tried to sue them. Either way, many fans are willing to hear and say it both ways.

Atreyu

Similar to the “to-may-to,” “to-mah-to” debate, the same goes for Atreyu. We mean, where and when are we supposed to stress those vowels? One person reconsidered their pronunciation after they heard their friend say it, and it sparked a whole online discourse. According to the band, it’s “Uh-trey-yu,” but they’ve heard it many ways.

Enter Shikari

It may seem like Enter Shikari is an easy name to say, but look too quickly and you might be uttering the phrase “Enter Shakira,” which definitely isn’t what they want anyone to say. In fact, some fans who have seen the similarity between the names have even made incredibly chaotic mashups between the two artists. Seamless, right?

Sleater-Kinney

It may seem like an easy name to say, but pronounce it wrong and you’re in for a rude awakening from a Sleater-Kinney fan who’s exhausted from constantly correcting people. We’re sure the band are tired of hearing their name said like “Sleeter,” as it’s supposed to sound like “Slay-ter,” similar to Mario Lopez’s Saved By The Bell character name. Sleater-Kinney derived their moniker from a local Washington road near their rehearsal space when they were just starting out, and you don’t want to disrespect these rock queens and their band origins. Casual fans who are pronouncing it as “Sleeter,” this is your wake-up call to quit it.

Alesana


Here’s another case of a name that appears to be simple but has caused a great divide between fans. In a video, Alesana explained how they have actually argued with fans from the stage on how to pronounce it. The band, who did in fact create the name, pronounce it as “Al-ah-san-ah,” but some fans insist it’s “Al-ah-saun-ah.”