Celeb name pronunciation guide

Ever hesitate to say a celeb's name because you're not sure if you're pronouncing it correctly? With the help of Wonderwall.com's handy celebrity name pronunciation guide, you'll never flub the names of stars like Saoirse Ronan again! There are actually two ways to say the Irish actress's name: "It's pronounced either 'Sir-sha' — like 'inertia' — [or] a lot of Irish people would say 'Seer-sha,'" the Oscar nominee once told Yahoo Movies. "It's Irish for 'freedom' or 'liberty,'" she added. "It's a cool little name there but I didn't like it when I was younger because nobody had that name… but I like it now. It's like my own little stage name that no one can pronounce!" Now keep reading to figure out how to correctly say more stars' names…

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Oh na na… What's her name? It's not pronounced Ree-ON-uh — even though that's how most people say it. According to the pop star herself, the correct way to say Rihanna is Ree-ANNE-uh — it should rhyme with "banana."

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Guess what? There's a very high likelihood you've been saying Gal Gadot's last name wrong this whole time. It's not Guh-DOE like "Waiting for Gadot" or Brigitte Bardot. It's "Gah-DOTE" with "more T at the end," as the Israeli actress chided Jimmy Kimmel during an appearance on his show in 2016 after he'd introduced her incorrectly.

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Most people have figured out how to pronounce Idris Elba's name now that he's one of Hollywood's most in-demand actors, but in case you still haven't got a clue, we're here to help! It's not "Eye-dris" or "Eed-ris" but "Id-ris."

Taika Waititi was the (incorrectly pronounced) name on everyone's lips after he directed "Thor: Ragnarok" to box-office glory. So how exactly do you say the Kiwi multi-hyphenate's name? It's "TIE-kuh Why-TEE-tee."

South Africa-born actress Charlize Theron understands that people tend to say her last name in what's become the accepted American pronunciation: "THER-on." But the real way to pronounce it is exactly like the word "thrown" with just one syllable.

We all know him as Papa Jack Pearson on "This Is Us," which is probably for the best considering Milo Ventimiglia's name is quite the mouthful. You can pronounce his last name like this: "Ven-tih-MEE-lee-uh."

For some reason, the last syllable in Matthew McConaughey's last name still gives some people trouble. It's "hay," guys — not "hee."

It's crazy how many people still say two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett's last name incorrectly. The last syllable, she says, is pronounced "chit" — not like "chet."

He'll always be Jordan Catalano from "My So-Called Life" to us, but that's no excuse to butcher the pronunciation of Jared Leto's name. It's not "LEE-tow," people. It's "LET-oh."

"How to Get Away with Murder" star Viola Davis' first name is not pronounced like the musical instrument. Resist the urge. Say it with a long "I" in the first syllable instead: "Veye-OH-luh."

Chances are you've been saying Anna Faris' name wrong too. It's "AH-nah" — rhymes with "Donna," not "Hannah." "It's really annoying, actually, that my parents did that to me," Anna told Time Out. "I'm always afraid that people are thinking that I'm a little pretentious when I say my name."

It's one of life's greatest mysteries: How do you pronounce Ryan Phillippe's last name? Let us enlighten you: It's "FILL-uh-pee," not "Fill-EEP" or "Fill-EPP-ay."

Hayden Panettiere has endured years of surname mangling, and it needs to stop. She's practically the female version of Ryan Phillippe at this point. Say Hayden's last name right: "Pan-uh-tee-AIR," not "Pan-uh-tare."

When it comes to Joe Manganiello's last name, you've got to go hard — hard "G," that is (just like those abs). Explained the "Magic Mike" hunk: "There's an 'I' in it but you don't pronounce the 'I.' Then you hit the hard 'G.' Everybody looks at an Italian name and wants to say 'Man-JAH-nello,' but it's 'Man-GA-nello,' which is actually a billy club — like what the cops use to beat people up." Okay then!

You'd think everyone would know how to correctly pronounce the last name of "Dancing With the Stars" siblings Derek Hough and Julianne Hough. Sadly, you would be wrong. It's not "Hoe" or "Hew," people. It's "Huff" — rhymes with "tough."

According to Teresa Giuice, there are two ways to pronounce her last name: "JEW-dee-chay" or "JEW-dice." "People Americanize it to 'Jew-dice' and we just go with it," she wrote on Facebook in 2012. "You can say either," she explained, "but I like the Italian better."

Amanda Seyfried can't stand it when people butcher her last name — which is often. The versions she hates the most include "Say-fried" and "Sieg-fried" (as in Roy). Get it right by pronouncing the first syllable like the word "sigh" (the "I" sounds just like the "I" in "ice") and then pretend there's no "E" in the second one. So it's "SIGH-frid."

According to Lupita Nyong'o, whose name is pronounced "lew-PEE-tuh NYONG-oh," the big mistake everyone makes saying her last name is using a hard "G" sound. "I would use the word 'song'" as an example of how to say it correctly, she explained to Jimmy Kimmel on his late-night show, "the soft 'G.'" Still not sure? Check out this Instagram video the Kenya-born actress smartly shared in which she says her name the way it would be pronounced in her native country, plus how it's said "in American."

British actor Charlie Hunnam might have a weird accent these days after years of living in Los Angeles and having to talk like an American on "Sons of Anarchy," but that's no excuse for messing up his name. Say Hunnam like this: "HUH-num," not "Hew-num."

Rachel Weisz is an Oscar winner, but that hasn't stopped people from mangling her last name. (The trick: Just say "vice.") "It's V-I-C-E," she once explained of the unexpected pronunciation. "In London everyone says my name right; it's just in America … Rachel Weez, Wise, Wooz. Whatever!"

Who knew there were so many ways to say a three-letter name?! When it comes to Eva Longoria, think traditional: like Adam and Eve. So it's "EVE-uh."

Meanwhile, Eva Mendes pronounces the "E" in her first name with a long "A" sound — just like Ava Gardner.

And finally, the trick for Susan Sarandon's daughter, Eva Amurri Martino, is to say her name with a short "E" — as in, like, "4-evah."

Like "Eva," there's more than one way to pronounce "Demi." Demi Moore puts the emphasis on the second syllable of her name, like "Duh-MEE."

Demi Lovato, on the other hand, puts the emphasis on the first syllable of her name, making it "DEM-ee."

Chiwetel Ejiofor's name isn't that hard to say if you understand phonics. Just don't call him "Chewy" — it's a nickname that's been perpetuated in the media and the U.K.-born star, whose parents are Nigerian, does not like it one bit. "No, I don't go by Chewy at all," he once told the Washington Post, "although people have called me that over the years. But I am not a fan of it." Instead, say his name like this: "CHOO-eh-tell EDGE-ee-oh-for."

Henry Cavill might be Superman, but people still get his name wrong. Forget "CAVE-ill." Pronounced correctly, "Cavill" rhymes with "travel."

Let's make it simple: Liev Schreiber's first name has not one but two syllables: "Lee" and "ev." And it rhymes with "Chicken Kiev." Got it? His last name is pronounced "SHRY-ber."

Chloe Sevingny has been a thing since the '90s, but that doesn't mean people have perfected the art of pronouncing her name. Chloe is easy enough, but her surname presents all sorts of issues thanks to that "G." Say it like this: "SE-ven-yee."

Khalid and DJ Khaled really messed things up for us. The "Location" singer pronounces his name "kuh-LEED."

DJ Khaled, meanwhile, pronounces his name "KAH-led." Good luck keeping that straight!

No, it's not "Luh-BOOF." Shia LaBeouf's surname is pronounced "Luh-BUFF" — an easy way to remember it? It rhymes with "tough."

Finding a way to like her character, the evil Cersei Lannister on "Game of Thrones," is infinitely more difficult than learning how to pronounce actress Lena Headey's name correctly. Say it just like she does: "LEEN-uh HEED-ee" — not "LAYN-uh HED-ee."

Pronouncing Uzo Aduba's name correctly is a piece of cake if you know phonics. Say it: "OO-zoh Ah-doo-buh." Fun fact: The American actress's full first name is Uzoamaka, which was tough for her classmates to say, so she asked her Nigeria-born mom if she could change it to something simple like "Zoe" — but Mom quickly nixed that idea. "She said, 'If they can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Michelangelo and Dostoyevsky, they can learn to say Uzoamaka,'" Uzo explained to The Improper Bostonian.

It's tempting, but don't say the "s" in Mariska Hargitay's name like this: "ssssssss." It actually takes on a "shhhh" sound, making her name "Muh-RISH-kuh HAR-geh-tay."

"Game of Thrones" star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau says it's the "J" in his first name that confuses people the most. "It's pronounced as an 'I,'" the Danish actor told the New York Daily News. Say his first name like this: "NEE-ko-lie." As far as his last name goes, think about a "coaster" — like the thing you put under a glass of water — and "Waldo," as in "where's Waldo?"

Sam Heughan's last name doesn't have a hard "G" sound — it's pronounced "HEW-an." Figuring out how to pronounce the name of the Scottish star's "Outlander" leading lady can be equally tricky…

Caitriona Balfe's first name is Gaelic but not difficult to say: It's "Kuh-TREE-nuh" — say it just like you'd pronounce "Katrina." The Irish actress's surname is simple too: "Balf," with a short "A" sound.

Mia Wasikowska is from Down Under but took her surname from her Polish mother rather than her Aussie dad (his last name is Reid). A helpful hint for pronouncing it correctly? Say "W" like "V" and pronounce the first "S" like you're shushing someone: "Vah-she-KAHV-skuh."

If you're a fan of the "Star Wars" franchise, you better learn how to correctly say the name of one of its biggest stars: Domhnall Gleeson, the son of Emmy winner Brendan Gleeson. His first name is pronounced "DO-nal" — like "tonal" but with a "D" instead of a "T." Joked the Irish actor to Entertainment Weekly, "The 'M' is just there to confuse Americans." Indeed.

Kim Basinger has a name that everyone should know by now. But for some reason, some people insist her last name is pronounced "BASS-in-jer." Nope. Remember to put the word "sing" in the middle and you'll never get it wrong: "BAY-sing-er."

This is another one we really hope you've gotten down by now. But it doesn't hurt to make sure: Ralph Fiennes' first name rhymes with "safe." His last rhymes with "lines." Easy peasy!

"Orphan Black" star Tatiana Maslany says people butcher her name all the time — especially her first name. "'Tie-TANE-ee-uh' — that's just ridiculous," she told BBC America of one common mispronunciation, but "'TIT-ee-ANN-uh' is the worst one," she added, Say it right: "Tat-ee-AHN-uh Mass-LAN-ee."

Téa Leoni has been acting for decades, but people still say her first name wrong. It's not "TEE-uh." It's "TAY-uh."

"Girls" star Zosia Mamet offers an easy comparison to help people get her first name right: "Like Sasha with a Z," she told The New York Times. Say the whole thing just like this: "ZAW-shuh MAM-it."

If you haven't mastered the pronunciation of Gabourey Sidibe's name yet — it's "GAB-or-ay SIH-deh-bay," by the way — the Oscar nominee says you can cheat: Use her nickname. "My name is Gabourey, which is Senegalese," the actress once said. "People tortured my name my whole life and so around junior high I let people call me Gabby."

"Arrow" star Stephen Amell's last name (and that of his cousin Robbie Amell, who occasionally pops up on "The Flash") is simple to say correctly: "Uh-MELL" is right; "AY-mell" is wrong.

Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd's name isn't as hard to say as it looks. Pronounce it "YO-uhn GRIFF-ith," and you're good as gold. Here's the trick to getting his last name right: In Wales, a "dd" is pronounced like an American "th." So his surname is pronounced exactly like "Griffith."

"Pretty Little Liars" star Troian Bellisario knows she has an unusual first name, which, by the way, is pretty simple to say in two syllables: "TROY-inn." But from where did the unique moniker originate? "It's a family name. It was a surname on my father's maternal side," she told Interview. "I've met a couple of Troys. I've never met any other Troians."

This one is really tough! "Gilmore Girls" star Matt Czuchry pronounces his last name "ZOO-kree." Bet you never would've guessed that!

Quvenzhané Wallis' moniker, which is pronounced "Kwa-VAWN-shuh-nay," has some pretty cool origins: It's a combination of her mom's name (Qulyndreia) and her dad's name (Venjie), her mother once explained to Deadline Hollywood. The Oscar nominee's mama told the site that the last part of her moniker — Zhané — is the Swahili word for "fairy." The Louisiana-born actress's siblings have equally tough-to-pronounce names: Her brothers are Venjie Jr. and Vejon, and her older sister's name is Qunyquekya.

"Outlander" actress Lotte Verbeek kindly offers two correct pronunciations of her name: First, there's the way the Dutch actress says it when she's in her native country: "LOT-uh FUR-bake." But during recent trips to the States, she's been saying it with an Americanized twist: "LOT-ee Ver-BEEK." Well! Thanks for clearing that up.

Just because the Somalia-born, Yemen- and Minnesota-bred actor was an unknown limo driver before earning an Oscar nomination for his first-ever acting role in 2013's "Captain Phillips" doesn't mean it's okay to mess up his name. It's easier to say "Barkhad Abdi" than it looks: "BAR-cod" — easy. "AHB-dee" — nailed it!

Pronouncing South Africa-born "Pretty Little Liars" actress Sasha Pieterse's last name is simpler than it looks: Just say "Peter" and add a "suh" sound.

The correct way to pronounce the first name of "Workaholics" writer-actor Anders Holm — whom we also loved as Mindy Kaling's minister-turned-rapper fiance on "The Mindy Project," by the way — is "ON-ders," not "ANN-ders."

If you're American, chances are you say Chad Kroeger's surname "Kroger," like the grocery store chain. But the Nickleback frontman actually pronounces his last name "KROO-ger." Just like "Nightmare on Elm Street" villain Freddy.

"The Amazing Race" host Phil Koeghan has won eight Emmys over the years, but that hasn't helped people learn how to say his name correctly. It's "KOH-gun" (rhymes with "Hogan"), not "KEE-gun."

Yup, even though pretty much everyone in the universe pronounces Martin Scorsese's last name "Score-SAY-zee," that doesn't mean they're saying it right. There's no long A and no Z to be found in "Score-SEH-see," which is the way the esteemed director says his own last name. No more excuses!

This one's not that difficult, but it's surprising how many people get intimidated saying director Alfonso Cuarón's last name. Just remember that the accent over the "O" in his surname means to put the emphasis on that syllable. We'll give a gold star to anyone who can roll the "R" a little too — just like people do in his native Mexico, where everyone probably knows that the correct way to pronounce his name is "al-FONE-so kwah-RONE."