Let’s be honest, sometimes K-Pop can make things a little difficult for international fans, especially if you can’t read Hangul. With interesting spellings of group names and idol names, it can be difficult deciding how exactly you should be pronouncing them. While you’ve decided on your own way to say them, here’s the correct way to pronounce them and you might just end up thinking your whole life has been a lie!
1. NU’EST
How you’ve probably been saying it: “Newest” or “noo-est” sounds like it would be right…
How it’s really pronounced: But it’s not! If you can read Hangul you’re probably someone that’s actually been calling them by the right name the whole time because NU’EST is 뉴이스트 which is pronounced “New East”!
2. EXID
How you’ve probably been saying it: If you’ve been pronouncing EXID like “exit” with a “d” you certainly aren’t alone!
How it’s really pronounced: EXID is 이엑스아이디 which is actually pronounced “E-X-I-D”. Mind blown!
3. BTOB
How you’ve probably been saying it: You’ve probably called them “B-T-O-B” at least once!
How it’s really pronounced: 비투비 is pronounced “B-to-B”! And it really makes sense since BTOB actually stands for “Born to Beat”!
4. ONF
How you’ve probably been saying it: Maybe you’ve been saying it like it’s a single word or maybe you’ve been pronouncing the letters individually…
How it’s really pronounced: But oddly enough both ways of saying it are wrong! Seeing it written in Hangul (온앤오프) you know that there’s more going on with this band’s name and that’s because ONF is actually short for “On N Off” which is how it should be said.
5. f(x)
How you’ve probably been saying it: Anybody who has ever taken Algebra knows that f(x) stands for function so maybe you’ve been calling them that. Or you’ve decided to say the letters individually.
How it’s really pronounced: Since Korean doesn’t have a solid “F” sound it’s a little bit different but pronouncing it as “F-X” is close enough!
6. fromis_9
How you’ve probably all been saying it: You’ve been saying it exactly as you see it spelled.
How it’s really pronounced: fromis_9 is a victim of romanization. While it was romanized with an “f” it should have been a “p” because the pronunciation is a lot closer to “Promise Nine” than fromis!
7. S#aFLA
How you’ve been saying it: If you’ve spent 20 minutes wondering if S#aFLA was pronounced “sharpfla” you definitely weren’t the only one.
How it’s really pronounced: But luckily, the group realized that this name wasn’t the easiest to figure out and included an alternate spelling, ShaFLA, on Super Sound Bugs! YouTube channel.
8. G(I)-DLE
How you’ve probably been saying it: Since this particular group name was first announced everyone has been calling it something different. From “G-idol” to “giddle” so what’s right?
How it’s really pronounced: The jury is still out on this one. “G-idol” seems to be commonly accepted but some people are convinced the “G” is supposed to be silent. And looking at the Hangul doesn’t shed any more light on the subject since the “G” is actually short for “girl” [(여자)아이들].
9. IZ*ONE
How you’ve probably been saying it: There are so many different ways that this one could be said but most people have been saying it “I-ZONE”.
How it’s really pronounced: But 아이즈원 is said more like “eyes one”!
10. Xiumin (EXO)
How you’ve probably been saying it: That “X” throwing you off?
How it’s really pronounced: Well, written out in Hangul it’s 시우민 which would be close to saying “she-oo-meen.”
11. Yves (LOONA)
How you’ve probably been saying it: If you’ve been calling her “Y-ves” or “Yuh-ves” you aren’t alone.
How it’s really pronounced: But it’s actually pronounced just like the Yves in Yves Saint Laurent meaning it’s really said as “Eve!”
12. Tzuyu (TWICE)
How you’ve probably been saying it: Maybe you’ve been going with something like “Tzu-ee” or tried out “Zuyu” or went straight for “Soo-ee” or even “Zoey.”
How it’s really pronounced: But in Korea, her name is pronounced closer to “Joo-hee”. And according to Mandarin speakers, it’s closer to “zi-yee”!
13. Chenle (NCT)
How you’ve probably been saying it: You might have called him “Chen-lay” or even “Chen-low” in the past.
How it’s really pronounced: But in Hangul, it’s 천러 which would be close to “Chun-luh”.
14. SONE
How you’ve probably been saying it: You’ve probably wanted to say just say it as “sone” or “sone-ee.”
How it’s really pronounced: But the official pronunciation of Girls’ Generation’s fandom is actually “Sowon”!
