Trivia: The Louis Vuitton brand is named after its founder, Louis Vuitton, a French craftsman and businessman who started the company in the 1850s. That’s why the first word in the company’s name can be pronounced like the name “Louie” — it is that name.
You can also use a softer “voot” sound (rhymes with “foot”; not “boot”) if you prefer.
In English, stressing the second syllable of a two-syllable word is usually used for verbs, not nouns. [4] X Research source However, in this case, most native speakers don’t find this confusing — perhaps because the word has a foreign origin.
For extra points, try to push just a little air out of your nose when you end the word. If you do it right, you’ll sound just a little stuck-up — the perfect compliment to that “just bought a new bag” feeling.
The I in Vuitton should have the same sound as the long E vowel sound in “squeeze. " However, it should be very quick, so if it ends up sounding a little like the I sound in “thin”, it’s OK.
Try this easy test to see if you’re saying “toh” correctly: put your finger just under your nose as if you’re about to sneeze, then try saying the syllable. You should feel a tiny puff of air from your nose — this and many other French words use nasal sounds as part of their normal pronunciation.
If you’re having trouble, try listening to a French speaker say the words. If you don’t know any, just use your preferred search engine to run a quick search for “Louis Vuitton French Pronunciation” — you should easily find at least a few helpful video guides.
To practice this new “ou” sound, start out by saying the English “O” sound as in “glow” or “snow”. Purse your lips close together — you’re trying to look like you’re drinking out of an invisible straw. Finally, without moving your mouth, start saying the English “E” sound as in “free” or “glee”. The sound that comes out of your mouth should be a combination of “O” and “E” that sounds odd to English-speaking ears. This is the sound you’ll want to use for “Louis!”
Keep in mind that, in French, the “-ier” ending almost always has a silent R sound.
Don’t forget that, in French, I usually has an “ee” sound (not an “eye” sound). Thus, you would never say “mult-EYEcolor. "
Note that the French H sound here is very light or silent. The word doesn’t have an audible “hee” sound as in the English “Tahitian. "
Don’t pronounce the T at the end of the word — once again, the final consonant is silent here.
