The internet has been losing their minds lately over Wednesday’s Jenny Ortega pronouncing Rihanna’s name correctly at the 80th Golden Globes. More celebrities, including Khloe Kardashian, have been teaching their fans how to correctly pronounce their name, and Raven’s Home star Raven-Symoné was the latest celeb to tell her fans they have been mispronouncing her name for years.
The Disney Channel star took to her TikTok account to teach her followers how to correctly pronounce her iconic first name. Raven-Symoné set the tone by sitting in her vehicle with a usual greeting from her fans when they see her in public. Soon, an audio clip of Jennifer Tilly from Chucky Season 2 kicked in with the single-named star seemingly arguing with a fan over how to say her name. She made it simple by showing how to phonetically her name. If you want to learn how to properly say her birth name, check out the TV icon’s funny clip below.
@ravensymone Those who know…KNOW… fit was cray that day.
♬ original sound - Taylor Dean
And there you have it. Raven-Symoné wants everyone to start pronouncing her name correctly. At least, she put a funny twist on the faux pas with the viral Chucky clip. It appeared followers have been emphasizing the wrong syllable for decades. In this case, the accent above the e is more important than fans knew. So, the correct pronunciation is “Symonyay.” The clip suggested the former child star was frustrated by having her name constantly mispronounced when being addressed by others. The comedic actress capped off the moment with some humor by pointing out her eclectic outfit.
However, addressing the mispronunciation of her name lead a few of Raven-Symoné's fans to call out the TV icon. Many viewers pointed out it was the That’s So Raven alum’s fault for them not saying her name correctly. They singled out her 2000s Disney Channel bumpers where she pronounced her first name incorrectly. So, as much as it was on the fans to say her name correctly, it appeared the actress may have set the tone. But given she’s been acting since age 3, she might’ve gotten used to hearing the mispronunciation over time and just failed to correct viewers.
Raven-Symoné’s dilemma echoed the same sentiment as two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington. Just last year, a clip went viral where Washington revealed on the Graham Norton Show that his name is pronounced “Denzul” not “Denzel.” Although, he explained the mispronunciation was a nickname given by his mother to distinguish him from his father, whom he was named after. Other prime examples of famous mispronunciations include Chrissy Teigen and Raven-Symoné’s fellow Disney alum Lindsay Lohan.
Raven-Symoné hasn’t let this faux pas stop her career as Raven’s Home is currently airing its fifth season on Disney Channel. You can watch the reboot series with a Disney+ subscription to see all the nostalgic moments, like Tanya Baxter actress T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh returning to the Baxter family home and more.
