Few spreads have the kind of committed following enjoyed by Nutella.
The hazelnut and chocolate blend is a staple in many Brits’ diets, and its rampant popularity shows no signs of slowing down.
But despite being a daily feature in many of our lives, it turns out that most of us are mispronouncing its name.
In fact, 88% of us have admitted to the faux pas. Rectifying this issue likely won’t fill any of the social fissures that have opened in recent years, but it’s worth setting the record straight nevertheless.
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The spread, many by Italian confectionary brand Ferrero – yes, of the Rocher variety – may contain hazelnuts but is, in fact, not pronounced ‘NUT-ella’.
For reasons unknown to lexical and linguistic sciences, it’s actually pronounced ‘NOU-tell-uh’.
Well, maybe that’s a stretch. Jack Bird, a branding expert at digital marketing agency Add People, said: “The confusion lies in the brand’s international roots - a problem many brands face when expanding from an SME to a global product.”
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As Nutella is an Italian invention hearkening back to the 1960s, or around the time Michael Caine was filming an elaborate Mini Cooper advert masquerading as a classic film, the ‘NOU’ element makes a lot more sense.
Of course, Ferrero hasn’t made much of effort to correct us. A 2024 advertising campaign in the UK and Ireland exemplifies the laissez-faire attitude, with the ‘OU’ part of the pronunciation being so faint that it’s barely there.
Nevertheless, pedantry gets its crack of the whip now and then.
James Stewart, Marketing Director for Nutella in the UK and Ireland, explained in 2021; “As Nutella is enjoyed in every corner of the world, there have long been some fun debates on how it should be pronounced.
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“Our Nutella team wanted to share how we pronounce the iconic spread’s name.
“We emphasise the ‘NOU’ in ‘NOU-tella’, but we don’t mind how our fans decide to pronounce it - the most important thing to us is that you enjoy it!”
“Next time you reach for that iconic jar, remember: it’s 'NOU-tell-uh', even if it feels a little weird to say at first. It still tastes amazing – however you say it.”
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We’re not sure who needed to hear that, what benefit it might confer, or whether it’s noteworthy enough to file away in the long-term memory, but there you have it!
Go forth and pronounce ‘Nutella’ correctly, and be sure to lecture anyone who makes the mistake of mispronouncing it in front of you.
Rachael Davis