You’ve Been Pronouncing Adidas Wrong For Years — Here’s How To Really Say It

You’ve been rocking Adidas since…well, since mom refused to buy you Nike back in 6th grade. But Adidas still makes some sweet kicks.

But here’s the problem — you’ve been saying the name of the sneaker wrong since the day you laced up your first pair. Here’s what you’re doing wrong.

Americans have been mispronouncing “Adidas” since at least 1986, when Run-D.M.C made the brand famous Stateside with “My Adidas.” The hip-hop group and most Americans say the brand name by emphasizing the second syllable: ah-DEE-das.

Germans, Brits, and other Europeans emphasize the first syllable: AH-dee-das.

Since it’s a German brand, we assume they’re doing it properly, especially given the origin of the name.

It’s not UHHHHHH-DEE-DAS, you goons. It’s AH-DEE-DAS. So just how did the sneaker company get the name?

Adidas doesn’t mean anything in German but comes from the company’s original founder, Adolf Dassler. His nickname was “Adi,” with the stress on the first syllable, director of language programs at the Goethe Institut Christoph Veldhues tells Business Insider in an email. That plus a shortened version of his last name, “Das,” gives us “Adidas.” The emphasis naturally stays on the first syllable.

And now you know the correct pronunciation. Use it the next time you’re discussing sneakers so we can all hate you as much as the douche that says POR-SHA.

[H/T: Business Insider]

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Chris Illuminati is a 5-time published author and recovering a**hole who writes about running, parenting, and professional wrestling.