Reference: Hermes Pronunciation Guide

[Greentea]

I think we should start one, since some of the item names can be tricky! Here are some colors, bags and other things that may be hard to pronounce based on spelling. PLEASE, please continue to add to this post until we have a good guide and can walk into any Hermes and ask for what we want correctly. I think this is always a nice touch! :)

Hermes: Air-MES(z), (S sound is a combo of s and z.)

Colors:

Potiron - Poh-tee-RAW(n) (very subtle n sound as the final syllable)
Rouge Vif - Rooge Veeef
Thalassa - Ta-LAW-suh
Vert Anis - Vair aNEE
Marron Fonce - MA-rone FONsay
Ebene - E-Bain
Cyclamen - See-cla-mon(n)

Bag/Accessory names:

Picotin - Peek-oh-ta(n) - very subtle n
Haut au Courroies - Oa(t) Oh-Kuh-wah. (Courroies is said quickly, almost like KWAH) This, imo, is the trickiest of them all!
Bearn - Bairn
Jige - Jeege (soft g sound at the end)

Leather names:

Chevre - Shev"ruh" (VERY subtle ruh sound at the end)
Clemence - Cle-MAWNCE
Fjord - Feeyord (one syllable)
Vache Liagee - Vaash Liajay (Liagee is said very quickly)

[jag]

Thank you! I needed that so I don't sound like a babbling idiot when I go to Hermes! LOL!

How do you correctly pronounce "Cyclamen?"

[Greentea]

Originally Posted by jag

Thank you! I needed that so I don't sound like a babbling idiot when I go to Hermes! LOL! How do you correctly pronounce "Cyclamen?"

I'm not sure about the CY part, so it's either SEE-Cla-mo(n)
or Sye-cla-mo(n)
Someone who knows for sure should pop up soon...

[HermesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Greentea

I'm not sure about the CY part, so it's either SEE-Cla-mo(n) or Sye-cla-mo(n) Someone who knows for sure should pop up soon...

It's pronounced as See-Cla-mon. HTH!

[Greentea]

:)

Thanks Hermesaddiction. I did say SEE-cla-mon one time in reference to a Bolide they had and a SA looked at me funny but maybe she didn't know how to pronounce it! Another H SA confessed that she's still learning how to pronouce the names of some of their products.
The scarf names can be tricky, too.

[Serenity Now]

Help an Hermez noob out? How do you even pronounce "Bolide". Is it like Bo Bice or Boli-deh?

[Serenity Now]

Originally Posted by SerenitySue

Help an Hermez noob out? How do you even pronounce "Bolide". Is it like Bo Bice or Boli-deh?

GAHH!! Sorry guys! Major typo -> Hermes not z

So, Bolide.. anyone?

[Greentea]

Bo-Leed :)

[fashion_derelict]

umm how about Commes de Garcon?

geesh not even sure if i spelled it right! but how does one pronounce this anyway?

[Greentea]

calm-de- garsaw

[addicted]

How about whitebus? It's not how it looks is it?

[addicted]

lovehermes - I don't want to walk in and say white - bus...and it's something like wee-boos

[Greentea]

I'm not sure about Whitebus...

[betises_lau]

Greentea!!! This is such a good idea! French is my mother tongue, so I am all yours if you have any questions. I was also a French teacher to Spanish and English students a few years ago! So :

fashion_derelict, Comme des Garçons is come-day-gah-so(n) (if you can't do the french nasal say saw with a slight "n" at the end.

Hermès has two very open "e" sounds as in British "have" and a final "s"
Haut à courroies tough one : "oh ah koo(r)wah"
Chèvre: shayv(r) (chèvre coromandel : shayv(r) coh-roh-ma(n)-del)
Jag, Cyclamen: seek-lah-men
Bolide is "boh-lead"
Lézard is lay-zar


Amkur, you are right "r" is difficult. But French think the "r" pronouced with an English-speakign accent are lovely!

[orchids]

What's the proper pronounciation for "H" in French?
My SA pronounced Rouge H--Rouge "AHSH"or something similar. Perhaps whoever knows the answer can have it added to the original post in the sticky.