I’ve written in the past about how some airline names are frequently mispronounced. However, did you know that the name of one of the world’s biggest hotel groups is also often mispronounced, especially in American English? Let me explain…
It’s pronounced “marry-et,” not “marry-ott”
How do you pronounce “Marriott?” In my experience, you’ll most commonly hear it pronounced as “marry-ott,” with an emphasis on the last two letters. However, that’s not correct, and instead, the hotel group is actually pronounced as “marry-et,” in a way that rhymes with “chariot,” or something along those lines.
It seems that the incorrect pronunciation is most common in American English, with those speaking British English more likely to pronounce it correctly.
Below is a video of David Marriott, Chairman of the Board of Marriott, explaining the pronunciation. He shares a story of how his wife used to be a teacher, and had a student named Elliott, who would address her as Mrs. Marriott (with the “marry-ott” pronunciation). Then she finally sat him down and asked him how his name was pronounced, and he said “ellie-et,” and she said “that’s right, it’s not ellie-ott,” and it’s the same for Marriott.”
I guess the pronunciation shouldn’t be that surprising?
Does it actually matter how you pronounce Marriott? I mean, no, not really, I suppose. But I’ll admit that I’ve gotten the name wrong for years, and also that I find that a lot of Marriott employees mispronounce the brand’s name.
American English can be funny at times, because there’s not much confusion about to pronounce “Hyatt.” I think just about all of us pronounce it “hy-ett,” and not “hy-att,” despite the last two letters being identical.
Other than that, the hotel industry is pretty straightforward with pronunciation, though airlines are a different story…
Bottom line
The correct way to pronounce Marriott is as “marry-et,” and not as “marry-ott.” At least in the United States, I find that the brand is mispronounced more often than not, even among employees. So while it might not be of much consequence, I figure it’s something that’s worth pointing out.
Have you been pronouncing Marriott correctly?
