People are just realizing they have been pronouncing 'Mercedes' incorrectly all their lives

Like all great things in the world, luxury vehicle company, Mercedes-Benz also has a great story behind its name. While most people are able to identify the popular car brand across the globe, it is likely pronounced incorrectly. Mercedes-Benz, which originated in Germany in 1926, has been at the center of luxury vehicles and the racing industry. Despite its massive popularity, people have not been able to get its name right. A study conducted by Saga Car Insurance revealed that British people, many drivers, had a tough time pronouncing the brand name authentically. It simultaneously sparked a debate on Reddit after one user (u/neamhsplach) teased a question about the correct way of saying Mercedes. 

The insurance company asked the Brits to pronounce the names of 30 best-selling car manufacturers in their country, and Mercedes unsurprisingly happened to be one of them. The participants were also asked to spell the names and draw any logo recalling from memory. Only 20% of the partakers were able to properly say the vehicle brand’s name while the rest said it as “Mer-say-deez.” It was also one of the difficult ones to pronounce by the British majority. Meanwhile, 50% of participants were able to recall its logo, becoming the second-most recognized car manufacturer. 88% could also draw the logo accurately while 83% spelled it correctly. The only drawback was the pronunciation, which is still widely debated. 

To get a public opinion on the same, the Reddit user then asked for help on social media. The post stated, “Help me out here. I say 'Merseedays.' I don't know where I picked it up. The F1 commentators say 'Mersaydees' on TV but they're not Irish.” The person asked for any possible recordings of the former pronunciation and explained that they discovered on the internet that radio advertisements typically used this pronunciation previously. Several internet users reacted to the post with jokes while a few others proposed their usual manner of saying the name.

“Mer-say-dees. Am I wrong,” said a person (u/Shmoke_n_Shniff) while another (u/RedArchbishop) stated, “Me-r’k-edys.” “It's Spanish. It means 'Mary of the Graces,’” chimed someone else. “I've always said Mercaydees. Though I generally just say "Merc" (as in merk),” reasoned a fellow Reddit user (u/exitvim). Turns out, the authentic way to say it is, “Mertz-saydez”. 

There is a special backstory attached to the car brand as it was originally known as Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft, founded in 1886. The company was later renamed after famous Austrian entrepreneur Emil Jellinek joined the group and the company merged with Benz & Cie in 1926 to form its new identity. Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius once revealed the derivation of the name and cited Jellinek as a “racing enthusiast” who asked his chief engineer to build an engine so he could win a race in Nice, France.

“So they made him an engine, they made him a car. He won the race. And the prerequisite was the car should be named after his daughter Mercedes and the rest is history,” he said in a video doing rounds on X. Then Daimler decided to preserve the beautiful name for the car only, not the brand initially, but later became Mercedes. The vehicles were originally manufactured in Stuttgart but eventually moved on to global locations like the U.S., China, South Africa and others, per a Mercedes report.