MARRIOTT – Written One Way, Pronounced Another: Very… “Anglais”

This coming weekend (Sunday), I’ve been invited to a dinner at the Rooftop Bar on the 45th floor of Courtyard by Marriott Danang Han River.

Just thinking about the venue, I caught myself muttering, “marry-ott.”

That’s how I’ve always read it—habitually, comfortably, without ever questioning it.

But then, out of nowhere, I felt a bit uneasy.

Old people tend to doubt themselves .

So I Googled it. And… that was it.

Turns out I’d been pronouncing it wrong from start to finish.

Thinking about it more carefully, I’d bet that over 90% of Vietnamese people pronounce it exactly the same way I do.

And it’s not just us. Apparently, even native English speakers get this one wrong all the time, so Vietnamese mispronouncing it is… perfectly normal.

That’s English for you.

Unlike Vietnamese, where words are generally pronounced the way they’re written, English often works the opposite way. Sometimes it’s written one way and pronounced another, leaving learners thinking they’re right—only to discover they’re wrong all over the place.

Even David Marriott, Chairman of Marriott International, has complained that people constantly mispronounce his family name—so much so that he posted a LinkedIn video explaining how to say “Marriott” properly.

His conclusion was delightfully witty:

“Just call me David. If you mispronounce Marriott, it sounds awkward anyway!”

If you’re curious, here’s the link:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/davidsmarriott_how-to-correctly-pronounce-marriott-activity-7379126580809338880-1BPh

So, how should Marriott be pronounced?

Marriott is pronounced “MARRY-it”, rhyming with chariot, lariat, or carry it, and it ends with a short “it” sound.

Definitely not “MARRY-ott.”

An easy way to remember it:

Think of the word “marry” plus “it” → marry it = Marriott.

Or… just remember this little story of mine .

A small but useful takeaway:

When you come across a new English word or a proper name and feel unsure about the pronunciation, don’t guess. Just Google something like “Marriott pronunciation.”

You’ll hear both British and American pronunciations—different, just like northern and southern Vietnamese accents.

For Marriott:

• Brits pronounce it close to “marry it”
• Americans sound more like “meh-ree-att”

Vietnamese people mispronouncing English is perfectly normal.

What matters is knowing that we can be wrong—and making a small effort to be less wrong.

—

Mr. Old Man, 09 January 2026

P/S:

It’s freezing today, so I skipped my usual stop at Traditional Café.

Sharing instead a photo taken in New York eight years ago—back when I still looked a bit younger