The average Rihanna fan pronounces her name as “Ri-ah-na,” emphasizing the “ah” sound in the middle. However, that pronunciation is incorrect, according to the star herself. Back in 2019, when promoting her Fenty pop-up shop with British Vogue, Rihanna introduced herself as “Rih-anna,” placing emphasis on “Anna.” And while it’s only a slight deviation, it has stirred up some strong opinions online.
“Today I learned Americans all pronounce Rihanna’s name wrong,” tweeted one user. Meanwhile, another fan wrote, “Y’all know what also lives in my head free of charge… the fact that I’ve become so accustomed to hearing Rihanna’s name pronounced wrong that when she’s saying correctly I’m like..” One person pointed out the length of time Rihanna had allowed fans to say her name incorrectly, tweeting, “Isn’t it crazy that we all pronounce rihanna’s name wrong but she never corrects us.”
With that said, not all of Rihanna’s fans have been saying her name wrong. NBC6 News Anchor Chernéy Amhara once proudly tweeted, “I purposely pronounce Rihanna’s name correctly on air because everyone else says it wrong.”
