Belgium Pronunciation
There are certain words people tend to mumble over, as if rushing past the word in a hushed tone will prevent others—particularly that know-it-all friend who starts every reply with "well, actually..." — from noticing that you may not be saying the word right ("well, actually, the chocolate-hazelnut spread is New-tell-uh, not ). There are also words that have a hotly debated pronunciation (is caramel care-uh-mel or car-mel?).
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One that you may have never questioned is Godiva, the Belgian chocolate company famous for its decadent truffles and chocolate-dipped strawberries. The name seems so straightforward, and if you're from the States or the U.K., you probably read it as God-EYE-vuh, but if you're from Belgium—where the 90-year-old brand is based—you know it as Go-DEE-vuh. (At the brand's 90th anniversary celebration on Wednesday, Belgium's Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs joked that he was very familiar with the history of Go-dee-vuh, but was just learning about this 'God-EYE-vuh' others had been talking about all night.)
Godiva
To be fair, both pronunciations are perfectly acceptable and considered correct by Godiva representatives. However, as stores open in new markets, employees tend to pronounce it the Belgian way, to honor the company's roots, explains chef chocolatier Philippe Daue.
The bottom line? Go with what's most comfortable for you. However, if you've been saying it God-EYE-vuh your whole life, try switching things up. You might just teach that "well, actually..." friend something new.
