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14 Korean Beauty Brands You're Mispronouncing

From Sulwhasoo to Iope

The bubbling masks and panda-shaped face mists are a treat for the senses, but the multi-consonant names can be tongue twisters. Here, a quick pronunciation guide for some of our favorite K-beauty brands.

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laneige
Laneige

Laneige

The wrong way: Lan-age
The right way: Luh-nej

You can find it at your local Target (or tar-jay).

sulwhasoo
Sulwhasoo

Sulwhasoo

The wrong way: Sul-whaaa-soo
The right way: Suhl-ha-soo

Flows right off the tongue, doesn’t it?

amore pacific
Amore Pacific

Amore Pacific

The wrong way: A-more Pa-ci-fic
The right way: Ah-more-ay Pa-ci-fic

We’d like some (a)more of that face mist.

cho sung ah 22
Sephora

Chosungah 22

The wrong way: Cho-soong-ah Twenty-two
The right way: Jo-sung-ah Twenty-two

She’s basically the Korean equivalent of a Pat McGrath (which is to say, a BFD).

missha
Soko Glam

Missha

The wrong way: Mish-sha
The right way: Mee-sha

Makers of one of the original, and most popular, BB creams.

etude house
Soko Glam

Etude House

The wrong way: E-tude House
The right way: Eh-twee-d House

This is what happens when you put a Korean twist on a French word.

mizon
Peach and Lily

Mizon

The wrong way: Mih-zon
The right way: Mee-zohn

Purveyors of the much buzzed about snail face cream.

blithe
Glow Recipe

Blithe

The wrong way: Blith
The right way: Bly-th

We thank them for bringing splash masks into our lives.

whamisa
Glow Recipe

Whamisa

The wrong way: Wham-i-sa
The right way: Hwa-mee-sah

Thank God for online shopping, amirite?

kicho
Peach and Lily

Kicho

The wrong way: Kich-oh
The right way: Ghee-cho

Means “basics” in Korean, which makes sense given the brand’s propensity for classic, time-tested ingredients (like lanolin and argan oil).


shangpree
Peach and Lily

Shangpree

The wrong way: Shang-pree
The right way: Shah-ng-pree 

More of an “ah” (as opposed to an “ay” sound).

caolion
Peach and Lily

Caolion

The wrong way: Ca-oh-lin
The right way: Ca-oh-lee-ohn

Two words: Pore masks.

iope
Iope

Iope

The wrong way: Eye-ope
The right way: Eye-oh-peh

Welp, that’s eye opening.

belif
Sephora

Belif

The wrong way: Bee-lif
The right way: Bee-leaf

We belif in the aqua bomb gel cream.



Jenny Jin Headshot Vertical 2023

Beauty Director

Jenny Jin is PureWow’s Beauty Director and is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of...