Waitrose has officially confirmed that the correct pronunciation of the supermarket's name is 'Wait-Rose,' not the commonly used 'Way-trose.' The revelation came from content creator Annabel Port, who shared the information on TikTok after contacting the company directly.
Official Pronunciation Confirmed by Waitrose
Annabel Port, who runs the account @theotherbritishmuseum on TikTok and Instagram, explained that she reached out to Waitrose to settle the debate. A spokesperson told her: 'The pronunciation Wait-Rose, is the original way, as it comes from the founders' last names, Waite and Rose.' The founders were Wallace Waite and Arthur Rose, and the name combines their surnames with a clear separation between 'Wait' and 'Rose,' with a harder 't' sound.
Waitrose's official TikTok account even commented on Port's post, confirming: 'It's pronounced Wait-rose, not Waitrose.'
History of the Supermarket Name
The supermarket was first founded in 1904 under the name 'Waite, Rose & Taylor,' reflecting the three founders. After Taylor left four years later, the name was shortened to 'Waitrose.' Port noted that it is unclear when the pronunciation shifted to 'Way-trose,' but Waitrose eventually went along with the common usage. She added: 'But if you want to be both correct and retro, you should say Wait-Rose.'
Other Facts About Waitrose
Port also shared that Waitrose was the first supermarket to sell organic produce in 1983 and the first to offer prepackaged sushi in 1996. As of June 2026, there are 426 Waitrose stores across the UK. According to consumer champion Which?, the average price of 95 items at Waitrose is £235.49, compared to Aldi's £168.30 and Lidl's £170.66. However, Waitrose scored first place for online shopping and received 5/5 stars for range, availability, quality of own-label and fresh products, and store appearance.
Public Reaction to the Pronunciation
Port's post garnered a flurry of comments. User @idas24601 said: 'OK, I'm going to be insufferable with this information.' @user67160721420087 wrote: 'My mum loves spending my inheritance in Waitrose,' referencing its high prices. @matpa079 commented: 'I promise I can't hear the difference between the two pronunciations help.' @akint_akint added: 'I'll die before I call it Wait-Rose.' Others joked about the brand's posh image, with @robert_macginn suggesting 'Waitreaux' and @robertosdough saying 'we call it “the bloody expensive one.”'
Other Brands Commonly Mispronounced
Waitrose is not alone in being mispronounced. Prezzo, the Italian restaurant chain, is correctly pronounced 'PreT-zo,' not 'PreZ-zo,' according to chief brand officer Olly Smith. Other commonly mispronounced brands include Nutella ('new-tell-uh'), Ikea ('ih-key-yah'), Hyundai ('hun-day'), Porsche ('por-sha'), Nike ('ni-key'), Hoegaarden ('who-gar-den'), Moschino ('moss-key-no'), Hermès ('air-mez'), Bvlgari ('bull-guh-ree'), Balmain ('bal-mah'), Miele ('meal-uh'), Ocado ('uh-car-doh'), Adobe ('ah-doh-bee'), Volkswagen ('vo-ks var-gun'), Adidas ('ah-DEE-das'), and TAG Heuer ('tag haw-yer').
