You're Probably Pronouncing 'Reese's' Wrong — Here's The Right Way

Let’s face it — some brand names can be tricky to pronounce. There’s been heated debates about many including Nutella, IKEA and Zara in the past, but now there’s a new one causing quite the stir.

Apparently, there’s some confusion of the proper way to say "Reese’s," in reference to the popular peanut butter candy. It’s such a hot button issue that the argument even made its way into the latest season of "Orange is the New Black."

Somebody in an episode of OITNB said "Reese's Pieces" the way I say it. It's nice to finally see my identity represented in mainstream media

— goopster (@emiiyd) June 10, 2017

omg they're talking about how to pronounce "reese's pieces" on oitnb bless someone for bringing this up

— jordan | 2 (@jasperskaikru) June 10, 2017

So, what’s the debate? Some people insist on pronouncing it “Rees-EES” as it would rhyme with “CiCi’s” despite the fact that the commercials always pronounce it “Rees-IS” as it rhymes with “pieces.” (Although those on the “Rees-EES” side seem to pronounce the candy variety “Rees-EES Piec-EESE.”)

Need confirmation? Here’s a 2017 commercial featuring audible pronunciation of the product:

Spoon University recently wrote an article about the history of the candy that gives a good explanation of why it’s pronounced the way it is. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were named after their founder, Harry Burnett Reese, so it’s a possessive form of his last name. It’d be the same as if you were talking about Reese Witherspoon’s movie: You’d say “Reese’s movie.”

if you pronounce reese's as "ree-sees" i just want to understand why you don't understand how apostrophe s shows possession

— abbi (@abbigaga) June 14, 2017

But if you’re on Team “Rees-EES,” don’t be too devastated. The bright side is that no matter what you call it, it’ll still taste just as delicious. (But let's be clear: You're still wrong.)