Proper Enunciation of Alysa Liu’s Name
Since clinching the gold medal in figure skating at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Alysa Liu appears to be everywhere. From going viral with her lively routine to PinkPantheress’ “Stateside” to standing up for fellow athlete Eileen Gu against her critics, her star shines brilliantly. However, even though she is a prominent figure in sports and pop culture right now, it seems many of us have been mispronouncing her name all along. Fortunately, she has now clarified it.
In a conversation with Newsweek, Liu was inquired about the correct pronunciation of her name, as it appears to have been mispronounced in the media multiple times in recent weeks. “Technically, this is how my family pronounces my name ‘Ah-lee-sa Lee-oh.’ That’s technically how you say my name. But ‘Ah-liss-uh’ is what my friends call me. And that’s what the world calls me.”
Liu acknowledges that her name, particularly her last name, can be tricky to pronounce. “I personally don’t mind,” she shares. “Technically, the right way is ‘Lee-oh,’ but that can be difficult to pronounce. I don’t anticipate people knowing how to say that.”
Even with Liu’s relaxed approach to how her name is pronounced, fans still wish to make the effort to say it correctly, especially since others have managed to do so for celebrities with challenging last names. “If the world can figure out [Timothy] Chalamet, they can learn Liu,” one commenter rightly observes. Moreover, knowing this will certainly be useful as many people globally share her surname. According to Ancestry, Liu is one of the most prevalent last names in China, as well as among the Chinese diaspora worldwide.
You can view Alysa Liu explaining how to pronounce her name in the video below.
Olympic gold-winning figure skater Alysa Liu clarified how to accurately pronounce her name during an interview.
Sources: Alysa Liu Stands Up for Eileen Gu After ‘Hypocritical’ Comments from Critics About Representing China
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