Throughout the history of Pokémon, nearly 900 different creatures have been introduced. These Pokémon all have wildly different names, many based on a combination of real items or animals and others completely made up. It's only natural, then, that the way fans pronounce these Pokémon names don't exactly line up for everyone.
This isn't a problem unique to Pokémon, as people tend to pronounce all kinds of things differently - especially words they've only seen in text, where pronunciation isn't always clear. Many Pokémon names come across as fairly straightforward, but there are quite a few that players hold differing opinions on, and pronunciations can get even more complicated when different local accents are taken into account.
Longtime Pokémon fans often use the anime as a source for proper name pronunciations. When a new generation of games releases, players might refer to a Pokémon however they think it's pronounced, but this generally changes once they appear in the anime. Still, there are plenty of players who don't watch the anime, and even the anime itself has been inconsistent with some Pokémon's names. Some fans have taken to trusting the Pokédex 3D Pro app for the 3DS, which includes pronunciations for the first 649 Pokémon, but given discrepancies between the app and the anime, it's still not clear what's official canon.
The following Pokémon were selected based on pronunciations in the anime, in "Pokétuber" TouTube videos, and what Screen Rant staff remembers hearing from childhood friends and acquaintances.
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Pidgeot
Pidgeot begins, much like Pidgey and Pidgeotto before it, with "pij-ee," followed by "ott." This is the way Ash says it, and many Pokémon fans have followed suit. However, some call it "pij-it." In this case, Pokédex 3D Pro pronounces it like the anime.
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Rattata
Despite the spelling including only one "tat," some fans grew up believing the Pokémon Rattata is called "Ra-tat-tat-a," likely because of the onomatopoeic "rat-a-tat-tat." Just like it's spelled, Pokédex 3D Pro pronounces it "Ra-tat-a."
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Raikou
According to Pokédex 3D Pro, this Pokémon's name is pronounced "Rye-coh." Players have varied on the pronunciation of Raikou for its entire existence, calling it either by that official pronunciation or by "Rye-coo."
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Rayquaza
From the moment Pokémon Ruby & Sapphire released, a large group of fans pronounced this Pokémon's name as "Ray-quah-zuh," and nobody batted an eye. Then the anime came out and revealed it's actually pronounced "Ray-quay-zuh" - a pronunciation consistent with Pokédex 3D Pro. Even so, there are probably plenty of fans who still refuse to accept the official name.
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Dialga
One of the stars of the upcoming Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Dialga's name is often pronounced one of a few ways: "Dee-al-guh," "Dee-all-guh," Dye-al-guh," or "Dye-all-guh." Pokédex 3D Pro goes with the last of these.
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Arceus
Many fans still call this Pokémon "Are-see-us," refusing to use the anime's (and Pokédex 3D Pro's) official pronunciation of "Arc-ee-us." It's staring fans in the face, headlining the series' first foray into an open-world format with Pokémon Legends: Arceus. It's worth noting, though, that British fans may have always pronounced it this way, as to avoid saying "arse" in the middle of the Pokémon's name.
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Nihilego
Everything about Sun and Moon's Ultra Beasts was weird, and Nihilego's potential pronunciations might be the weirdest. Is it "Nye-ill-ego," "Nee-hill-ego," "Nye-hee-lego," or some other combination? Is the "h" silent, or is there some other way to say it? The anime has yet to provide an official pronunciation, and Nihilego isn't included in Pokédex 3D Pro.
Confusing Pokémon Name Pronunciations: Toxtricity
Much like Rattata before it, some fans have taken to pronouncing Toxtricity like "Toxi-tricity" or "Toxic-tricity." There's no official pronunciation yet for this Pokémon, but as there's nothing between the "x" and the "t," it's almost certainly just "Tox-tricity."
This is only the scratching the surface of Pokémon mispronunciations. The names of Pokémon like Suicune and Gliscor are notoriously debated, and even the anime's official PokéRaps were stuffed with pronunciations that were nowhere near correct, like Hoenn's "Guh-roo-don" and "Kee-oh-gree." That's just the nature of the beast in a series with so many made-up creatures names like Pokémon.