How Do You Pronounce 'LaCroix'?

For decades, Perrier was the sparkling water of choice for beverage enthusiasts. More recently, an upstart named LaCroix has captured the attention of millennials who don’t much care for Perrier’s elitist stature. Sold in aluminum cans rather than glass bottles and featuring festive, Florida-tinged designs (the parent company, National Beverage, is based in Fort Lauderdale), LaCroix has managed to become a market leader in bubbly water. National Beverage claims it’s the number one brand.

While consumers may enjoy the taste, requesting a LaCroix can be slightly problematic if you don’t know how to pronounce the name. Like the acai berry and quinoa before it, the name can be troublesome to the tongue.

The company instructs that the proper pronunciation is “Lah-croy,” rhyming with “enjoy.”

The name comes from the fact that LaCroix was originally developed in Wisconsin back in 1981. The “La” is for the city of La Crosse, and “Croix” from the St. Croix River.

Uttering “La-crux” might get you some judgmental stares among the bubbly water elite. Affecting a French accent and coughing out “la-kwah” might get you pardoned from the table. Stick with “lah croy." If you need a mnemonic device, you can tell yourself it rhymes with “enjoy.” Or you could just order tap water.