IKEA has made a major change for baffled British shoppers who have spent years struggling to pronounce its famously confusing Swedish product names.
Millions of IKEA shoppers who have spent years stumbling over the retailer’s famously tricky product names are finally getting some help.
The Swedish furniture giant has introduced a new feature allowing customers to hear exactly how its products are meant to be pronounced.
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The update has been added to the IKEA app and lets users tap a button to listen to the correct pronunciation of product names directly from product pages, as reported by What’s The Jam.
It is available across all markets and languages except Swedish, where customers presumably already know how to say them.
The move is likely to be welcomed by shoppers who have long-struggled with names such as POÄNG, KLIPPAN, KALLAX and BLÅHAJ.
IKEA said the feature was designed to remove the guesswork and make it easier for customers to navigate one of the world’s most recognisable product ranges.
The retailer’s unusual naming system dates back to founder Ingvar Kamprad, who introduced product names instead of numerical codes because he had dyslexia and found names easier to remember.
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What started as a practical solution eventually evolved into one of the company’s most distinctive trademarks.
Today, thousands of IKEA products follow a carefully structured naming system.
Far from being random, different categories are linked to specific themes.
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Sofas and armchairs are often named after places in Sweden, while bathroom products commonly take inspiration from lakes and seas.
Other products are named after Swedish words, expressions or elements of everyday life.
One of the retailer’s best-known products, the BILLY bookcase, is believed to have been named after former advertising manager Billy Liljedahl, who repeatedly pointed out that IKEA lacked a proper bookshelf in its range.
The OMTÄNKSAM collection takes its name from the Swedish word for being thoughtful or considerate and was developed with healthcare experts to make everyday life easier for more people.
Meanwhile, STOLLE, a decorative ornament inspired by Sweden’s famous Dala horse, takes its name from a Swedish word used to describe somebody who is slightly silly or delightfully goofy.
Even BLÅHAJ, the retailer’s hugely popular blue shark soft toy, has developed an international fanbase despite many customers having no idea how to pronounce its name correctly.
IKEA said the pronunciation tool was first conceived during an internal app hackathon after staff realised even some employees struggled to say certain product names.
Software engineer Filip Larsson said: “This started when we were working on the collection NYTILLVERKAD, and several people on our team had a really hard time pronouncing it.”
The idea eventually became a winning project and was rolled out across the app earlier this year.
Since launching in February 2026, IKEA says around 8,000 people globally have been using the feature every day.
The retailer said the tool helps customers interact more confidently with IKEA’s Swedish heritage while preserving a naming tradition that has been part of the company’s identity for decades.
The change comes as IKEA continues to modernise its digital shopping experience while keeping many of the traditions that have helped make the brand instantly recognisable around the world.
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