Jake Gyllenhaal finally confirms how to pronounce his name correctly
William Clark
Updated on April 03, 2026
Jake Gyllenhaal might be one of the biggest stars in the Hollywood entertainment industry, but for decades many people have been saying his name incorrectly.
Jake turned 42 on December 19, and it is likely that for most of those years he has been correcting people on how to say his name. As the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, he grew up in a creative household. However, he was born into a surname that was rather tricky to say…Ever thought of having a stage name, Jake?
We’ve all been guilty of mispronouncing a name, but when it comes to celebrities as big as Jake Gyllenhaal there’s no excuse.
Gyllenhaal says Swedes and Ikea workers are only people to pronounce his name right
There are two sides to this debate. People either say his name like Jake ‘Gill-and-hall’ or Jake ‘Ji-len-hall’.
Finally, the man himself has revealed the correct way to say his name after years of people stumbling over their words. In an interview with Conan O’Brien a few years ago, Jake explained the roots of where his surname originates from. Surprisingly, it turns out that he is half-Swedish.
Jake confessed that practically no one says his name correctly and the only people who have the exact pronunciation are native Swedes, and hilariously, people who work at Ikea – a Swedish found home furnishing company.
Gyllenhaal gushed that Swedes are “pretty great people” and jested that they even come with instructions; referencing Ikea flat-pack ready-to-build furniture.
Jake Gyllenhaal finally confirms how to pronounce his name correctly
Conan O’Brien simply can’t stop trying to pronounce his name correctly and it appears he’s practiced as he almost aced it. Before Jake demonstrated the perfect way to say his name as he exclaimed: “Yee-len-hay-ler.”
To which O’Brien jested: “Yee-len-hello?”
Conan tries the pronunciation once more time with a slight accent before yelling that they have to stop otherwise people in the street will start screaming at him.
O’Brien then jested: “I could ruin your career.”
The duo then asked fellow actor Andy Richter who joined them on the show, how to pronounce his second name. Andy’s heritage has been widely debated causing the actor to seek a DNA ancestry test which he shared on Twitter. Interestingly, Conan also has some Swedish in him!
