Denzel Washington calls out people for mispronouncing his name — here’s how to say it

Everyone has been mispronouncing Denzel Washington’s name — all thanks to his mom.

The actor spoke to Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday about the moniker’s correct pronunciation as they discussed all the NFL players with the same name.

“This is how you know they named themselves after me,” the Golden Globe winner, 70, said during the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” appearance. “My name is not pronounced Denzel.”

Instead of “DEN-zel,” Washington said his name correctly and clipped the second syllable to sound like “DEN-zuhl.”

He explained, “My father’s Denzel Hayes Washington Sr. I’m Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. My mother, [Pauletta Washington], would say ‘Denzel,’ and we’d both show up.

“So she said, ‘From now on, you’re Denzel,’” Denzel recalled, using the pronunciation he is known for. “That’s how we got Denzel.”

Kimmel, 57, replied, “That’s smart.”

There are, currently, “four players named Denzel in the NFL,” which the talk show host said increased after Washington won his first Oscar in 1990.

“There [were] zero in 1987,” Kimmel pointed out.

Denzel agreed, “I know. There are a lot of Denzels now.”

The “Highest 2 Lowest” star previously shared his mother’s strategy while on the “Graham Norton Show” in 2013.

He trolled Graham Norton at the time, repeating his moniker both ways as the 62-year-old inquired which was the right way to say Denzel.

Recently, Kirsten Dunst made similar headlines over “everyone” mispronouncing her name — which she revealed should be said “Keer-sten.”

“I don’t care,” the actress, 43, quipped in a Town & Country interview last month, clarifying that she will “answer to” anything.

“You just give up,” she said, laughing off the common mistake.