• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sublime Succulents
  • Welcome to Sublime Succulents
  • Care Guides
    • Watering
      • How to Water Succulents and Cacti: The Ultimate Guide
      • Is My Succulent Over or Under Watered: Knowing the Difference
      • How Long Can Succulents Go Without Water?
    • Light
      • Light and Sun for Succulents and Cacti: The Ultimate Guide
      • Grow Lights for Succulents – Best Indoor & Outdoor Use Guide
      • How to Grow Colorful Succulents
    • Soil
      • Soil for Succulents and Cacti: Ultimate Guide
      • Succulent Soil vs Gritty Mix: Which is Better?
      • 7 Best Succulent and Cactus Soils
      • Should I put gravel in the bottom of a pot?
    • Propagation
      • Succulent Propagation: The Ultimate Guide
      • How Often to Water Propagated Succulents to Encourage Growth
      • Water Propagation for Succulents – How to Avoid Root Rot Guide
    • Fertilizer
      • How and When to Fertilize Succulents
      • Best Liquid Fertilizer in 2022 (Our Reviews & Comparisons)
      • How Often Should I Give My Plant Nutrients?
    • Pots and Planters
      • How to Care for Succulents in Pots without Drainage Holes
      • Best Pots For Succulents in 2022 (Our Reviews & Comparisons)
      • Should Succulents Be Planted in the Ground or in Pots?
    • Beginners: Start Here
      • 7 Best Places to Buy Succulents Online 2022
      • Succulent Starter Pack
      • How to Identify Root Rot and Treat It
  • Shop Succulents
    • Accessories
    • Pots and Planters
    • Soil and Fertilizer
    • Books
    • Plants
    • Grow Lights
  • Succulent Types
    • Easy Beginner Succulents
    • Indoor Succulents
    • Succulents by Color
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Care
  • Beginners
  • Reviews
  • Sorting
  • Types
  • Beginner Buys
search icon
Homepage link
  • Care
  • Beginners
  • Reviews
  • Sorting
  • Types
  • Beginner Buys
×

How to Pronounce "Echeveria"

Modified: Jun 10, 2022 by Patrick Green · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Echeveria lola in a pot on a table.

I bet you didn't expect a linguistics lesson on a succulent site! Well, Sublime Succulents is all about education - so sorry if you don't like it. You'll just have to succ it up!

Bad puns aside, this is an oft-encountered issue. Echeveria are some of the most common (and beautiful) of succulents. They've got that sexy symmetry and perfect plumpness that defines the succulent family.

Jump to:
  • Why Latin names?
  • How to Pronounce Echeveria
  • The Verdict

Why Latin names?

Echeveria elegans in rocky soil outdoor.

You know why we use Latin names - to prevent the confusion that comes from common names. People call the same thing lots of different names, usually depending on where they're from. The worst offender for multiple common names, in my opinion, is the pill bug/sow bug/roly-poly/wood louse/whatever. That little terrestrial crustacean has about 100 names.

Mountain crest garden's free mistery succulent with each order banner

Echeveria is the genus of plants that contains such beauties as Echeveria pulidonis "Esther" and Echeveria "Abalone". The common name for Echeveria is "hens and chicks", due to its propensity for sprouting offshoots that crowd about the base of the mother plant (much like a mother hen and its chicks).

No products found.

You might know, astute succulent enthusiasts that you are, "hens and chicks" is also the common name for Sempervivum - an entirely different genus of plants! The reason for this double naming is that Sempervivum also have that lovely habit of producing lots of offshoots. To tell the difference between the two genera (plural of genus) is not difficult, here are some tips on how to distinguish Echeveria and Sempervivum.

How to Pronounce Echeveria

Two echeveria minima in a pot.

Anyway, back to the main event. We've got this Latin word, Echeveria, and we need to know how to pronounce it. After all, any good conversation should include the word "Echeveria" at least once.

The only contention over the word is in the pronunciation of the first syllable - "ech". Do you pronounce it as "etch" or as "ek"?

Turns out, this is a bigger debate than you thought.

See, Latin doesn't actually have that soft "ch" sound that we have in English, like in "chore". When a "ch" shows up in Latin, it's usually because they borrowed a Greek word with the letter "chi" (pronounced kai). And indeed, in Latin, "ch" is pronounced hard like our English "k".

So that's a point for the "ekeveria" pronunciation. What about "etcheveria"?

Interestingly, the genus Echeveria is named after an 18th century Mexican botanical artist - Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy. That name, Echeverría, is still around today in several forms. It's pretty common, actually. And they definitely pronounce it with that soft "ch" (or "sh") in Spanish.

The real problem here is that Latin nomenclature isn't strict enough. Modern Latin nomenclature is a mixture of Latin, Greek, and neo-Latin (modern words made into Latin). The pronunciation differs depending on who's saying it. The genus for pine trees, Pinus, is always pronounced "pai-nus" even though (strictly speaking) it should be pronounced like "penis" (stop giggling).

Heck, they even have books for figuring out botanical Latin.

The Verdict

Echeveria shaviana hybrid in a pot.

There is no absolutely definitive answer, unfortunately.

You have the option to be a Latin purist and use that 'k' for "Ekeveria".

Or, you can consider the circumstances of its naming (and our current language conventions) and go with the soft "ch" sound for "etcheveria".

To be fair, most sources I could find used the second pronunciation: Here are some examples.

Frankly, in my opinion, "etcheveria" sounds better. It has a rounder, less harsh sound - which fits the character of the plants much better.

So that's it, folks, I'm calling it: the official stance of Sublime Succulents on the pronunciation of Echeveria is "etcheveria".

See Also:

  • 10 Non-Toxic, Pet-Safe Succulents
  • Succulent Propagation for Beginners
  • Hardiness Zones and Succulents

What do you think? Why? Tell us below in the comments!

« How to Treat Mealybugs on your Succulents
Complete Care Guide for Echeveria "Perle von Nurnburg" »

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • WhatsApp

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda Ramey

    May 21, 2019 at 8:31 am

    How deep should the soil be? I am planting several together.

    • Patrick Grubbs

      May 22, 2019 at 9:18 am

      In general, the deeper the soil the better. The larger the plant is, the deeper the soil should be too. I would recommend soil at least 3 or 4 inches deep for Echeveria.

  2. Lisa White

    June 30, 2019 at 6:09 am

    My feeling is that
    1. If we pronounce it "etcheveria," it isn't consistent with other Latin names of plants.
    2. Many people will think you're making a mistake and you sound a little ignorant (if you care!).

    • Patrick Grubbs

      July 03, 2019 at 10:25 am

      1. If you want to be very technical, we use “Scientific names” to categorize species, not Latin names. Most of them are Latin-based, of course, but not all. The scientific name for the octopus is Octopode, which is Greek! Echeveria happens to be Spanish.
      2. Yeah, you got me there. That’s pretty true.

  3. Gloria

    January 05, 2020 at 2:38 pm

    It should be eKevaria. I am a big proponent of using Latin names for all plants. There would be no confusion as to genus and pronunciation.

  4. Nora

    April 03, 2020 at 9:40 am

    Of course you all realise that there is a problem at the other end of Echeveria. Spaniards would say EcheveREEa, in a very colourful way, while English would probable go for EcheVEERia which has no charm at all !
    A bit like Siberia Hummmmmm.

Primary Sidebar

Fun head-shaped succulent planter growing beautiful succulents.

Hi, I'm Patrick! Welcome to SublimeSucculents.com, your one-stop source for everything related to growing and enjoying succulents!

More about me →

Popular Guides

  • Female artist pianting terracotta pots.
    How to Paint a Terracotta Pot - Simple Step by Step Painting Guide
  • Three snake plants in pot near a window.
    49 Types of Snake Plant - Most Popular Sansevieria Varieties
  • Man holding tablet, online succulent buying concept.
    7 Best Places to Buy Succulents Online in 2025
  • Pots with drilled hole and a driller on a table.
    How to Drill Drainage Holes in Terracotta and Clay
  • Lizzard on the rock close-up.
    11 Succulents Safe for Reptiles
  • Indoor succulent plants in pots.
    21 Best Low Light Indoor Succulents - Dead-Easy to Grow Inside

Recent Posts

  • Lithops adorable succulents grow in a black pot.
    10 Unique Mini Mesembs to Add To Your Garden
  • Ferocactus latispinus grows in a small plastic pot.
    15 Fierce Ferocacti Varieties for Your Garden
  • 30 Best Succulent Pots for All Styles
  • Graptoveria Moonglow in a plastic pot held by hand.
    16 Top Graptoveria Varieties Everyone Loves

Pages

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQs & About Me
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · Sublime Succulents LLC.