How to pronounce Maya / Maia

[JassyRadlett]

I'm Australian. DH is English.

Discussing this, we realised we pronounce Maya differently. I've never heard it in Australia/the US as anything but 'My-uh'. DH defaults to May-uh.

We both pronounce Maia to rhyme with Gaia: 'My-uh'.

So, what's standard in Britain for each? Don't want to give any potential child a name that's not useable in both countries.

And how to you pronounce the name of the Mayan people?

[WanderingTrolley1]

May-a or My-a.

[Purpleroxy]

Maya is usually My-ah IME but I do know one who uses May-ah. I wouldn't use the name if you are concerned about pronounciation issues. It has variants even just in this country. And it will be misspelled. One Maya I know regularly gets it written as Mya.

You could use Mia (mee-ah) if you want less ambiguity.

[1morecupofcoffee]

I think most people would pronounce both Maya and Maia as My-uh/My-ah depending on accent (not May-uh/May-ah), and I'm pretty sure that My-uh/My-ah is how the name of the people is supposed to be pronounced too.

[zingally]

I only know it as My-ah.

[mildmaygrovenorth]

A friend's Maia is pronounced My-ah

[Letthemtalk]

my- ah

[AnnieLobeseder]

My DD is Maya, pronounced My-uh, but she gets called May-uh all the time (and even Mia occasionally) and it drives her mad. A former boss also had a daughter called Maya and they pronounced it May-uh. So I think both pronunciations are used in this country, so if you use it, be prepared for some ambiguity.

[JassyRadlett]

Thanks all, v helpful. As you say, too much variation!

Not keen on Mia really - and too many among immediate friends anyway. Very different sound to my ears.

[aubreye]

Maya is My-ah and Maia is My-ah but I've heard it as May-ah sometimes

[ralinax294]

I always read Maya as May-ah and Maia as My-ah.

[divingoffthebalcony]

I would pronounce them the same: my-ah.

[GinAndSonic]

Id say May-ah, Mya would be My-ah and Mia is Me-ah

[rachel234]

As Gin said:

Maya May-a
Mya My-a
Mia Mee-a

But people will pronounce them differently so perhaps one to avoid if that would bother you.

[JassyRadlett]

For those saying May-a, do you

[JassyRadlett]

Oops, sorry. Do you also pronounce the name of the Mayan civilisation that way - or does it not come up enough to have a standard UK pronunciation?

[babyblabber]

I've only ever heard it as my-ah.

[MrsBungle]

My friends Maia is pronounced may-ah.

I would pronounce maya as may-ah too as I don't know any and would just pronounce as it sounds so I've learnt something on this thread!

[maggiethemagpie]

I would pronounce Maya - May(as in the month)-a. I have a friend whose daughter's name is spelled and pronounced this way.
I would pronounce Maia My-a
I have a friend called Mair - welsh name- pronounced My-a. Although I'm ashamed to say I called her May-a for the first six years of her friendship. And she never corrected me (but everyone else calls her Mair and that is actually how the name is pronounced so she was just being polite)

[NannyPeach]

It's My-ah

[NadiaWadia]

It's my-a. May-a is something that has come in recently and I think it maybe originated as a misunderstanding - thinking the name was just an extension of May, which of course has been very popular recently, especially as a middle name.

[clary]

Last year I taught Maya - said My-uh

Also Maya - said May-uh

Also Maia - said May-uh

Also Mia - said My-uh

Also Mia - said Mee-uh

Also Mhea - said Mee-uh

sometimes I got them muddled up.

FWIW I would say Maya May-uh and Maia the same. Mia OTOH is surely Mee-uh.

[PamShoo]

I would pronounce both names differently;

Maya = May-ah
Maia = My-uh

[JassyRadlett]

Sleepy, where in Australia are you? The only Australian ones I know are My-uh - weird!

The name is almost definitely off the list.