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How do these names sound to English speakers?

13 replies

Natsku · 25/09/2017 13:41

Live in Finland so baby (boy) will have a Finnish name but a key part of my criteria is that its easy for English speakers to pronounce and spell because my family are in the UK and it wouldn't be nice if they get his name wrong all the time but I've been living here too long so I automatically pronounce names the Finnish way so its hard to think how an English speaker would say it.

So these are the options (well so far):

Aslak
Otso
Oskari
Tomi

OP posts:
AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 25/09/2017 13:43

I'd pronounce them:

Az-lack
Ott-sew
Oscar-ee

Wouldn't know whether Tomi was Toe-mee or Tommy.

ineedamoreadultieradult · 25/09/2017 13:44

Well I would pronounce them
Az-lac
Otso
Oz-car-e
Tommy

I think Tomi if you pronounce it like Tommy would be the most usual to British ears but I can't see any of them being too problematic.

IceRebel · 25/09/2017 13:45

I've only come across Otso before but will try my best to show how I would pronounce them

As-Lak (Lak pronounced like back)
Ot-so
Os-Kari (Like carry) Although I really want to just say Oskar (Oscar)
Tomi (Like Tommy)

SpuriouserAndSpuriouser · 25/09/2017 13:47

I would say:

Azz-lack
Ott-soh
Oscar-y
Tow-mi

I have no idea if I am butchering the pronunciation but I think they are all nice names!

Eolian · 25/09/2017 13:48

They all look fairly easy to pronounce and are lovely names.

LaContessaDiPlump · 25/09/2017 13:49

Shamefully, I'd avoid Aslak as there is potential for it to be mispronounced 'Ass-lack' over here. Kids (even cousins) can be mean.

I think Otso is the one which is most likely to be pronounced correctly, as it is sufficiently different from english names. Tomi will end up as Tommy and Oskari as Oscar....

Natsku · 25/09/2017 13:57

Shamefully, I'd avoid Aslak as there is potential for it to be mispronounced 'Ass-lack' over here. Kids (even cousins) can be mean

That's not really far off the pronunciation anyway (as(like the word 'as')-lak) but ass might get used by cousins, that's a good point.

OP posts:
LaContessaDiPlump · 25/09/2017 14:02

Yep. Sorry.... in my experience of being a child and now having two of my own, it's better not to give them any ammunition or they will use it mercilessly.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 25/09/2017 18:04

Is Tomi pronounced Tommy ?

Natsku · 25/09/2017 18:45

Yeah Tomi is pronounced Tommy

So it seems that Otso might be pronounced a bit wrong, with a long O instead of a short O at the end and Aslak might inspire ass jokes (but is my favourite) but Tomi and Oskari are likely to pronounced right (Oskari would probably be shortened to Osku for a nickname)

OP posts:
Lemondrop99 · 25/09/2017 21:23

Oskari is lovely

brownfang · 25/09/2017 21:24

Asda... Fatso...
Oskari & Tomi work ok.

Natsku · 26/09/2017 08:56

Asda Grin

OP posts:
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