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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Anna

37 replies

SuedeEffectPochette · 04/03/2014 13:39

Is this name pronounced different in England and America? I would say Anna rhymes with spanner but watching Frozen it seems to be more like "Arna" in that film....

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Original poster
SuedeEffectPochette · 04/03/2014 22:32

I am finding it really tricky to imagine how to say spanner without it sounding like "spanna" but obviously I am too southern to hear it! Even though half my family are from Scotland!

OP posts:
Ludways · 04/03/2014 20:22

One of my greatest friends in an American Annie, said exactly the same way as over here.

Burren · 04/03/2014 20:18

This is a rhotic vs non-rhotic accent difference. Rhotic accents (Irish accents and Scots accents among them) pronounce the letter 'r' wherever it occurs ('butteR', 'haRD'), but non-rhotic accents (prob majority of English accents, though not by any means all) only pronounce it in some places, and not in a word like spanner, butter or hard. Rhotic a would say 'butta' or 'buttuh' and 'haad'. So to a non-rhotic accent Anna sounds like spanner (pron 'spanna'/'spannuh'), but as the rest of us say 'spannER', it doesn't sound anything like Anna.

looki · 04/03/2014 19:03

Spanner is not pronounced spanna but Anna is pronounced Anner. It doesn't make any sense.

CleverOl10 · 04/03/2014 18:46

The Anna in Frozen is said in a European way not a British way. My sister is called Anna, rhyming with Hannah (and imo spanner but not going there!!) It's a great name and she's always loved it.

Mireio · 04/03/2014 17:56

From my experience, I think in the US Anna is "ANN-a" and Ana with one n is "ON-a" (or "AWN-a").

squoosh · 04/03/2014 17:28

My accent is e-rhotically rhotic.

florascotia · 04/03/2014 17:13

just as rosie says, it all depends on how you say the 'r' after a vowel. Think of the difference between 'buttuh' and 'butter'.

How you say 'r' depends on your local accent. With RP for example, you say 'buttuh' and 'spannah'. With most Scottish accents - and in several other parts of the UK -you say 'butter' and 'spanner'.

So Anna sometimes does - and sometimes does not - rhyme with spanner!

YouGrateMyCheese · 04/03/2014 17:10

Token American here. Here's the general breakdown:

Anna = Ann-uh
Ana = Awn-uh
Anya = Awn-ya

I've never heard Anna pronounced like Ana. And it certainly doesn't rhyme with spanner!

Floggingmolly · 04/03/2014 16:55

Spanner is not pronounced spann-a Confused. How the fuck could it be?

RiverTam · 04/03/2014 16:50

Anna
spanna

Harper, though, I would promounce a bit more 'er' rather than 'a' or 'ah' at the end, don't know why.

Londoner with stupid RP accent over here.

rosielrh2 · 04/03/2014 16:46

Anna rhymes with Hannah which most certainly rhymes with spanner. If spanner is spoken with a rhotic accent that pronounces final 'r' sound then it won't rhyme but nonetheless it is very unlikely that Anna would be pronounced as Ahn-na in UK accents

mummytime · 04/03/2014 16:27

Nope er can code in my accent for: er/a sound or ir or ur, harper is more Harp-ur I think.

flipflopsonfifthavenue · 04/03/2014 15:54

my friend Anna is nicknamed Spanner.

I think that proves CONCLUSIVELY that it ryhmes ;)

looki · 04/03/2014 15:39

If you pronounce spanner as spanna, do you pronounce Harper as Harpa?

DramaAlpaca · 04/03/2014 15:25

In my northern English accent Anna rhymes with spanner.

In my DH's Irish accent Anna most definitely doesn't rhyme with spannurr.

It definitely depends on accent.

It's one of my favourite names either way.

squoosh · 04/03/2014 15:24

I think not pronouncing the 'er' in words is a South of England thing. The amount of time on MN I've seen people refer to a 'chest of draws'................

wigglesrock · 04/03/2014 15:20

I say it like you squoosh. Spanner rhymes with banner, er like cleaner, finer, Winter.

JuanFernandezTitTyrant · 04/03/2014 15:15

I am in a position to rule authoritatively on this issue.

Anna is a wonderful name Wink that rhymes with spanner. I should know, I spent my primary years being called "Spanner [other DIY implement that rhymes with my surname]".

I have never heard it pronounced Ar-na.

squoosh · 04/03/2014 15:10

spa-nurr is the correct pronunciation I would venture, seeing as the word ends in 'er'.

squoosh · 04/03/2014 15:09

Spanner pronounced spann-a looks very Alfie Moon to me.

Writerwannabe83 · 04/03/2014 15:08

Anna rhymes with spanner Smile

And is one of my favourite girl's names Smile

mummytime · 04/03/2014 15:04

I pronounce Anna as Ann-a, and Spanner as spann-a.
Spa-nurr looks more West midlands to me.

I think the film pronounciation is a toned down scandanavian, which sounds more Ann-na to me.

wigglesrock · 04/03/2014 14:53

I have one & it rhymes with banana.

When we went to see Frozen my other daughters took the piss out of "our Anna" because of the way it was pronounced in the film. It was like Awna.

Enidosaurus · 04/03/2014 14:53

Anna and spanner rhyme in my London accent. It's a beautiful name. Was on our list for DD

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