Irene - pronunciation?

I'm not british but I'd pronounce both Irene and Eirene the same way, Eye-reen.

The russian name mentioned above is Irina and the proper pronunciation for that is Ee-ree-na.

I really like the name Irene (pronounced Eye-reen). Sadly in my language it'd be pronounced Ee-renn which I don't like at all.

The pronunciation Eye-ree-nee looks weird to me though.

She will, yes. I like I-ree-nee too, but would usually expect I-reen.

Love the name! My DD has it as a middle name after a relative.

I knew a few woman born in the 1920s called Irene - all pronounced it Eye-ree-nee, but also shortened it to Rene (Ree-nee). It's a recognised pronunciation, but you'll likely have to put up with people pronouncing it Eye-reen.

However, many names have ambiguous pronunciations. My friend is called Maya and everyone assumes she pronounces it My-a. Actually, she pronounces it May-a. She just corrects people and it's no big deal.

A friend's daughter, Hermione, often had people pronouncing her name Herm-ee-own. Then Harry Potter came along and solved that one. It just takes someone to popularise the Eye-ree-nee pronunciation and you'd be fine.

I had aunts and neighbours known as Ree-ne which I'm guessing was a pet version of Irene, which is pronounce Eye-reen

I think also, people will assume if you call your child ireney that her actual name is irene and ireney is her nickname

It’s definitely eye-reen everywhere I’ve ever lived. I think you want a different name, so perhaps spell it differently. Ireney or Irenie?

I'd go Ireny like Irony

Irene is eye reen

Your dh is right re your suggestion

I pronounce it Ih-reh-neh

3 syllables

I know an Iryna not quite the same but a nice name.

I’m living in Spain and it’s much more popular here than in the uk so I’m more used to the Ee-Rey-ney pronunciation. It’s not difficult for people to say so I think they’d get used to it quickly, especially if you use Reenee as a nickname. And if she ever moves to Europe it’s by far the more natural pronunciation for most people. My Nan’s sister (English, born 1920 ish) was a Reenee. I always thought it was lovely.

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Apologies, I meant the same -ee end-sound as in Hermione, Ariadne, Aphrodite, psyche, Nike

Simply put, Irene (3 syllables) is a beautiful name. Irene (mispronounced 2 syllables) is also fine if you like it. Most people don't. Oxford Dictionary and Collins Dictionary offer both pronunciations as alternatives. Everyone named Irene before it fell it the hands of songsters (Good Night Irene I'll see you in my dream... ouch!) pronounced their name with all 3 syllables. It means the Goddess of Peace and Tranquillity. It conforms to the same 'knee' pronunciation at the end, as Ariadne, Hermione, Aphrodite, or just psyche. Or, actually your shoes: Nike. It is not exclusive to Greeks alone. Many Victorian and 1930s Englishwomen adopted it as a 3-syllable name, until people began to mispronounce it.

Cherish it, bring it back, use it. I teach my daughter to say, 'It's Irene with -ee at the end. Just like Nike.'

After all, if your name is Anne and everyone spells it Ann, you say, 'I spell it with an 'e'. What could be simpler?

I was named Irene (pronounced Irenie) after my maternal grandmother, and no one here in the US has ever heard that pronunciation before; they think it’s a nickname. I’ve learned to just deal with it and keep the original spelling.

I would assume it was pronounced Eye-Reen, had no idea there was an alternative pronunciation.

I know a woman called Iryna (she's Ukrainian), pronounced as you'd expect, eye-reen-a

eye reen

I always knew that Irene Adler in Sherlock Holmes was meant to be pronounced I-ree-nee but have never heard it otherwise; I think it's one where the original pronunciation has been lost and everyone will always call her eye-reen I'm afraid. For what's it's worth I really like the I-ree-nee pronunciation though!

I once knew an Irinie - pronounced the way you want and spelt Irinie.
I always thought how pretty it sounded.

I went to school with an Irene pronounced eye-ree-nee. Nobody mispronounced her name.

I have met Greek and Italian women who are called Irene/Ireni and the “e” sound on the end is pronounced. In English though Irene is just 2 syllables like most people have said. So I think you’d need to use the spelling Ireni in the Uk if you want that sound. I do have an Australian/Greek friend who spells it Ireenee, but I think this is because her Greek parents moved to Australia and knew how it would be pronounced using the usual spelling. I think it’s a bit of an odd spelling.

Iris and Ivy are back, so why not Irene.

The op's Irene will be 8 now...

Can’t believe this name is coming back! The older women I know who were born with this name all absolutely hate it and go by their middle names my late grandmother included. Every elderly client with this name I have had uses her middle name.