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Original poster

Dahlia - how would you pronounce it?

59 replies

goofygoober · 02/05/2014 21:05

We like this name for a girl - but do you say Dah-lee ya or Day-lee ya?

Thanks?

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MerryMarigold · 02/05/2014 22:33

I know this sounds silly but...

If I saw it as a name 'Dahlia Smythe' I would think it's Dah-lee-ah

But in a garden centre I would refer to them as Day-lee-ers. Maybe it's a singular and plural thing. You never get one Day-lee-er (flower) on its own!

RiverTam · 02/05/2014 22:38

Day-lia, like the flower. There's a character called this in Suburgatory - they pronounced it Dar-lia, which I thought sounded a bit daft.

AiryFairyHairyAndScary · 02/05/2014 22:40

MerryMarigold has it!

Dar-lee-ya - if a name

Day-lee-ya if it's a flower

BigfootFiles · 02/05/2014 22:43

There's a sitcom on E4 called Suburgatory which has a character called Dalia, whose name is pronounced "Dar-lee-a".

Dahlia, I would assumed to be pronounced like the flower.

BigfootFiles · 02/05/2014 22:44

x-post with RiverTam - but the character in Suburgatory spells it without the 'h'.

Alisvolatpropiis · 02/05/2014 23:29

Dah-lee-ah

Surely it is phonetic?

beershuffle · 02/05/2014 23:31

Dah-lee-a. And I speak English.

Alisvolatpropiis · 02/05/2014 23:33

Beer you and I can speak our own brand of English and leave the rest to it Grin

Orangeisthenewbanana · 03/05/2014 01:48

Mmm....you made me think there.

As someone's name I would use Dar-lee-a.
For the flower I would use Day-lee-a though.

Couldn't for the life of you tell you why I hear them differently in my head I'm afraid, sorry!

Orangeisthenewbanana · 03/05/2014 01:51

X-post MerryMarigold! Sorry, on threads like these, I try not to read the other replies before I answer Smile

ThingsThatShine · 03/05/2014 01:51

Dah lee ah

Didn't cross my mind that it would be day lee a for the name until I read this!

TequilaMockingbirdy · 03/05/2014 01:59

Dar-lia

florascotia · 03/05/2014 21:21

Dahl -ee-ah

As previous poster said, the modern name originated with Swedish botanist surnamed Dahl = Dahl or (less accurately) Darl.

Of course, the flower had an earlier name in its own indigenous culture, but that has been largely forgotten ( a great shame).

livingatheendofthewall · 05/05/2014 00:08

Dahl-ya

scottishmummy · 05/05/2014 00:13

Dah-lie-lah

AiryFairyHairyAndScary · 05/05/2014 01:08

ScottishMummy. I think you might be thinking of Grin

Dahlia - how would you pronounce it?
scottishmummy · 05/05/2014 01:10

I wasn't,but ohh my,thats a great link and picture.thanks

AiryFairyHairyAndScary · 05/05/2014 01:11
Smile
Pregnantberry · 05/05/2014 01:27

Dar-lee-ah

BackforGood · 05/05/2014 01:31

Day-lee-arrr

Although in the American Sitcom I was watching last year, there was a girl they called Dar-lia, so maybe that's the American way to pronounce it ? or maybe it's a different name after all

Salazar · 05/05/2014 02:44

I pronounce the flower day-Leah

But the 22 year old Dahlia I know pronounces it Dar-lee-ah

Thumbwitch · 05/05/2014 02:46

Day-lee-ah.

Some Aussies pronounce it as dar-leea - confused the hell out of me to start with!

But I don't like Dar-leea as a name, reminds me too much of Darla, which is the name of the awful child in Finding Nemo. Grin

YoungBritishPissArtist · 05/05/2014 05:07

Never met a Dahlia but know a Dalia (Arabic) pron. DAH-lee-ah.

Eastpoint · 05/05/2014 05:31

Finnish girl at school pronounces it Dah-lia

There is also a girl with the name Dalia which is pronounced the same way.

beershuffle · 05/05/2014 12:33

Well youmust have beenthinking of something else, sm, because your pronounciation isnt possible, youneed a second L that isnt actually there.

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