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Original poster

How do you pronounce Esme?

65 replies

Muddywellyboots · 29/01/2016 13:10

Our 3mo DD is called Esme. We love it and pronounce it Esmay. However everyone calls her Esmee despite us introducing her as Esmay. Just wondered what the consensus was?

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Original poster
Muddywellyboots · 29/01/2016 19:08

I wonder if it's a regional thing! We're in the South West so they love a long eee sound here! I'm starting to wonder if we just call her Esmee as everyone else does regardless of what we say!!

OP posts:
musicinspring1 · 29/01/2016 18:55

I have an Esme and pronounce it Ez-mee. Seems the most common way here (s london) unless it has an accent.

Copperkettle · 29/01/2016 18:51

Ezmee. Never known Ezmay

babyblabber · 29/01/2016 18:37

My niece's name Ez-may. Maybe it's coz we're in Ireland but had never heard of ez-mee til I joined mumsnet. Doesn't sound like a name to me at all!

PuppyMonkey · 29/01/2016 18:31

The French thing is a bit of a red herring as the name Esme actually has a big Scottish tradition too. There was a big explanation on one of the 50 billion other threads about it, maybe six or seven years ago.Smile

OvO · 29/01/2016 18:28

Ezmay.

I've only come across the Ezmee pronunciation on MN.

Sometimesithinkimbonkers · 29/01/2016 18:08

Es-mee for me too X

HairySubject · 29/01/2016 17:44

I thought it was Esmay, I haven't come across an Esmee yet.

IoraRua · 29/01/2016 17:39

Esmay.
I think it's much nicer imo.

AlmaMartyr · 29/01/2016 17:37

I've only ever heard it pronounced Ez-mee, and all the Esmes I've known were quite grown up so not recent pronunciation. I think both pronunciations are pretty.

PennyHasNoSurname · 29/01/2016 17:37

I know one who is called Ez mee but a friends wants Es may if she has a girl so I will have to make a conscious effort to pronounce it her way with the baby.

Either way is right imo.

miniHovis · 29/01/2016 17:35

Dd2 is Esme pronounced as ezmay, not had anybody call her ezmee apart from my mum when she was first born

BackforGood · 29/01/2016 17:29

I've only ever heard it said Ez-mee.

PooDogMillionaire · 29/01/2016 17:28

Just asked some French speakers and they all say Ez-may (I like the name too!).

My cousin is an Ez-mee though...

Wardrobespierre · 29/01/2016 17:26

Just to be clear by the accent coming later I meant later than the split of the feminine pronunciation. Originally, it was Esmé but for a boy. For a girl, it was Esme for years and the accent seemed to resurface in an effort to ensure correct pronunciation.

Wardrobespierre · 29/01/2016 17:20

I'd pronounce it however the parent or child does. Esmay and Esmee are both valid pronunciations.

The accent thing seemed to come later than the pronunciation split. People often add it for clarity but it's not an absolute. Or necessary tbh.

It is tough if you've only ever heard it one way. I know an Yvonne who pronounces it differently to every other person I know and it is sometimes easy to slip up.

Just repeat back with the preferred pronunciation.

Themodernuriahheep · 29/01/2016 17:19

Esmay. It's French. With an acute accent on the second e.

Stick to your guns. ( though in Fr it would have had another e on the end as she is a dd)

PooDogMillionaire · 29/01/2016 17:14

How is it said in French?!

I would assume Es-mee is the anglicised version of the name.

SovietKitsch · 29/01/2016 16:07

I would say ezmee unless spelt Esmé, then I would say Ezmeh

buckingfrolicks · 29/01/2016 14:52

Es-mee without the accent, Es-may with the accent.

PuppyMonkey · 29/01/2016 14:41

This comes up every couple of months on MN - one of the great debates of our age. Grin

I have an Esme who is Ezmee
Loads of people try to call call her Ez- May. Loads call her Ez-mee.

EzMay doesn't sound nice at all to my ear, but I know lots feel the same about the other pronunciation. Just stick to the one you like.

PooDogMillionaire · 29/01/2016 14:37

I know an Es-mee and an Ez-may, both spelt Esme.

It's French isn't it? How would they pronounce it?

KoalaDownUnder · 29/01/2016 13:54

Ez-may

But am in Aus and have literally never heard Ez-mee used here.

Sophronia · 29/01/2016 13:36

The one I know pronounces it Ez-mee, but I think both pronunciations are common.

YesItsMeIDontCare · 29/01/2016 13:29

Esmé = Ezmay
Esme = Ezmee

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