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Original poster

How would you pronounce Emer?

87 replies

D0ni · 19/07/2016 08:33

How would you pronounce the Irish name Emer?

Just wondering if it would be mis pronounced a lot from the spelling?

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DulliDulli · 19/07/2016 09:13

My son is called Eli, and it is mispronounced constantly by teachers, doctors, dentists, health visitors etc etc. I really didn't think it was a tricky name, but everyone tries to say it with a phonic 'e'.

Mov1ngOn · 19/07/2016 09:12

Emergency sounds like "em" as in Emma to me. I've never heard it E-mergency. I think most words starting with "em" do.

It's nothing to do with not pronouncing "properly". Accents are all different. In real life once someone says "it's E-mur" that's what I (anyone?) would use I imagine and of course pronounce properly!

notquitegrownup2 · 19/07/2016 09:11

As a secondary supply teacher, I have to read loads of names every day with no context, so I have to guess by looking for cultural clues or simply finding a link to find words I know. So I would pronounce it like Elmer without the l or like the beginning of Emetic.

Eimear would give me more of a starting point.

treaclesoda · 19/07/2016 09:09

2nds funnily enough, i would say 'eh-mergency', not 'ee-mergency' and I was bemoaning people not being able to prounounce Emer further up the thread Grin

But as a previous poster said, people can pronounce Edith ok, and Elaine, and Evie, so I don't understand why when they see Emer they wouldn't know how to pronounce it.

BertrandRussell · 19/07/2016 09:09

I do!'t think emergency works- that is sort of "emmergency"!

BertrandRussell · 19/07/2016 09:07

I have a friend who Anglicised the name to Ima- and people call her
Eye-ma................

2nds · 19/07/2016 09:06

I don't know where the word spelling went lol.

2nds · 19/07/2016 09:06

It wouldn't be mispronounced a lot because of the spelling, rather it would be mispronounced a lot because people couldn't be bothered to pronounce it properly even though it's one of the easiest female Irish names there is.

Personally I prefer the Eimear, but that's only because I've known a few Eimears and no Emers.

Those of you who would say Emma, would you say Emmagency instead of emergency?

Mov1ngOn · 19/07/2016 09:04

It is a lovely name :)

Lindt70Percent · 19/07/2016 09:03

I'm a southern English person and would pronounce it Eeemer. Lovely name!

bluebloom · 19/07/2016 09:03

Ee-mer. And I would spell it Eimear. Lovely name.

MrsJoeyMaynard · 19/07/2016 09:02

Eee- mer.

And there's other names starting with a long eee rather than an eh as in eggs. Edith anyone?

Mov1ngOn · 19/07/2016 09:02

Pronunciation wise no problems saying E-mur it's just we don't role rs or pronounce them in quite the same way so it sounds a little different.

wigglesrock · 19/07/2016 09:01

Eeemer - E like the start of extreme and it rhymes with dreamer. Very popular name in my kids school, I find it a bit old fashioned but its on the rise.

Mov1ngOn · 19/07/2016 09:01

Easy to see once explained but it's likely to be said Emma if you didn't know down here.

treaclesoda · 19/07/2016 08:58

I can understand non Irish people not being able to immediately see how to pronounce a lot of Irish names but I'm a bit boggled by not being able to pronounce Emer - it is exactly as it is spelt. Think of the work 'extreme' for example. It's like the second syllable of that but with an R on the end.

Footle · 19/07/2016 08:57

The second e is a magic e, making the first e into an ee sound.
HTH

Mov1ngOn · 19/07/2016 08:56

Even pronouncing it eee mur will sound different with a southern accent as we don't roll/pronounce rs particularly. Obviously we're wrong with an Irish name but op was asking how we'd pronounce it!

DoinItFine · 19/07/2016 08:55

We don't (in English) normally sound "E" eee but as eh as in egg.

Do you say Crème Egg?

Extrème?

Grin

Emer is already anglicised.

Two e's on either side of an m is normally pronounced Eem.

CatNip2 · 19/07/2016 08:53

eee-murr, but only after thought, my initial reaction was to read it as Emma.

I would say if you pick this name, be prepared for anything!

blueskyinmarch · 19/07/2016 08:52

I am Scottish and the r is definitely pronounced.

CmereTilliTellYa · 19/07/2016 08:52

This is definitely one of the easier Irish names. It's Ee-mer as outlined by LadyOrangutan above (and I'm Irish so you can take my word for it).

blueskyinmarch · 19/07/2016 08:52

I know an Emer. It is pronounced ee-mer.

Mov1ngOn · 19/07/2016 08:50

We don't (in English) normally sound "E" eee but as eh as in egg. So to a southern English person it's hard to see how to say it other than Emma.

Primaryteach87 · 19/07/2016 08:47

I thought Emma too. I'm still confused about what the real pronounciation from your comment.... Is it Er-mer ?

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