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Original poster

How do you pronounce Lachlan?

66 replies

FerretsAreFeminists · 28/07/2017 11:28

DP and I are in a bit of a disagreement at the moment about how you pronounce this name.

Could the kind Mumsnetters settle this disagreement once and for all?

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glowwormsunite · 28/07/2017 16:53

The Irish pronunciation makes it sound more 'o' than 'a', so even if it's spelt Lachlan it sounds more Lochlan with an Irish accent. I have one (both a Lachlan & an Irish accent). It would be strange (to me) to call him Laaaachlan (with the throaty 'ch' sound as we have a harder 'ck' - when saying 'Lough' for example, it sounds like 'Lock'). I prefer the Irish sound but that's just sheer bias!!

MilkGoatee · 28/07/2017 16:18

Lach-lan, Lachy for short. Definitely no 'k' sound, and definitely an 'a' in the first syllable, as others have said, it's Scottish, so an 'ah' sound in both cases, not an 'eh' or 'ih' sound. I should imagine with an Aussie accent it could be pronounced like 'Loch-linh'.

inlectorecumbit · 28/07/2017 16:14

It's a lovely name spoken the scottish way Lach lan
When pronounced Lock lan my blood runs cold. The name gets lost in translation

florascotianew · 28/07/2017 16:08

Lach-lan in Scotland, with Scottish 'ch' , as as previous posters have said. I've met several, and they all say it that way. Sometimes shortened to 'Lachie'.

As other posters have also said, Irish pronunciation is different; so is the spelling. I presume that Australian pronunciation derives from the Irish version - though the hard 'ch' = 'ck' in the middle is not Irish (or Scottish).

Sophronia · 28/07/2017 13:37

It's a really popular name in Australia, where it's pronounced lock-lan.

I've seen it spelled Lochlann as well.

robinia · 28/07/2017 13:33

Lach-lan with the Scottish ch.

tabulahrasa · 28/07/2017 13:33

If you want Lochlan, use Lochlan/Lochlann/Lochlain/ Laughlan

Decaffstilltastesweird · 28/07/2017 13:30

Lochlan is pronounced... well, Lochlan Grin! If that's the pronunciation you want, then use that version.

SleepForTheWeek · 28/07/2017 13:28

If you spell it Lachlan then that's definitely what people would call him when seeing it written down, so avoid that spelling if you don't like that pronunciation.

Either Lochlan or Laughlan would be better

Gingernaut · 28/07/2017 13:26

Lack Lan

Original poster
FerretsAreFeminists · 28/07/2017 13:26

Damn, Google is not much help with this either because I keep getting different answers there too.

Let's turn this around; if we like the pronunciation of Loch-lan then how would we spell that? Would it simply be Lochlan?

I don't like the pronunciation Lach-lan so I guess Lachlan would be out of the question.

OP posts:
SleepForTheWeek · 28/07/2017 13:20

Definitely Lach-lan (because it has an a)

Lochlan is a different name

FrancisCrawford · 28/07/2017 13:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
FerretsAreFeminists · 28/07/2017 13:20

Never mind, I spoke too soon Grin

Never heard of the name Lochlan before but I like it.

OP posts:
blueskyinmarch · 28/07/2017 13:19

I am Scottish - it is Lach-lan.

I would pronounce Laughlan as Loch-lan.

FrancisCrawford · 28/07/2017 13:17

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FanjoForTheMammaries · 28/07/2017 13:16

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TheScottishPlay · 28/07/2017 13:15

*It's Lach even. You've all got me at it now too.

FanjoForTheMammaries · 28/07/2017 13:14

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FanjoForTheMammaries · 28/07/2017 13:14

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TheScottishPlay · 28/07/2017 13:12

If you can't pronounce it correctly you wouldn't use it as a name, surely.
The first syllable is Loch as in body of water with the throaty 'ch' sound. It's never a 'ck' sound as in lock for a door. That sounds utterly ridiculous.

Decaffstilltastesweird · 28/07/2017 13:08

As it's spelt; Lach-lan.

Lochlan is a different name I thought. I'm Irish and used to live in Scotland, so have heard of people with both names.

weebarra · 28/07/2017 13:06

Lach-lan
I'm Scottish. I think Loch-lan would also be ok, but never Lock-lan.

tabulahrasa · 28/07/2017 13:01

How it's written... Lochlan is a different word completely and it's not a hard k sound.