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Original poster

Wrong pronunciation?

37 replies

MerlinsBeard87 · 09/09/2017 13:30

Our ds2 is due next month, we wanted to call him Caradoc. We aren't Welsh but we love the name, and would mainly call him Cary for short. Yesterday we met a Welsh lady who told us we are saying it wrong. We have been saying CAH- rah-dock with the emphasis at the start. She told us it should be cah-RADuk. I don't want to look like a fool that's appropriated a Welsh name and not bothering to say it right, but does it really matter if we prefer to say it our way? Can you tell me how you would say it please? Please don't criticise our choice of name as it's the only one we have loved from the start

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FizzyGreenWater · 09/09/2017 14:31

Caradog is a lovely name btw!

FizzyGreenWater · 09/09/2017 14:30

Yes another Welsh person here, Caradog is the Welsh name, Caradoc is an English version of it - I'm sure there may be some in Wales but I've only ever known of two, both Caradog (and both now ancient!)

It is pronounced with emphasis on the last but one syllable as is pretty much the Welsh norm.

Ca-RAH-dog. And the C is shortish, almost Cu-RAH-dog or c'-RAH-dog where I am from - if that makes sense.

Cary - assume you'd pronounce as in Cary Grant? - is a WORLD away from it.

Yes, I think it matters if you say it 'your way' - because it's quite simply incorrect. It'll sound wrong to any Welsh person and presumably to anyone else who knows the name - so he'll have a lot of correcting to do. Is that foolish? - well yes it is a bit. It is up to you of course. How do you feel about the name now that you know how to pronounce it? - do you actively not like the correct pronunciation?

Original poster
MerlinsBeard87 · 09/09/2017 14:29

Thanks for the help! We prefer the Caradoc rather than Caradog spelling as I know either are acceptable, but obviously the g is the true Welsh spelling. We also don't mind that Cary is not a very Welsh nickname, it has much more relevance to us as a common place name in Somerset where we are originally from.
I just have to get my head around the correct pronunciation as we've been saying something different for the last 7 months

OP posts:
Frazzled2207 · 09/09/2017 13:57

Ps Caradoc is a common variant so go for that spelling if you prefer it and live in England

Also bear in mind that Cary as a nn is not at all
welsh- y in welsh is pronounced like a short "urgh" never "ee".

Frazzled2207 · 09/09/2017 13:54

Welshie here. The lady you talked about is correct, emphasis on 2nd syllable.
Also Caradog.

NotAgainYoda · 09/09/2017 13:49

son's

NotAgainYoda · 09/09/2017 13:49

www.bbc.co.uk/wales/livinginwales/sites/howdoisay/names/index.shtml?b

This is useful. My son't name isn't on it though

ShatnersBassoon · 09/09/2017 13:48

I put the emphasis on the middle syllable, and it's definitely an 'o' not an 'u' sound at the end. I'd also put a 'g' on the end instead of the 'c', because it's more commonly spelled that way (although both are correct, Caradoc is a name) and I like the softer sound.

welshweasel · 09/09/2017 13:44

What Patty said. Please spell and pronounce it properly!!

NotAgainYoda · 09/09/2017 13:44

P.S Nice name

NotAgainYoda · 09/09/2017 13:43

This reminds me a bit of Meredith:

MEH - re- dith (and many would say it)
Meh - RED - ith (correct Welsh pronunciation AFAIK)

My son also has a Welsh name that's pronounced by us as English/American/Aussies would say it, but isn't strictly correct. I'm not Welsh though (DH's dad etc etc are)

PattyPenguin · 09/09/2017 13:41

First, the Welsh name is Caradog. Caradoc with a final c is an Anglicised version.

Second, the emphasis in Welsh words is almost always on the last syllable but one. So the lady was correct. The name is pronounced Car-A-dog.

Both a's are short, like in the English words 'have' or 'has', and the o is pronounced as a short o, like in the English words 'on' or 'off'.

All vowels are pronounced as they are written in Welsh. They don't turn into the schwa sound (uh) heard in many English words, whatever the written vowel may be.

FWIW, I think it's a fine name. It means either 'loving' or 'beloved'.

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