Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Does UK pronounciation of Elias definitely rhyme with Tobias

63 replies

Ruthshaw1980 · 03/06/2018 17:29

Dear all

Following on from last week’s poll regarding boys name, it appears that DH may (and surprisingly) be favouring Elias as his preferred choice. Without getting too excited since this is also my favourite of the names polled, I would just like to check the English pronunciation of Elias. I understand on the continent they would say el-EEE-us whereas the English pronounciation is e-LIE-us, therefore rhyming with Tobias. Is this correct?? Oh and before anyone asks, yes Tobias itself is a lovely name but off limits as taken by Nephew Smile

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
marmitecrumpets · 03/06/2018 21:14

South west here, and yes those names rhyme

Kraggle · 03/06/2018 20:47

Eh-lye-as here so yes would rhyme with Tobias and starts off the same as Elijah. Lovely name.

skankingpiglet · 03/06/2018 20:42

One of my nephews (in law) is an Elias. Pronounced eh-LIE-ass in our family.

daisypond · 03/06/2018 20:31

Because Elias is ta form of Elijah, and you don't say EL-ee-ja. It's El-EYE-ja. Elias and Tobias are both in the dictionary (Collins), and that also tells you how to say it. So, Elias is listed as:
"(ɪˈlaɪəs ) noun
Bible the Douay spelling of Elijah"
You can listen to the pronunciation as well if you look at the dictionary online.

sonnyboo · 03/06/2018 20:22

I don't see why it wouldn't be El ee as or To bee as actually Confused

sonnyboo · 03/06/2018 20:19

I'd say

Tobias = To bee as
Elias = El ee as

FASH84 · 03/06/2018 18:53

Eh-lie-us shortened to Ee-lie (lie as in liar) not Elly-us shortened to Ellie like the girl's name

juneau · 03/06/2018 18:08

I think you'll have a problem with El-ee-as and El-eye-as all the time. I speak Italian and would probably say El-ee-as, because the Italian name Elia is said El-ee-a and is a not uncommon name, whereas I have never met a British Elias.

Cosmoa · 03/06/2018 18:05

Yep I'd say it like Tobias! Love both those names so much Grin

toffee1000 · 03/06/2018 18:02

There’s no universal U.K. pronunciation of a word. I actually don’t know how I’d pronounce Elias...

Cocktailismyfavouritefilm · 03/06/2018 18:02

I pronounce Tobias

T bye ass

With a short T sound though I have heard it pronounced Toe bye ass

Ontopofthesunset · 03/06/2018 17:57

El-eye-us
Tuh-bye-us

Neither of the first syllables is stressed, so whereas Toby is pronounced Toe-bee, the first To in Tobias is more of a 'tuh' sound (unstressed schwa, as in 'the' before consonants) and in fact the El in Elias is not a very strong 'el', more of an 'al'/'ul'.

Lovemedo345 · 03/06/2018 17:55

My little boy is Elias, yes I agree with TamiTayorismyparentinguru that is the way to pronounce! It's a lovely name and quite unusual in UK x

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 03/06/2018 17:54

But if he’s Toby it’s not a problem, or if yours will be Eli.

daisypond · 03/06/2018 17:52

Pronounced as El-EYE-as. As someone said, it's like Elijah. So, yes, it rhymes with Tobias. Definitely not El-ee-as.

moleeye · 03/06/2018 17:48

This is top of my list for a boys name!

I would pronounce it El-ee-as

DoubleLottchen · 03/06/2018 17:47

I would say they rhyme either way - I would personally say El-EE-as and To-BEE-as, but more traditional English pronunciation for both would be Ill-LIE-us and Toe-BYE-us.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 03/06/2018 17:46

I’d say them the same.

TamiTayorismyparentingguru · 03/06/2018 17:45

Definitely E-lye-us - it’s the Greek form of Elijah so the first two syllables are the same as in Elijah and just the ending that’s different.

HappyLollipop · 03/06/2018 17:45

Yes it does rhyme with Tobias well the wY I pronounce it does as I say it Ee-lie-as and Toe-bi-as. It's still different enough to be used among cousins though.

GirlInTheDirtyShirt · 03/06/2018 17:44

I’d say Ellie-yus, so like Elliot but with an s instead of a t at the end.

MikeUniformMike · 03/06/2018 17:42

Sorry, I meant Eel-EYE-as.
Ilias is the arabic version.

Lookingforspace · 03/06/2018 17:42

I’m pronouncing Elias like I’d pronounce Ellis but with the extra vowel

MikeUniformMike · 03/06/2018 17:42

El-EYE-as.
Welsh say it as El-EE-as (or it will sound more like Lee-ass or El-EY-as).
Ilias is pronounced ILL-y-as

Cocktailismyfavouritefilm · 03/06/2018 17:41

Ee lie ass
Is how I'd pronounce it.