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Baby names

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Original poster

How would you pronounce Dahlia?

182 replies

Whatsinagirlsname · 23/06/2019 16:43

I love this as a girl's name, but in pronunciation I prefer "Dar Lee uh" to "Day Lee uh". Do you think this would cause too much confusion?

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MrsDimmond · 23/06/2019 17:49

I would say Daylia like the flower in my head, but have heard the name pronounced dah -lia, so would ask.

lazylinguist · 23/06/2019 17:47

I'd pronounce it day-lee-uh, because it's the name of a flower, and that is the English pronunciation of it. Really surprised how many people say they wouldn't pronounce it that way!

AverageMummy · 23/06/2019 17:44

Day - lee - ah

I’m surprised by people not pronouncing it like the flower it is, to me that would be like pronouncing Daisy Die-see

Do those people pronouncing it a different way deliberately have 2 pronunciations or do they just not know the flower??

Original poster
Whatsinagirlsname · 23/06/2019 17:34

Hmm, pretty split then! Interestingly for those who pronounce day lee uh for the flower, the dahlia is named after Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. I love the name, I'm just not sure if the range of pronunciations will drive me potty...

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WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 23/06/2019 17:29

Dal e arr or Day lee ar I would say it . Heard it pronounced mostly as the first example but that was on American documentaries about the murder of the Black Dahlia , Elizabeth Short, in 40s Hollywood I think.

Ellabella989 · 23/06/2019 17:28

Day Lee ah

Cherylshaw · 23/06/2019 17:26

Da Lee a

Letthemysterybe · 23/06/2019 17:24

If Dah isn’t Dar then what is it?

Smart10 · 23/06/2019 17:18

Dar Lee A

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 23/06/2019 17:17

Dahlia I would pronounce Day-lee-ah.
Dalia (and I have known one) is pronounced Dar-lee-a.

MrsFezziwig · 23/06/2019 17:10

The word in the UK is pronounced Day Lee A (as in the flower). Might be Dah Lee A in the US. Obviously if you want to use the spelling of the flower as a name and pronounce it any way you like then that’s your prerogative, but you’re probably just setting your child up for a lifetime of correcting people.

SoupDragon · 23/06/2019 17:09

Day lee a

TheJoxter · 23/06/2019 17:03

I would pronounce it Dah-lee-a I think

TheJoxter · 23/06/2019 17:03

Sakura7
There’s always one...
Non-rhotic accent
I would say Dah and Dar the same

flowery · 23/06/2019 17:01

Like the flower. Otherwise it would be like naming your child Rose and pronouncing it Ros, or Poppy and pronouncing it Popeye.

DramaAlpaca · 23/06/2019 17:01

Day-lee-ah like the flower, unless told otherwise.

mama1980 · 23/06/2019 16:58

Day lee ah

Mouthfulofquiz · 23/06/2019 16:53

I would pronounce it Day-Lee-ah
Like the flowers.

WhiteLightTrainWreck · 23/06/2019 16:52

I said it out loud to myself and realised I add an extra l and totally change the name 😳

Dah lie lah

How have a managed to live for 28 years and reinvent the name??

FrangipaniBlue · 23/06/2019 16:52

I would pronounce Dahlia as Dah-lee-uh and Dalia as Day-Lee-uh Confused

ShakespearesFister · 23/06/2019 16:51

Same as greenteaandchives.

If you spell it Dahlia, like the flower, then an awful lot of people are going to pronounce it Day - lee - uh. Especially P. G. Wodehouse fans...

Chancewouldbeafinethlng · 23/06/2019 16:50

Dah-lia.
I wouldn’t use it though as I associate it with the black dahlia

DickZillaofTheVilla · 23/06/2019 16:50

Dah Lee Ah

FeminismandWomensFights · 23/06/2019 16:49

I’d say DAYlia like the plant of that name, Dahlia.

What about Dalia, a name with a nice meaning in lots of languages and which is pronounced in the way you prefer?

Singlenotsingle · 23/06/2019 16:48

Dahlee-uh.