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Baby names

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Original poster

Name spelling rules

170 replies

AngSam · 21/02/2020 17:06

I have a question. Are there any rules on spelling and pronouncing names? How about correcting people on how to spell and pronounce names, would you bother?
Example, girl named Joan (general pronouncing sounds like John) but her is Jo An?
Or Laura not Lora but LAUra
Your thoughts?

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CalleighDoodle · 24/02/2020 12:48

Elena is only the same as eleanor as people pronounce it wrong.

FishCanFly · 24/02/2020 12:07

But some names can be ponounced in different ways.
Elena can be the same as Eleanor, or it can be the Russian/East European Elle-Lena.
there's Yelena too

Letthemysterybe · 24/02/2020 11:25

I think it’s a bit silly to take and established name and decide to pronounce it in a different way. Joan IS “jown” , “jo-an” IS Joanne. To insist otherwise is just hard work.

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:21

Uk - ANN - dree -er

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:20

which sounds like An- dray - er (ish)

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:20

yes - AndrEa

HeronLanyon · 24/02/2020 11:14

Sorry typos in should be on. Thumb seems to have changed shape recently !

HeronLanyon · 24/02/2020 11:13

Surely Andrea has stress in penultimate syllable ?? Not the a surely !
Or as some in U.K. out the stress in first syllable.
It’s an interesting name -like it a lot with stress in ‘re’. A lot less so with stress in ‘and’.

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:02

and back to the Biblical Aaron.

The name Arron really didn't exist 50 years ago, it has come about from people spelling Aaron wrong.
Aaron should really be said Air-on, but it doesn't flow easily in English, so it is hardly surprising that the name became pronounced Arron and then the spelling followed suit.

And while we're on it, Isaac. One s and 2 aa.
Sorry, but any other way is just wrong.

Chocolatedaim · 24/02/2020 11:02

See I would always say Louis is loo-e and never Lewis 🤷🏻‍♀️

steppemum · 24/02/2020 11:00

Andrea with emphasis at the end
this is really NOT a pretensious pronunciation, it is just a non English one.
In German/Dutch etc the stress is on the last syllable, much prettier name than the English Andrea.
Same with Dorothea etc.

I love pronunciation threads.
OK, to me Laura and Lora sound the same
Dora sounds like door with an a on the end, and they sound NOTHING at all like dough or doe (which sound the same)!!

And non of that is just about the rrr sound which always causes problems on these threads!

Louis is said EITHER way surely? Parents choice as to whether it is Looie or Lewis?

Chocolatedaim · 24/02/2020 10:56

I do also get confused by different spellings.
Joan is Joan, as in Moan with a J.
John sounds different, as does Joanne. If you want it pronounced Joanne, spell it like that.

I have a fairly uncommon name, but not made up, and it makes me mad when people pronounce it incorrectly. It’s pronounced as it’s spelt yet I’ve heard all sorts of nonsense.

steppemum · 24/02/2020 10:48

Hmm, with the Joan one, I think if you eant to say Joanne, then spell it Joanne, or JoAnn or something.

I always raise my eyebrows at Sara who want to be pronounced Sarah. 2 different names, if you want to say sarah, then spell it Sarah.

But some names can be ponounced in different ways.
Elena can be the same as Eleanor, or it can be the Russian/East European Elle-Lena.

same with Laura. English or German pronunciation.

beachbelleorbeachbum · 24/02/2020 10:40

@eggysmum me too. Was she a horsey-type?

beachbelleorbeachbum · 24/02/2020 10:36

Joan rhymes with bone.

John rhymes with con.

SleepingStandingUp · 24/02/2020 09:03

Dora ryhmes with Explorer if you pronounce Explorer with an a at the end

Door-a the Explor-a

Joan is not Joanne. I can't say my name is Stephanie please pronounce is Sarah.

MikeUniformMike · 24/02/2020 08:57

@SoupDragon, Grin I like the comparison of John and Joan to scone and scone.

SoupDragon · 24/02/2020 07:32

The oa is similar to the word Oh.

But if you pronounced the "Oh" in John like that it would be Joan (with a long O sound rather than a short one - like the two different pronunciations of scone)

fedup21 · 23/02/2020 18:23

But you don’t pronounce the word ‘oh’ in John.

John is pronounced like Jon.

MikeUniformMike · 23/02/2020 18:19

The oa is similar to the word Oh.

fedup21 · 23/02/2020 18:15

Example, girl named Joan (general pronouncing sounds like John) but her is Jo An?

I’m confused. Joan (long oa digraph) doesn’t sound like John (short o sound)!

MikeUniformMike · 23/02/2020 18:10

Kira/Ciara/Keira are all acceptable spellings.
Throw Chiara and Clara in too, as you'll probably get those spellings.

Marcipex · 23/02/2020 17:25

@Muddlingalongalone yes, and this woman really screamed at me. I jumped about a foot. First day and not really prepared for that level of aggressiveness.

Corneliawildthing · 23/02/2020 17:24

I'm Scottish and would say Dora as either dough-ra or doe-ra as I'd pronounce both those words the same.

As in Dora the explorer although those apparently rhyme with an English accent

whiskeysourpuss · 23/02/2020 17:09

@AngSam they rhyme as in the ra sound at the end is the same but the start & middle are completely different sounds.

Like demented I'm Scottish

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