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Baby names

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Original poster

Names you aren't sure how to pronounce

387 replies

whatausername · 10/04/2020 20:22

Since we're all inside for the foreseeable future...

What are some names you're not quite sure how to pronounce? We'll see if we can help each other. But do take answers with a pinch of salt given the wide variety of accents we all have!

For me: Hebe (hee-bee?) and João leave me feeling uncertain.

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Original poster
whatausername · 10/04/2020 22:01

Native Gaelic speaker friend says kah-treena for Catriona

OP posts:
onlyreadingneverposting8 · 10/04/2020 22:00

Hebe rhymes with phoebe when pronounced in English (I have a daughter called Hebe) however in Greek it's actually Evie - they don't pronounce the H so Hera is actually Ear-a

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 22:00

What is the name that is pronounced Neeve in Ireland?

Sherlockia · 10/04/2020 21:58

Aneurin,
Is it AH-NYE-RIN , UH-NYE-RIN or something else entirely?

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 21:57

Sorry. I wrote Mayve but the ae is flatter than ay. I hear Saoirse as Sair-sha

The Catrionas I know - both scottish - say Cat-ree-ona

Tinkhasflown · 10/04/2020 21:57

Saoirse - seer sha
Aoife - Eefa
Helena - Hel-eena
Sara - Sah-rah
Caoimhe - Keevuh or Kweeva depending on dialect
Lila - Lee-luh
Dana - Dah-nah
Catriona - Katrina
Jeane - Jean
Vivienne - Vivvy-en
Margot - Mar-go
Lena - Lee-nuh
Maeve - Mayve
Cherie - Shuh-ree
Grainia - Grainne is proper Irish spelling and pronounced gron-ya

Lobsterquadrille2 · 10/04/2020 21:54

Ghislane Maxwell seems to pronounce it Gi-len. Or rather, those interviewed about her do.

Lightofthephoenix · 10/04/2020 21:50

Ji me? @Guttersnipe

Dilisk · 10/04/2020 21:49

I wish people would stop confidently pronouncing that Saoirse is ‘Sawsha’. It isn’t. If you know a Saoirse who genuinely pronounces her name as Sawsha she’s mispronouncing it! Those sounds simply aren’t pronounced like that.

Dilisk · 10/04/2020 21:46

Saoirse is SEER-shuh. Second syllable is a schwa. Nothing like Sorcha. (Or Seoirse, which is the Irish for George.) It’s the same diphthong sound (aoi) as Aoife (EEF-uh) and taoiseach.

Niamh is NEE-uv, but often pronounced Neev.

The João I know is roughly Jwow.

isabellerossignol · 10/04/2020 21:46

I've never heard Maeve pronounced with a 'Y' sound. But I have no idea how to write the sound that I know...Maave maybe?

PerditaProvokesEnmity · 10/04/2020 21:44

Bride

(Generated a long and ultimately unresolved discussion on a Chalet School thread last year.)

Guttersnipe · 10/04/2020 21:44

This one has lived with me for over 30 years since I was asked to read out a list of names for people to pray for. Could be any nationality.

Jaime.

missmouse101 · 10/04/2020 21:43

Ghislaine is Ji -lane.

CoffeeRunner · 10/04/2020 21:43

Saoirse - saw-sha.
Hebe - hee bee.
Aoife - ee-fa.
Helena - Hell-en-er.
Ghislaine - ji-lane.
Elise - Elle-eese.
Maeve - mayv.

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 21:42

Still got it wrong. Saoirse. Fat fingers. I can hear it but i can't transcribe.

Sunstar16 · 10/04/2020 21:42

Saorise is pronounced Sear-sha in the part of Ireland I'm from.

Verily1 · 10/04/2020 21:39

Maya can be may-a or my-a I never know.

Yes to all the Keira’s/chiaras

LightACandleHoney · 10/04/2020 21:39

Saorise is probably closest to Seer-sha, but the vowels in the first half are kind of two vowel sounds - very slight difference between them. Definitely not “saw” at the start or “sher” at the end

isabellerossignol · 10/04/2020 21:39

Anyone I have ever met called Catriona pronounces it Katrina.

ShowOfHands · 10/04/2020 21:38

The Saoirses I know are Sershas.

The Catriona in our family is Catreena

But I know a keeva and a kweeva (Caoimhe)

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 21:36

Elise is Elle-eeze

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 21:35

Ghislaine is Gizz-laine I think. Or is it Gillaine? G as in golf.

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 21:34

Correction - Sorsha not Sorcsha. I might be wrong. I'm not Irish.

MikeUniformMike · 10/04/2020 21:33

Hebe rhymes with Phoebe.

Saorise - Saorse (Sorcsha)
Aoife - Eefa
Helena - Helen-uh or Hel-aina, or rarely Hel-eena
Sara - Sah-rah
Caoimhe - Keevuh or Kweeva or...
Lila - Lie-luh
Dana - Dah-nah or Day-na
Catriona - Catry-O-na
Jeane - Jeane and Jeanne are Jean, but in France, Jeanne is Zhann.
Vivienne - Vivien or Vivvy-enne
Margot - Mar-go
Lena - Lee-nuh or Lay-na
Maeve - Mayve
Cherie - Shuh-ree
Grainia - Grainne (Gronia in my accent)

Ciara is Kee-ruh, but Chiara is Kee-are-ah

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