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Original poster

Elena Eleanor pronunciation

160 replies

firstpregnancy1 · 02/06/2020 11:14

I personally would pronounce Eleanor and Elena exactly the same - eh le na (with the stress on the first syllable)

If I want that pronunciation, should I use Eleanor or elena ?

I worry that with Eleanor there will be SOME people who pronounce it eh le NOR. I know this would really irritate me.

Equally , would Elena be pronounced by some people as eh LAY na or eh-LEN-a ?

Anyone know/ got an Eleanor / Elena who can share their findings ?

Thank you!

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CremeEggThief · 02/06/2020 20:15

@Wtfdidwedo, it's Eleanor of Aquitaine!Grin

Wtfdidwedo · 02/06/2020 19:47

I just keep singing the theme tune to Elena of Avalor over and over in my head.

I'm in Wales and I say El-uh-nor for Eleanor and El-ay-nuh for Elena. Eleanor is often spelt Elinor here though.

thosethreewords · 02/06/2020 19:40

I know an Elena (eh-lay-na), an Ellena (Eh-lah-nah) and an Eleanor (Eh-lah-nor)

TyroSaysMeow · 02/06/2020 19:27

Do those who say Elean-a for Eleanor also say Victa and Hecta for Victor and Hector?

Of course. Why is that funny?

If you put a double-R at the end instead of just one, we'd modify the vowel in the direction of O, but there still wouldn't be a pronounced R at the end.

daisypond · 02/06/2020 18:23

Elena is El-AY-na. It would never occur to me that anyone would pronounce it like Eleanor.

Eleanor is -or at end, but if said quickly in my accent, it can sound like -uh at the end.

NuffSaidSam · 02/06/2020 18:04

And we do have both an Eleanor and a Hector in the extended family.

It's Ellen-uh and Hect-uh.

We also have a Jasper who is Jasp-uh.

And a Sophia who is Sophie-uh!

NuffSaidSam · 02/06/2020 18:02

'Do those who say Elean-a for Eleanor also say Victa and Hecta for Victor and Hector?'

Yep!

TheTroutofNoCraic · 02/06/2020 17:46

I have never heard Eleanor pronounced with an 'ah' sound at the end. I'm Irish but live in England. Only Ellen-er or Ellen-or
I have heard Elena pronounced as Ellen-ah (English) and Elaine-ah (Latvian/Lithuanian/Polish)

Lulu1919 · 02/06/2020 17:34

Elana....el a na
Eleanor....el a nor

Pippilangstrumpfie · 02/06/2020 17:33

Do those who say Elean-a for Eleanor also say Victa and Hecta for Victor and Hector?

And Ah for Or Grin

NuffSaidSam · 02/06/2020 17:33

'The Elenas have always been El-ay-nuh. Every single last one, English, Czech, Spanish, American, Irish etc'

The one I know is Italian and it's El-uh-na.

Wheresthebiffer2 · 02/06/2020 17:30

These are names that have varied pronunciations depending on people's accents. If this bothers you, don't use them.

Lucked · 02/06/2020 17:19

I am Scottish and pronounce these very differently.

Eleanor sounds like the Elinor spelling like in sense and sensibility.

Elena is EE lay na

Brakebackcyclebot · 02/06/2020 17:19

I would say El LEH na for Elena and EleaNOR for Eleanor.

Neither the way you like it!

Soubriquet · 02/06/2020 17:15

Elena:- eh-lay-na
Eleanor:- Eh-leh-nor

NameChange84 · 02/06/2020 17:15

I’ve known loads of Elena and Eleanors.

The Elenas have always been El-ay-nuh. Every single last one, English, Czech, Spanish, American, Irish etc

The Eleanors have either been EL-en-uhr (UK) or El-en-NOR (American).

eleanoreleanoreleanor · 02/06/2020 17:11

I am an Eleanor, pronounced Eh-luh-nuh,
Ellie as a child and El as an adult. Only met one or two people in my 40 years who emphasised the NOR. It didn't bother me I don't think.
I know an Elena who pronounces her name Eh-lay-na

BikeRunSki · 02/06/2020 17:08

I know 3 Elenas
2 pronounce their nd me as Eleanor
1 pronounced it Elaynah

LucyFox · 02/06/2020 17:03

Eleanor = Ellen-a or Ellen-or
Elena = El-ay-na
Ellena = Ellen-a
Elenna= Eh-lenna

Enb76 · 02/06/2020 16:52

I am an Eleanor - pronounced El-en-nuh

Blueuggboots · 02/06/2020 16:50

I know some one called Elena. She pronounces it El-eee-na. Eleanor is El-a-na with no emphasis on any particular syllable.

Ontopofthesunset · 02/06/2020 16:40

I live in London and although I've heard the 'or' pronunciation, none of the many Eleanors I know use it. It's always just a schwa (it's not actually an 'a' sound, it's just an unstressed vowel). But then Hector is pronounced Hec-tuh in my accent too, because the stress is on the first syllable. But I wouldn't expect everyone to pronounce a name exactly the same. However, Elena and Eleanor are different names.

Pippilangstrumpfie · 02/06/2020 14:27

Ive never heard Elena pronounced Elean-or.

Only Elen-ah.

BraeburnMia · 02/06/2020 14:14

Our dd's middle name is Eleanor. Ellen-nor.

itsme · 02/06/2020 14:05

My niece is Elena, pronounced as Eleanor is.

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