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Original poster

If I said Téa ....

98 replies

indianaJames · 02/10/2020 14:26

Would you struggle knowing how to pronounce this name? Or is it a non issue?

My understanding is it's pronounced 'tay-ah'
Please correct me if I'm wrong!
Thank you

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BertieBotts · 04/10/2020 07:32

Don't overthink it, it's fine :) é is one of the easiest to do on a keyboard, surprised people don't know that if they went to secondary school after the 90s, that's where I learned to do it - Alt Gr + e.

I know a Tea short for Theresa who pronounces it Tee-a. I did not initially notice the accent in your post but Tay-a or Tee-a are both likely pronunciations and I wouldn't have a problem adjusting.

zigaziga · 04/10/2020 07:28

@Pippilangstrumpfi this doesn’t help most of us on this thread who don’t know the exact sound of a É.

So what’s the closest approximation of É just using a typical English sound?

Saying É is É without helping us to pronounce it is kind of useless. If someone told me that about a name like the OP is proposing I just would go out of my way to avoid saying the name, which probably isn’t what the Op wants.

KatherineJaneway · 04/10/2020 07:28

Téais a name I know from actress TéaLeoni. She pronounces it Tee-ah I believe.

zigaziga · 04/10/2020 07:25

and I just learn their names.

I wouldn’t know how to say it and would probably say Tee-ah but the of course if corrected I’d pronounce it Tay-ah going forward. Most people wouldn’t mind being corrected.

user1471481356 · 04/10/2020 03:04

I knew a Téa once. It was pronounce like Tia - Tee-ah. But I read it as tea, like a cup of tea.

Pippilangstrumpfi · 03/10/2020 21:57

É is NOT AY

É is É

It's difficult to explain but there is no A or Y sound

AegonT · 03/10/2020 20:46

I would read it as TAY-ah as é says ay in French like in Café.

Grufallosfriends · 03/10/2020 08:16

Wouldn't Tia be pronounced Tee-a?

If you want Taya, spell it that way.

If you spell it Téa many will pronounce it Té-a.

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 03/10/2020 07:57

I'd assume Tee-a

Frankly, unless you are French, I think putting an accent on the name is a bit daft and unnecessary....

SeanCailleach · 02/10/2020 23:07

I love it. I'd ask how you say it/ spell it.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 02/10/2020 19:30

It’s a nice name. I’d still use it. Just spell it as you want it pronounced (Taya)

SmileyClare · 02/10/2020 17:13

In Greek, Tia means Goddess which is rather nice.

notso · 02/10/2020 16:41

Don't use Tia though. It means aunt in Spanish.
Grin

Figgyboa · 02/10/2020 16:33

I would pronounce tee-a

Suzi888 · 02/10/2020 16:31

Agree with @GreyishDays
Tèa Leoni springs to mind x

Original poster
indianaJames · 02/10/2020 16:29

I just asked for your repsonses but some people have their claws out

OP posts:
Original poster
indianaJames · 02/10/2020 16:27

Didn't realize it's cause such a stir, no pun intended Wink

I appreciate the accents on letters are tricky but I'm also surprised at how against non anglised names are here.
I work in an international setting and most of my Colleagues have non English names and accents in their names and I just learn their names.

OP posts:
Grufallosfriends · 02/10/2020 16:26

Op, if you're French, I'm surprised you think it's pronounced Taya Confused

Ps I'm not french Smile

Grufallosfriends · 02/10/2020 16:24

I assume @Grufallosfriends is referring to how, in French, café is pronounced without a 'y' sound at the end. It's a short open sound, probably closer to the first 'e' in 'excellent'.

Yes. In my mind Café is pronounced Caf éh (like the e in excellent or elephant but longer). There is no A or Y sound involved!

So Téa is Té-a. Not Tay-a.

I'm not sure how to link this, but this might work:

en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/File:Fr-caf%C3%A9.ogg

Derbee · 02/10/2020 16:19

I would say it to rhyme with Freya

fantasmasgoria1 · 02/10/2020 16:19

Tea Leoni? That who I think of.

MinaMurray · 02/10/2020 16:19

I don’t understand how accents on letters work.

I’d guess that it wasn’t pronounced like Tea (as in a cup of tea), but other than that I really wouldn’t have a clue. My first thought was tee-ah 🤷‍♀️

MintyChapsticks · 02/10/2020 16:07

I considered the name 22 years ago when my daughter was born as I love the pronunciation 'Taya.'

So I called her Taya! To rhyme with 'Layer.' And she often gets Tee-ah, Tie-ah and on one amusing occasion, Toyah.

Luckily she loves her name so it's all good

Dowermouse · 02/10/2020 16:05

Tay-uh. I'd assume Dutch or German.
And now I keep pronouncing cafe "caarf". Ho hum.

Alexandernevermind · 02/10/2020 16:00

I would go Greek Mythology and spell it Thiea.