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Original poster

Pronunciation dilemma!

23 replies

AxelAbey · 21/01/2021 01:28

How would you be pronouncing the name Esmée? Hubby and I expecting our arrival v soon. We like the pronunciation ‘Ez-May’ but are in disagreement as to how to spell it. The proposed alternative is Esmé

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Rosesaresweet · 23/01/2021 12:40

The trouble is in the UK Esmé is mostly pronounced incorrectly as Es-me.

Spelling it Esmay would make the pronunciation obvious.

In French it's actually neither Es may nor Es mee, but Es mé (hard to describe in English).

Oneandabean · 22/01/2021 09:57

I disagree with @partyatthepalace in the uk most are pronounced ez-may, as quite clear from the previous comments. I think one e is much nicer but both have the same pronounciation. I know of 6 spelled various ways all pronounced ez-may.

sleepingfox · 22/01/2021 09:29

I’d say Ez-may as every Esmé/Esmée I’ve met has said it that way. I know for a lot of people Es-mee is their first instinct, so I think for either spelling she’d have to clarify pronunciation in some cases.

Smallonesaremorejuicy · 22/01/2021 03:40

Not keen on the name , there are so many nicer prettier, stronger female names .

MrsRockAndRoll · 22/01/2021 03:10

Are you based in the UK? If so I would nor use the accent as most systems will not offer an accent to be used

HappyFlamingo · 21/01/2021 21:27

I know two Esmes - both spelt without the double e and pronounced Ez-mee

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 21/01/2021 21:20

Esme, even without the accent, seems to be usually pronounced "Ez -May" by the ones I've met. With the accent on the final "e", I would have thought the "May" pronunciation would be even more obvious.

I understand that Esmee is the original feminine version but, with or without the accent, it will just confuse things further I think (if you are in England/Wales, I don't know about Scotland/Northern Ireland)

partyatthepalace · 21/01/2021 20:20

The trouble is in the UK Esme is mostly pronounced es-me. I agree es-may is much nicer, but you are going to be correcting a lot bit. Spelling it Esmee probably won’t help the pronunciation and will just add spelling confusion.

If you really don’t like es-me I would probably find something else. Elodie??

Fufumuji · 21/01/2021 16:42

Esmé. Said Es-may

No extra e unless you are French. She'll spend her entire life saying, no it not Ez-meeeee. Don't do it.

bourbonne · 21/01/2021 16:02

With the accent, "EZ-may".

But remember that the accent will often go missing on computer systems, so her name will often appear as "Esmee" if you go with the double-e spelling - and "Esmee" without an accent could be pronounced "EZ-mee".

It's ambiguous without an accent, I'm never sure which Esme(e) is Mee and which is May.

Edenember · 21/01/2021 15:49

I would pronounce both of those ez-may. I prefer the look of the single e. I think people who pronounce it Ez-mie are going to do it regardless of how it’s spelled. That said, I prefer the Ez-Mie Scottish pronounciation but I would spell that single e with no accent. When meeting other Esme’s though I’d default to the ez-may pronunciation as I know not everyone likes Ezmie.

BigusBumus · 21/01/2021 15:34

In the town i live there was a shop of this name for years and years and everyone pronounced it Ez-mee, which left me saying it that way even now.

LemonBreeland · 21/01/2021 14:54

I prefer the Esmee pronunciation. If you want Ezmay then I would only use one e on the end.

KirstenBlest · 21/01/2021 14:51

Many people would say Renée as Reenie.
In French, Chloe is Chloé, but in Britain people say Chlo-ee.

Agree that Esmae looks awful. It's taking a pretty name and spelling it to make it look downmarket.

PattyPan · 21/01/2021 14:49

Meant to add, it is unusual for Esmé to be used on a boy. So I wouldn’t be opposed to that spelling. But I prefer Esmée for the grammar Smile

PattyPan · 21/01/2021 14:39

Ez-may. You wouldn’t pronounce Renée as Rennie, it’s the same sound and I’d pronounce it that way whether or not the accent is written in in the same way I still pronounce the e in Zoë or Chloë without the diacritic.
In French, Esmé is masculine and Esmée is feminine, again the same as René/Renée.
I think the ‘mae’ spelling looks awful.

KirstenBlest · 21/01/2021 13:06

Oh daisypond, oh dear.

daisypond · 21/01/2021 12:57

Ez-may. It would never be pronounced as Ez-mee, surely. The accent tells you how to pronounce the final sound.

RuthW · 21/01/2021 12:19

I say Ez-mee

If you want Ez-may spell it Esmae.

KirstenBlest · 21/01/2021 09:41

Esmée, but it's a name where you'll find it will be written Esmée, Esmé, Esme, Ezmae, Esmae etc. Some will say Ess-mee, some Ez-may, some Ezmee etc.

Will probably get called Ez.

Starryskiesinthesky · 21/01/2021 07:25

Both spellings would make me say it ezmay- prefer it written as Esmé tho.

EdgeOfACoin · 21/01/2021 07:20

Pronounced as you suggest.

Am more used to seeing it with only one 'e' in this country, but I think the double 'e' is correct in French?

WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 21/01/2021 01:31

I'd pronounce it Ez May with a very soft z

I'd spell it as you said, it looks wrong without the second e after the m