Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

How would you pronounce ...

138 replies

iwantknowyouropinion · 21/09/2021 20:03

Mey/Mei

Would you pronounce it like May or My?

Which one do you prefer if you had to choose?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Burnamer · 21/09/2021 22:04

I’d rhyme Met with Key and Mei with Eye.

In the nicest possible way though I think this is a bit nuts. If you want to pronounce it May then choose a spelling that people will recognise as that. Mae seems to be the most obvious one.

LikeTheOceansWeRise · 21/09/2021 22:04

Never seen so much attitude on a baby name thread 🤣

I am loving the sass!

Could you give her a nice middle name and just use that as her main name, rather than trying to make Mei/Mey a thing?

Namenic · 21/09/2021 22:04

Sometimes nicknames are a bit different from the lengthened forms: Liz, Libby, Beth for Elizabeth; Harry for Henry; Stacey for Anastasia. So I don’t necessarily think the spelling has to tie you down. Even if the 1st 2 letters are Me - you could always go with may or mae if you want.

I haven’t seen the spelling mey and it looks a bit odd. I would assume someone called mei was East Asian.

Burnamer · 21/09/2021 22:03

@Peanutsandchilli

I'd pronounce as May. Mei, I'd assume you were Asian. Mey, I'd assume you were illiterate.
Grin
Mymapuddlington · 21/09/2021 22:02

Hey and hay both pronounced exactly the same surely?!

Badabingbadabum · 21/09/2021 21:59

May, because I knew a Mei and that's how her name was pronounced.

WoozySnoozy · 21/09/2021 21:58

@ChimChimeny

It rhymes with Hey but not Hay.

I really can't pronounce these differently 🤣

Me neither!
ChimChimeny · 21/09/2021 21:58

It rhymes with Hey but not Hay.

I really can't pronounce these differently 🤣

CorianderAndCream · 21/09/2021 21:57

Both would be May to me.

Mai would be My to me

Blindleadingtheblind · 21/09/2021 21:51

You asked for opinions OP and you got them. Not everyone would choose the name you've picked but it's your child, your choice. Mei is far nicer, but I'd assume you're of Chinese/Malaysian heritage just taking the name at face value.

Peanutsandchilli · 21/09/2021 21:51

I'd pronounce as May. Mei, I'd assume you were Asian. Mey, I'd assume you were illiterate.

knittingaddict · 21/09/2021 21:49

Without really knowing or seeing any replies - May.

RuthW · 21/09/2021 21:47

I'd pronounce it me

WoozySnoozy · 21/09/2021 21:44

@FirstOfficerDouglasRichardson

Is it a long Greek name that is hard to pronounce in the UK? If it starts Mei then Mei, if it starts Mey then Mey. If it is pronounced May, May or My, My. If it’s pronounced not spelt differently it will be harder to explain that is all. Your choice what you call your child.
Yes i'd go with this unless it's Mey maybe.
WoozySnoozy · 21/09/2021 21:43

Whatever the long name is is going to influence what would be a good short name.

MrsFin · 21/09/2021 21:43

@SilentPanic

May. Mei is a shortened version of a few Welsh boys' names (Meirion, Meilir) and is relatively common. It's pronounced may.
Meirion isn't pronounced May-rion. It's more like My-rion.
TenThousandSpoons · 21/09/2021 21:42

I prefer Mei and would pronounce it May.

stormelf · 21/09/2021 21:42

I would pronounce them both the same with the ey sound the same as hey, obey, prey, grey, ley if that makes sense.

FirstOfficerDouglasRichardson · 21/09/2021 21:40

Is it a long Greek name that is hard to pronounce in the UK? If it starts Mei then Mei, if it starts Mey then Mey. If it is pronounced May, May or My, My.
If it’s pronounced not spelt differently it will be harder to explain that is all. Your choice what you call your child.

Original poster
iwantknowyouropinion · 21/09/2021 21:40

@PeriChristmas

Mei is the nicest spelling. Not sure why all the cageyness though.... what's your mum in law's name??
That's not something I feel like sharing with such a judgy bunch.
OP posts:
DacwMamYnDwad · 21/09/2021 21:38

@SilentPanic

May. Mei is a shortened version of a few Welsh boys' names (Meirion, Meilir) and is relatively common. It's pronounced may.
Mei is not pronounced May. It rhymes with Hey but not Hay.
Talkwhilstyouwalk · 21/09/2021 21:36

Mei looks Chinese

Mey is misspelt

May is nice enough

PeriChristmas · 21/09/2021 21:36

Mei is the nicest spelling.
Not sure why all the cageyness though.... what's your mum in law's name??

PeriChristmas · 21/09/2021 21:35

Mavis?

Original poster
iwantknowyouropinion · 21/09/2021 21:35

@Blindleadingtheblind

Is her longer name going to have a made up spelling too? Meyson perhaps?

Mei is fine. Mey is awful.

It's not made up spelling.
OP posts: