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Original poster

How to pronounce Talia

338 replies

GemLooper · 06/10/2021 20:50

Would you say Tah-lee-uh or tar-lee-uh?

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JaninaDuszejko · 10/10/2021 08:48

Anyone now singing 'Nestle's milky bar!' to themselves. Nestle rhyming with trestle obv Wink.

steppemum · 09/10/2021 22:54

Anna is pronounced differently in other places, eg in Poland, Russia Ukraine etc.
So it is hardly surprising that we now see their pronunciation of Anna in UK as well as the more traditional version

Bobsyer · 09/10/2021 19:49

We also pronounce Paris as Paris and not Paree. And various other words in an Anglicised way.

But whatever. Never thought this would be my most contentious opinion!

Geamhradh · 09/10/2021 07:37

[quote TuftyMarmoset]It's a longer vowel sound than meh (which to me has the short e as in bet). The IPA symbol is [e] but I don't think there are any English words that contain it to give as an example. It's definitely not an eeee sound (IPA [i]) though. IPA sounds: www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/[/quote]
The problem with the IPA is that it's international. So both English /e/ and French "e" ( // = sounds, "" letter) are in there.

The English /e/ is the "e" in "bed" "egg" etc
The French "e" in Esmé is ever so slightly longer than the the English /e/ but not as long as:
/ei/ (diphthong) "train" "play" etc. This is how non French speaking Brits would probably pronounce that final "e" in Esmé. But it's shorter than that. Very slightly.
Acoustically, the first sound of the diphthong /e/ is identical to the /e/ on its own "bed" etc but obviously, then has to incorporate the /i/ (same one as "bit") into its delivery.

French vowels for non French speakers are difficult. French is one of the most different languages (phonetically and phonemically) to English.

TL:DR- we don't have the "e" in Esmé. We have one longer /ei/ and one shorter /e/

Bimblybomeyelash · 09/10/2021 07:33

Es-mee is a akin to Nestlé being pronounced Ness-lee

Not everyone says Ness-lay ya know.

LoveGrooveDanceParty · 09/10/2021 02:22

I imagine the Es-mee people also pronounce café as caf-ee?? Anything else would be an ‘affectation’.

LoveGrooveDanceParty · 09/10/2021 02:16

[quote TuftyMarmoset]@Bobsyer es-may is how it’s supposed to be pronounced, that’s not an affectation Confused that’s why it’s sometimes written Esmé. Like how you wouldn’t pronounce Renée as renny![/quote]
Exactly.

It’s really not Es-mee. The only country where some people pronounce it like this is the UK.

Es-mee is a akin to Nestlé being pronounced Ness-lee. Grin

Bobsyer · 08/10/2021 22:44

What a helpful contribution Grin

Blubells · 08/10/2021 21:07

It's neither ee nor may.

It's Esmé.

TuftyMarmoset · 08/10/2021 20:57

It's a longer vowel sound than meh (which to me has the short e as in bet). The IPA symbol is [e] but I don't think there are any English words that contain it to give as an example. It's definitely not an eeee sound (IPA [i]) though. IPA sounds: www.internationalphoneticalphabet.org/ipa-sounds/ipa-chart-with-sounds/

Bobsyer · 08/10/2021 20:50

@JaninaDuszejko again, I don’t think it’s fancy. I think it’s an affectation.

And it’s definitely not just the one from Frozen!

Bobsyer · 08/10/2021 20:49

@TuftyMarmoset I (personally) think it sounds affected to say Esmay. It is Esmee. Or slightly shorter - I don’t really know how to write it.

Blubells · 08/10/2021 20:27

Esmé is not pronounced Esmay. It's pronounced Es-mé. The mé is more a meh than May!

TuftyMarmoset · 08/10/2021 20:00

@Bobsyer es-may is how it’s supposed to be pronounced, that’s not an affectation Confused that’s why it’s sometimes written Esmé. Like how you wouldn’t pronounce Renée as renny!

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 08/10/2021 19:57

The Frozen pronunciation of Anna really threw me. My niece used to correct me vehemently 'It's ONNA, not Anna!'

JaninaDuszejko · 08/10/2021 19:57

That was suppose to be Confused

JaninaDuszejko · 08/10/2021 19:56

Like how the name Anna now seems to be pronounced Aaaaaaaana confused

That's not fancy, that's Disney.

HeronLanyon · 08/10/2021 19:48

Oh - I’ve never heard esme pronounced other than Esmay (I don’t know any and am in the south here). Actually think it’s more Esmeh??
Is Esmee (?) used more northern/welsh/Scotland etc ? I think I like Esmee.

Bobsyer · 08/10/2021 18:45

@TuftyMarmoset I don’t think it is posh. I think it’s like when girls called Esme pronounce it Esmay - it sounds affected, although I’m sure the parents just think it sounds a bit fancier. Like how the name Anna now seems to be pronounced Aaaaaaaana Confused.

LizzieAnt · 08/10/2021 10:08

For many years RP was known colloquially as BBC English, wasn't it, though? I know things have, thankfully, changed and regional accents are now used too.

I say duke the same as juke btw horseymum.

KirstenBlest · 08/10/2021 09:49

All born in the south of the UK and all BBC newsreaders

KirstenBlest · 08/10/2021 09:49

southern UK, BBC news-reader

I could have said Reeta Chakrabati, Naga Munchetty, Sophie Raworth, Sima Kotecha ...

RichardMarxisinnocent · 08/10/2021 09:40

@KirstenBlest

My DH doesn’t have an RP accent, but he does have a generic southern UK, BBC news-reader voice.

Like Huw Edwards's?

Grin
Keladrythesaviour · 08/10/2021 09:01

Tar and Tah sound the same to me, I'm so confused Blush

I'd say it as "Ta (for a cup of tea) - Lee - Ah"
I've got a faint Brummy accent if that helps...

TuftyMarmoset · 08/10/2021 08:58

I hope no one does change to dook @horseymum, that’s a pet peeve of mine - my DP says noo instead of nyoo and I hate it!

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