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Baby names

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

Original poster

Am I pronouncing this name correctly?

194 replies

Maybree · 16/10/2021 16:29

Our daughter is due on December 6th and we’ve decided to name her Alana. We will pronounce the name “Ah-lar-na”. I haven’t come across many people with this name so I just wanted to check.

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hotmeatymilk · 17/10/2021 09:18

Pleasure! I regret being so rude now we’ve all been so civilised – is this even the internet?

PuppyMonkey · 17/10/2021 09:15

I can cope with a bit of debate about the second ah.

It’s the alleged first Ah that’s confusing me.

Ah-lana? Confused

So people would say Arr Larr Na?

A-lah-na is how I’d say it.

Blubells · 17/10/2021 09:11

Thanks hotmeatymilk. When I look closely at the emojis I can see that I should have used Confused this one to express my confusion.

waterlego · 17/10/2021 09:09

I think it’s not just about whether it is a short or a long ‘a’ sound, but also the shape of the mouth when that sound is made. So a Scottish person might say Al-a-na with a short ‘a’ and the mouth wide and open for the ‘a’

Someone from Southern England like me, would likely say al-aaaa-na with a long ‘a’ and with the mouth less open and lips slightly rounded on the ‘a’ sound.

There are technical names for all this in phonetics/phonology but probably not accessible to most people, which is why Southerners write ‘I’d say Al-arrrr-na’ and then other posters get confused about the ‘r’.

Howshouldibehave · 17/10/2021 09:08

This reminds me of posts on here about the pronunciation of Aaron versus Airon-some have got very heated!!

waterlego · 17/10/2021 09:00

@hotmeatymilk

My kingdom for MN to have an audio feature for pronunciation posts, particularly where “ar” vs “but there’s no R?”, rhotic vs non-rhotic words come into play.
Yes, this! Always so much confusion.
RussianSpy101 · 17/10/2021 09:00

DDs best friend is called Alana. You’re pronouncing it correctly!

CeeceeBloomingdale · 17/10/2021 08:59

Hmm means hmm
Confused means confused
as in that's what it says in brackets when you use them. Any other interpretation is made up by the user.

LizzieAnt · 17/10/2021 08:55

Thanks hotmeatymilk Grin
I always thought Confused meant superior dick too, but now I look more closely at the panic-stricken eyes, I realise you're right!

hotmeatymilk · 17/10/2021 08:39

Sorry! Genuinely thought you were being a dick Grin

Hmm – usually used on MN to be a superior dick
Confused – usually used on MN to be a confused dick

(Please note I use both with abandon, as also a dick)

LizzieAnt · 17/10/2021 08:26

www.thoughtco.com/rhoticity-speech-4065992

This link explains it a bit Blubells. When speakers with a non-rhotic accent write Ah-lar-na, they are indicating how they'd say the second 'a' of Alana, not suggesting they'd actually pronounce the 'r' they write (because they never would when it's in that position in a word). It would be better to use IPA, but most people don't know it. Well, I don't anyway Smile

Margotshypotheticaldog · 17/10/2021 08:22

I also thought that emoji was for confusion! I'm learning so much from this thread 😂
I know 2 little girls called Julia pronounced
Yool ee ah
(I'm not au fait with the IPA so I'll go with a traditional over the top phonetic spelling)

Blubells · 17/10/2021 08:07

Sorry if I used the wrong emoji! I was trying to express confusion.

hotmeatymilk · 17/10/2021 08:02

So not only adding a R but also changing the first syllable from A to U? Hmm
I don’t think you get to use the superior Hmm emoji if you don’t actually understand what you’re responding to.

Blubells · 17/10/2021 07:34

I'd pronounce it uh-lar-na if I saw it.

So not only adding a R but also changing the first syllable from A to U? Hmm

Blubells · 17/10/2021 07:31

non rhotic speakers don’t pronounce the ‘r’ sound as a hard ‘r’

So you pronounce Rat at At? And Ray as Ay?Hmm

MirandaBlu · 17/10/2021 07:26

GemmaRuby - I would pronounce Julia as JOO-lee-ah or JOOL-yah. No R.

One of my best friends is a Julia who grew up in Boston (the US one), and many of her extended family add the r at the end. She doesn't pronounce it that way, and her parents don't, but she doesn't mind if people do. It would seem strange to expect or correct someone to add the r if they don't have that accent, though.

Craftgirlx · 17/10/2021 00:13

I know many Alana/Alannahs and have never heard it pronounced with an ‘r’ sound in it. As others have said it is probably an accent thing so I imagine you’re English and that’s the way it’s pronounced where you live. In Scotland we pronounce it closer to the original Irish way. This doesn’t necessarily mean your way is wrong though! Just that it’s evolved from the original. My name is originally from a European county and my pronunciation is definitely a lot British sounding than the original.

RainbowMum11 · 16/10/2021 23:59

The girl I know is Al-an-na

DulciUke · 16/10/2021 23:54

I'm American and would pronounce without the r. Totally confused why it would be added in there.

LizzieAnt · 16/10/2021 23:29

Genuine question - how else would you pronounce Julia?

Lots of people say Jool-ya.

GemmaRuby · 16/10/2021 23:24

@MirandaBlu

Alana, Alanna, and Alannah as Scottish and Irish names are all pronounced (roughly) as ah-LAN-ah or uh-LAN-uh. I understand that in your accent it's ah-LAR-nah, and that's OK, but you really cannot enforce that pronunciation in general. It's like if I had a Julia and insisted that people pronounce it JOO-lee-urr, or a Cora and I insist on Corer. If you can't handle people pronouncing it the traditional Scottish/Irish/Gaelic way, don't use it.
Genuine question - how else would you pronounce Julia?
SmallestInTheClass · 16/10/2021 23:22

I have a Spanish friend whose DD is Alana, so I think its not just an Irish name. They pronounce it Al-anna. Its correct either way but this tread shows you can't assume everyone else will pronounce it the same way. If that doesn't bother I think ots a lovely name.

Elyat · 16/10/2021 22:45

I'd pronounce it uh-lar-na if I saw it. Can't tell if you are suggesting an uh sound at the start or a A (as in the start of A-nimal

Hangoverstruggles · 16/10/2021 22:41

The 'a' sound will be different depending on accent.

Eg, the word 'grass'. My DH is northern, so grass rhymes with ass

My mother in law is posh so grass rhymes with arse

And Im from Devon so grass is said like graaaas

Anyway, I would pronounce the name Al-ah-na, and northern DH would say al-anna