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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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Lilypop2909 · 16/10/2021 19:04

My daughter is called Alana, and I pronounce it the same way you do like this “Ah-larn-a”

RuthW · 16/10/2021 19:02

You are correct. It's A-larn-a

elizabethdraper · 16/10/2021 19:00

Its pretty common irish name.

AH LAN A

ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:56

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoticity_in_English

It’s really quite a simple distinction, and is part of the beauty of the English language Smile.

ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:53

Same, I can’t imagine what “ba-nar-na” sounds like. Is it a proper “rrrr” sound or the strange non-existant English “r” that makes the word “air” sound like “ehhh”?

It’s the ‘strange’ non-existent English ‘r’… ie a non rhotic accent.

Howshouldibehave · 16/10/2021 18:52

@Margotshypotheticaldog

So back to the bananas. When you say, ba nar na, do you actually mean narrr? Or is it more ba naw na? So, A laaaaw na? I don't think I've ever heard anyone actually say ba nar na.... 🤨
I certainly don’t say ba-naw-na. That would sound very strange as I would say naw to rhyme with gore.

I say ba-nar-na.

But would say Al-lan-ah!

PartyStory · 16/10/2021 18:51

Yes, I say banana with all short 'A's because I'm in Scotland and that's a common way of saying it here.

Same, I can’t imagine what “ba-nar-na” sounds like. Is it a proper “rrrr” sound or the strange non-existant English “r” that makes the word “air” sound like “ehhh”?

ReeseWitherfork · 16/10/2021 18:49

As in, the country.

ReeseWitherfork · 16/10/2021 18:49

Rhymes with Ghana.

ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:43

Rhotic vs non rhotic is done at least once a week on here!

Margotshypotheticaldog · 16/10/2021 18:43

Thanks @thepoisonousmushroom

Margotshypotheticaldog · 16/10/2021 18:41

m.youtube.com/watch?v=PknA7nmNVfM

ChimChimeny · 16/10/2021 18:41

Nope, we pronounce banana as ba-na-na

Isn't that how the minions pronounce it Grin

ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:40

@Margotshypotheticaldog

So back to the bananas. When you say, ba nar na, do you actually mean narrr? Or is it more ba naw na? So, A laaaaw na? I don't think I've ever heard anyone actually say ba nar na.... 🤨
The difference is that non rhotic accents don’t pronounce a hard ‘r’ at the end of a word. So no, it’s not ‘ba narr na’, because we don’t pronounce the ‘r’. The presence of the ‘r’ just elongates the ‘a’.
ChimChimeny · 16/10/2021 18:40

I've known two, one pronounced A-lan-a and the other A-larn-a, both from the same sort of area so not convinced it's an accent/regional thing, just the parents' preference

ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:39

It’s ‘ba nah na’. A long ‘a’.

bitingcat · 16/10/2021 18:38

Alana is dd's middle name. We say A-lah-na with the stress on the second sylable

Margotshypotheticaldog · 16/10/2021 18:38

So back to the bananas. When you say, ba nar na, do you actually mean narrr? Or is it more
ba naw na?
So, A laaaaw na?
I don't think I've ever heard anyone actually say ba nar na.... 🤨

SageRosemary · 16/10/2021 18:36

Nope, we pronounce banana as ba-na-na

There is no r in Alana/Alannah

Just as there is no r in Hannah

toffeeshock · 16/10/2021 18:34

@Twizbe

I loved this name as a child. After watching the girl from tomorrow I really wanted a daughter called Alana.

I'd say a-larn-a

Same!
ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:33

@SylvanasWindrunner

I'm actually genuinely baffled that people don't know there are different accents within the UK Confused Yes, I say banana with all short 'A's because I'm in Scotland and that's a common way of saying it here. If I try to say banaaahna I sound like I'm doing a fake English accent.
Yeah, same goes for the poster above who said ‘no one says ba nar na’. I do!
ThePoisonousMushroom · 16/10/2021 18:31

I have a non rhotic accent and im very common!

SenecaFallsRedux · 16/10/2021 18:27

People with rhotic accents? Does that mean common people?

it means most Scottish people, most Irish people, and most American people. Might be common, might not. Smile

girlmom21 · 16/10/2021 18:27

@SylvanasWindrunner

I'm actually genuinely baffled that people don't know there are different accents within the UK Confused Yes, I say banana with all short 'A's because I'm in Scotland and that's a common way of saying it here. If I try to say banaaahna I sound like I'm doing a fake English accent.
Now you've mentioned it I can imagine it in a Glaswegian accent for some reason Grin
SylvanasWindrunner · 16/10/2021 18:24

I'm actually genuinely baffled that people don't know there are different accents within the UK Confused Yes, I say banana with all short 'A's because I'm in Scotland and that's a common way of saying it here. If I try to say banaaahna I sound like I'm doing a fake English accent.

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