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Original poster

Pronunciation of Eleanor

164 replies

SherbertLemons · 07/11/2021 00:39

Just that really.

How does everyone pronounce this name and what do you think of it?

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Verfremdungseffekt · 08/11/2021 11:27

@TrashyPanda

Elle a nore. Scottish, btw. Never heard it pronounced without the R.

One Eleanor I know changed her name to Elle as she moved to England and hated the way some people mangled her name and dropped the R.

Yes, it's a real problem for Irish and Scottish names with an 'r' -- they sound very different in non-rhotic accents. Orla is one that sounds far less pleasant to me in a non-rhotic accent (OH-luh) , but the real issue is that it sometimes doesn't code to the bearer of the name as theirs at all. I know an Orla who moved to England and people would be addressing her as 'Oh-luh', and she'd be wondering who they were talking to, because it sounded like an entirely different name.
TrashyPanda · 08/11/2021 10:21

Elle a nore.
Scottish, btw.
Never heard it pronounced without the R.

One Eleanor I know changed her name to Elle as she moved to England and hated the way some people mangled her name and dropped the R.

BulldogDrummondBass · 08/11/2021 10:16

@NothingSafe

I’m always fascinated, too. I notice with my husband that he says some words the opposite way round to me.

So I say push with a short vowel, he says poosh.
I say soup as soop, he says sip.

It’s funny to hear which pronunciation our small daughter chooses, too. (She’s very much a poosh and pool kind of girl.)

NothingSafe · 08/11/2021 09:59

[quote WakeUpLockie]@scarpa ha my husband is mancunian and physically can't say 'but' and 'book' the way I do. He ends up saying 'bat' and 'buhk' when he tries to do my southern accent. So hard to describe!

For me I say 'put' with the same U my husband (and maybe you?) use for 'but'. But in my accent, 'but' is like 'b-uht'. Not quite an 'ah' sound, but not a long deep 'oo/uh' sound. Grin

Hut is the same U as in but.[/quote]
Hahaha yes I'm with him on that I think - I can hear it in my head though, but I'm so intrigued as to what makes particular words (hut) have that slightly more fronted 'u' sound and not others (like put). Language is a funny thing!

The one that always foxes me is 'ruhm' for 'room'. I can't get on board with that (she says from her very questionable high horse, pronouncing book, look, put, up, hut, but, cook all precisely the same hahaha). Grin

MajorCarolDanvers · 08/11/2021 08:08

Is it so shocking in a nation with hundreds of different accents that we all pronounce names a bit differently?

WakeUpLockie · 08/11/2021 07:51

@scarpa ha my husband is mancunian and physically can't say 'but' and 'book' the way I do. He ends up saying 'bat' and 'buhk' when he tries to do my southern accent. So hard to describe!

For me I say 'put' with the same U my husband (and maybe you?) use for 'but'. But in my accent, 'but' is like 'b-uht'. Not quite an 'ah' sound, but not a long deep 'oo/uh' sound. Grin

Hut is the same U as in but.

Saltpepperbutter · 08/11/2021 06:51

I know an Eleanor who pronounces it El-nerr.

But in general, I’m with the Eleanor Rigby pronunciation.

scarpa · 08/11/2021 00:22

@Bimblybomeyelash

And to me the Lut rhymes with put, but not hut (or but!)
Now I'm intrigued! How are those sounds different for you? They're all the same in my accent (my soothing flat Lancashire vowels... haha).
scarpa · 08/11/2021 00:20

I would assume someone was taking the mick if someone pronounced Charlotte 'shar-LOTT' with the emphasis on the second syllable (while speaking English anyway, I don't know if it's different in other languages).

I've never heard that... even the Royals don't say it like that, so I can't blame being common. 😅

PoppyMonth · 07/11/2021 23:10

Yes, ‘lut’ to rhyme with put or foot.

I have a friend that calls the Charlotte in our group ‘shar-LOT’ and it drives her potty.

Bimblybomeyelash · 07/11/2021 22:40

And to me the Lut rhymes with put, but not hut (or but!)

Bimblybomeyelash · 07/11/2021 22:39

I say shar-lut . This sounds like ‘shar lut’ to me m.youtube.com/watch?v=VhJy3_278I4

Luredbyapomegranate · 07/11/2021 21:06

Maybe in some parts of the UK, but anywhere I've lived (South East, SW, Scotland, NI) it's SHAR-lut, with the emphasis on the first syllable and lut to rhyme with hut. Not Shar-Lot, with equal emphasis and the lot like a parking lot.

moocow123 · 07/11/2021 20:05

El-en-uh

LizzieAnt · 07/11/2021 19:59

Some examples of Eleanor being pronounced -

forvo.com/word/eleanor

SirVixofVixHall · 07/11/2021 19:58

@MajorCarolDanvers

And Charlotte is Shar-Lot
Agree re Charlotte. Shar lot . Who says lut at the end rather than lot ? I don’t think I have ever heard that. I say something most like Elen -or . I am welsh .
LizzieAnt · 07/11/2021 19:51

Eleanor is a lovely name OP, but is pronounced quite a bit differently depending on location.

In American accents (the ones I'm familiar with, at least) the last syllable is pronounced nore, to rhyme with snore.
In Irish accents, it's usually Ellen-er as a pp said, with the r being pronounced.
Many English accents don't pronounce the r.

If the default pronunciation where you live matches your preferred pronunciation you'll be fine, but you'll always come across those who say it differently.

And if your daughter moves, then most people in her new location may pronounce Eleanor differently to her, as has happened to a pp. This will happen even in English speaking locations, the US, Ireland etc. It depends on how much this bothers you, I suppose.

FeedMeSantiago · 07/11/2021 16:48

All the Eleanors I know pronounce it like 'Ellen-uh'. Never heard anyone pronounce it to rhyme with snore.

Similarly all the british Charlotte's I know are Shar-lut (to rhyme with hut or tut). Never heard anyone say Shar-lot with the lot pronounced like the lot in parking lot.

WakeUpLockie · 07/11/2021 16:45

El-en-uh here. Always lived in the south. El-a-nor always sounds such an effort to me!

brokenbiscuitsx · 07/11/2021 16:42

Ellen-a

RaraRachael · 07/11/2021 16:12

I can imagine Charlotte sounding like Shar-litt but not Shar-lutt

SleepingStandingUp · 07/11/2021 16:07

I'd assume Charlotte rhymes with harlot unless she's v posh. I doubt the princess rhymes with harlot

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 07/11/2021 15:39

[quote TuftyMarmoset]**@OhGingleBells* I would assume Ella-nuh. To rhyme with Helena*

But Helena can be Helen-uh or Hel-ay-nuh to rhyme with Elena 🤣[/quote]
it can also be hel-ee-na

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 07/11/2021 15:38

Char-LOTT sounds a bit affected, unless French. I've only ever known Sharlets.

Eleanor I'd pronounce ella-nurr. I hate the ella-nore sound.

supersop60 · 07/11/2021 15:34

My ex NDN (French) always pronounced her daughter's name as Ell- ay- ah- nor.

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